Redazione
2 giu 2018
Monse is the brainchild of designers Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia. If the names
sound familiar it is probably because since 2017, they are also the creative directors of one of
America’s biggest brand, Oscar De La Renta.
The story began when De La Renta himself presented them to each other, by asking
Fernando Garcia to come and work for his company (where Laura Kim had already been
working in for 6 years). He knew right away that the pair would form an incredible duo. In
2015, the pair departed from the worldwide known brand following the appointment of Peter
Copping as creative director. This is when Monse made its debuts: New York Fashion week of
September 2015 signed the official beginning of the brand.
This new label’s essence is centered around twisting classic wardrobe staples to produce
elegant and trendy garments. Kim and Garcia describe Monse as a brand for women that
« dare to express themselves » and also « appreciate the unexpected ». This is the thing: with Monse,
unexpectedness comes in the details. It is a classy brand, definetely officewear appropriate.
The designers are leaving behind the boring looks for trendier options with deconstructed
men’s shirts turned into dresses for example. All of the garments are finely designed, but always with
a twist that the fashion world will learn to call the « Monse touch ».
Belts and cinched-in waists are recurrent phenomenons in the brand’s garments. If you are
looking for elegant pieces using strong and thick materials, you have found your match in Monse.
Fall/Winter 2018 for Monse was a new beginning. The brand said «no» to the traditional runway
show and decided instead on presenting its collection through a video. The designers decided to give up
their spot at the New York Fashion Week to try something new. The video was shot by Fabien Constant
at Coney Island. Erin Wasson plays the only character, her voice-over is performed by Nicki Minaj. The
whole mood of the video is quite dramatic, contrasting with the fun and childish choice of location.
The duo is now leading the creative direction of both Monse and Oscar de la Renta, and it is
clearly working. They also had a joint show in Autumn/winter 2017-2018. Their involvement seem to pay
since in 2016 the pair was nominated for the CFDA awards with Swarowsky.