asia major; The new London label Marchesa has made globalism glamorous, with fabrics inspired by the Far East and dresses with all the sexiness of the sari.(Brief Article)

Byline: Mark Holgate

When Renee Zellweger and Cate Blanchett needed something amazing for recent European movie premieres, they surprised everyone by choosing Marchesa, an obscure London label then barely six months old. Fashion radars began to whir and hum. "It has been such a whirlwind since we started," says Keren Craig, who with her codesigner, Georgina Chapman, has felt the spotlight suddenly fall on her head. "We've hardly had time to catch our breath." Named after the Marchesa Casati, a kind of aristocratic Kate Moss of the Man Ray set, the label's look is undoubtedly glamorous but also a little bohemian. Craig is in charge of the Asian-inspired textiles and decoration (an Indian embroidery she calls "mawll" is a favorite), while Chapman handles the cutting and draping. The sari has been a big influence: ...