Leanne Marshall Spring 2016

Leanne Marshall is one of the few “Project Runway” alumnae that present collections consistently at New York Fashion Week. With the exception of Christian Siriano, Malan Breton, and Leanne Marshall most “Project Runway” alumnae have faded into obscurity. But not Leanne Marshall.

The biggest question on most fashion industry professionals’ minds is if Leanne Marshall has evolved creatively past her flora and fauna aesthetic. Not entirely. But that is necessarily a bad thing. And the evolution of Marshall’s flora and fauna oeuvre was evident in her spring 2016 collection.

Inspired by nature and water waves, Leanne Marshall has grown her design aesthetic to include garments that are more wearable. Still, at times the collection had the provincial look of designers who design for a very limited audience. Leanne Marshall’s customer is that woman who likes airy, diaphanous garments that express freedom of movement and an ethereal, fairy kingdom. The question that begs an answer is where to wear some of these fairy spirit clothes.

That question aside; many of the looks in this collection are beautiful and well made, with the flowing gowns, perhaps, having more retail value than the shorter dresses. And though of pieces bordered on high-end lingerie, Marshall’s design inspiration did shine through, with her last piece, a tiered green foliage dress being the high point of the collection.

Standout looks in the collection were Marshall’s black silk twill with bonded mesh bust detail, royal silk organza drew with silk organza draping, blue and ivory ombre silk organza short-sleeved dress with navy silk mesh drape, and seafoam silk organza bodice with texturized draping and ivory silk gazaar skirt.

—William S. Gooch