Let's start from the very beginning....(which as you know if you love Sound of Music), is a very good place to start. I was invited in October to attend the launch of Marco Visconti's Fall/Winter collection "Byzantine Beauty" as well as their Resort collection. The event organised by the lovely ladies of Plug PR was held at Lily & Bloom. I initially was sceptical of a bar venue for a fashion show but the bar layout worked to create an intimate runway remeniscent of the time when houses of couture held their shows in initimate surroundings. It gave all us bloggers a great close up view of the models. Also having a separate room for the clothing to be hung up gave us bloggers a chance to walk around prior to the show to have a look at the clothes and take pictures if we wanted to.
My Blogger Tag and the little gift from Marco Visconti!!
(Simple things for Simple minds...I know!!)
Ok, let me do a brief introduction of the brand. As previously mentioned, it has a bit of an international history. An Italian name, a German based brand which was bought by a Chinese brother and sister and brought back to HK to be headquartered here for their relaunch. The designer is Chinese too and it is nice to see a brand being brought to HK and have a team all based in HK. They have been running for approximately a year now and have two shops located in Cyberport and Soho.
So what about the clothes themselves? The main collection "Byzantine Beauty" really lives up to its name with the brocade fabrics, the glimpses of metallic threads, the structural shapes of the dresses and tops as well as the sumptuous dark velvet invokes the feeling of decadence and luxury from those Byzantium times. However, there are some pops of light relief with nude and dark chiffon and some lovely lace pieces which though look rich add a bit of structured lightness to the collection which could have been too heavy for the richness of some of the materials. I was really impressed by the wearability of most of the pieces. A couple of pieces caught my eye immediately:
1) Nude slip skirt with a "leather lace" overlay - really interesting combination and the leather lace was really one of my favourite details from the collection....a bit of tough structure to a very fragile fabric for the skirt underneath.
Close up of the "leather lace" overlay
2) Nude lace "biker" jacket. I love a good biker jacket style and this one was lovely in its unusual blush nude lace with seaming to give it the structure to make it more biker-like. Also available in navy, both jackets would be great for casual as well smarter occasions.
Other pieces which I also was admiring was a pair of red tweed shorts (perfect for Christmas!!!) and a navy military style cardigan with zipper detail and leather patch pockets and a snow white belted top. I was also admiring a pair of Marco Visconti's Summer collection trousers worn by another blogger which she claims were still available (I can attest to that but details later!).
Red Tweed "Christmas" shorts
(Picture courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
Navy Military Cardigan with Leather Patch Pockets
(Picture courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
Snow Wool Vest with Belt
(Picture courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
I also liked a navy velvet dress with embroidery to give it a navy tonal effect and which had pockets!! A big plus for me as I never know what to do with my hands except flap them around when I talk!
"Anicia" Jacquard Dress (Pictures courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
The Resort collection was probably a little bit more scary to me hanging on the rack as it involved a lot of strong patterns in black and white and black and fuchsia. However, as separate pieces they would be definitely more accessible and I could definitely see some of my friends rocking the trousers with a plain black shirt. I definitely feel that these pieces would be great for editorial photo shoots too. These pieces gave me a bit of a modern "Harlequin" feel which in a sense does tie with the historical influences of the main Fall collection.
Coptic Triangle Trousers (Pictures courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
I have to admit I did love the nautical themed pieces because they looked so much like something you would wear on a relaxing holiday where you might still need to dress up a little and yet be comfortable. Somewhere exotic for your Winter Blues?
Model wearing skirt from the Resort collection
The show was actually a great way to see the clothes move and some pieces which I had been unsure about actually looked great on the model and when she moved, the piece actually "came alive". One such piece was a dress coat from the Resort collection which was a black and white triangle pattern. On the hanger and even on the mannequin, I was very unsure about how people would wear it as it was such a bold pattern. However, once on the model, I could totally see our lovely Duchess of Cambridge rocking that coat! (Take note!!)
THAT coat...Cairo Triangle Vintage Belt
(Picture courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
THAT coat rocking the runway!
(Picture courtesy of Marco Visconti, Plug PR and photographer Carmen Chan)
It was nice to speak to the brand owners and the designer behind the clothes. All were informal and very friendly. It is refreshing and inspiring to have people be so accessible when talking about their work. I even asked Angela to pick out her favourite piece from the collection...
Designer Angela with her "pick"
I also managed to fulfill my cousin's dream (OK vicariously through me) of meeting the model Jocelyn who was the MC for the runway show and looked lovely in the Marco Visconti dresses.
My moment with Jocelyn
The whole experience that afternoon was both informative and actually enjoyable. I loved meeting the team behind the brand and it was exciting to be introduced to a brand based in HK which I could really see myself wearing as well as a lot of other women in HK. The range really has a lot of pieces which are good for the professional woman who wants quality but not at exorbitant prices.
The hardworking Marco Visconti team with Jocelyn and model
(Picture courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
However, I did not want to end my post here without talking about the Marco Visconti shopping experience. Though, a little out of the way, I really liked the Cyberport store. It is spacious and relaxed and the assistant there Sharon is lovely and knowledgeable about what would suit each client. She also lets you look around at your own pace which is lovely and definitely makes me more inclined to buy.
Cyberport Store (Exterior and Interior)
(Picture courtesy of Marco Visconti and Plug PR)
So let me mortify you with the amount I bought...
From the Summer collection which is currently still on sale (discounts generally around 40-50% off) so BARGAIN!!
"Elazig" Pajama Pant (THOSE trousers that the blogger was wearing)
Me trying on the said trousers...
"Adrina" Top
"Lophelia" Ruffle Shorts
"Elazig" Wide Leg Pants in Orange
The list continues with what I bought from the "Byzantine Beauty" collection...the navy cardigan with leather pockets and the blush lace biker jacket. All I can say is thank goodness for the sales and the voucher!!
I am looking forward to seeing how this brand will progress in the future. I think it is currently looking promising and a source of clothing for the professional lady who needs fashionable pieces which can transition them from day to night. So for now, I can definitely say I am recommending ladies to go and have a look at this brand and hopefully support a HK based brand!!
Thanks again to the lovely ladies at Plug PR for inviting me!
Marco Visconti website: www.marco-visconti.com
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