The New Femme Fatale at Badgley Mischka

Badgley Mischka is having an Alfred Hitchcock moment. The design duo—Mark Badgley and James Mischka—behind the brand garnered inspiration for their fall collection from the iconic director's femme fatales. "They're all a dichotomy between the cool exterior and the passion within," Mischka told ELLE.com backstage post-show.

 

With their modern interpretation, film noir is day-appropriate. "We tried to bring some glamour to her for day," said Badgley. "Women's lives are so busy. They have to dress so industrial to get around the city, so we thought we'd put a little bit of stretch in all these old-world quality fabrics. So even though she may look put together, she feels really comfortable and can get around. And then for night, of course, we love the extravagance."

 

How do they know how much is too much? "That's the big balancing act," Badgley told us. "You want to make a dress exciting, but you don't want to go over the top. So that's our quest—where to pull back." Mischka added: "We stop each other."

 

Checks and balances aside, the two have made the old new again. As Badgley put it: "Women love the classics because, well, they're gone. You don't see them as much now, so I think she appreciates that look once in a while."