Designer Gets Vote of Washington Women
Michael Novarese says a number of his local clients belong to Washington’s political-social circle, and dressing them can be a piece of cake.
“See how easy it is?” the Los Angeles designer whispers as he briefly turns away from a customer. In less than 30 minutes, with almost no direction from him, she has ordered a cocktail dress, a daytime silk, three evening gowns and is still browsing for more .
The designer, at I. Magnin in Beverly Hills recently with his spring collection, says women with Washington connections are scouting the market for quality and individuality. “They’re bored with the sameness of one favorite designer, who shall remain nameless,” he adds.
Discretion and Style
Memphis-born Novarese has charm, discretion and style. He wears amber-tinted glasses, a paisley bow tie, gray flannel slacks and a strawberry-red belt decorated with tiny mirrors joined together to form a little sculpture.
“I’ve had this belt 25 years. It’s one of my precious things,” he says. Although the mirrors show signs of wear and tear, he has no intention of retiring the accessory.
“We should all have red in our wardrobes. We need it for those moments when we don’t have it all together. You put on that color and the world is prepared to say ‘Hello’ to you. When I wear my red bow tie, I know I have a face you want to say ‘Hello’ to.”
Most people want to say more. They want, as in the case of an I. Magnin customer, to ask if he will add sleeves to a bare-shoulder ball gown. (He will, but he will have to eliminate the shirring on the bodice.)
Gems on the Gown
And are the gems on the cream gown she’s chosen jade? (Actually, they’re East Indian emerald chips, “but they certainly do look like jade.”) And would he use the pink-and-white silk fabric of a dress for evening pajamas? (He would. Together, they design the outfit on the spot.)
“It’s been a wonderful period for us,” Novarese says of the last few years. “This is the first time in a long while that functions in Washington have had such an influence on designers. I would almost refer to it as an education. It’s kept us alert and constantly creating.”
The result is clothes that are “important without being flashy.”
In his latest collection, this translates into pastel gowns that catch the eye with delicate beading. Black-and-white dresses of re-embroidered lace are highlighted with opalescent sequins. Two-piece, silk organza chemises are “just a melange of appliqued leaves,” and daytime dresses take their drama from rich fabrics, such as pleated silk or printed linen.
From his latest collection, priced from $1,200 to $4,000, a regular client will buy eight to 10 pieces, he says. A gown might be worn only two or three times--and never twice to the same location or in the company of the same people.
For a woman with a high-level social life, “it takes a lot of work to keep up a wardrobe,” Novarese observes. “She has to jot down where a dress was worn and who was there.”
She also has to take a number of long looks in the mirror. “I think the biggest fault women make is they don’t consult their mirrors enough.”
And then she needs to ask a few questions, such as: “Is this the mood I want to be in? Is the dress right for the atmosphere of the room?”
And probably most important of all: “Will it overshadow the hostess?”
“That’s a definite no-no,” Novarese says with a knowing look in his eye.
