Belle Badgley Mischka
Mark Badgley and James Mischka have been hailed by Vogue as two of the “Top 10 American Designers” and as the darlings of the Hollywood scene. For the past two decades the duo has made their mark with glamorous, stylish and elegant eveningwear and accessories.
Before starting Badgley Mischka, Mark & James both designed for leading names; Mark for Donna Karan & James, the men’s collection for Willi Smith.
The boys started out in 1988, joining forces to create Badgley Mischka. There was and is a unique synergy between the talented duo, who met while studying at Parsons School of Design in New York and share a similar aesthetic about clothes and the way people dress.
Just one year later in 1989 the pair received the Mouton Cadet Young Designer Award for their evening clothes, and in 1992 they won the Dallas International Apparel Mart Rising Star Award.
Since then the Badgley Mischka brand has captivated both the fashion press and prominent retailers around the world with a sophisticated style that caters to a young, modern couture customer, without forsaking women of any age. Within just a few years, they had elevated their burgeoning fashion brand to include a bridal collection in 1993 as well as elegantly detailed evening bags and footwear all of which were extremely well received.
“Our style harks back to the glamorous Hollywood of the Forties,” says Mischka. “The Badgley Mischka signature style is simple, streamlined and thoroughly elegant.”
Their designs are constructed of the finest fabrics and superior craftsmanship with an element of interest, either in the silhouette or with luxurious detail. They have remained true to this design philosophy and the consistent integrity of their collections have pushed them to the forefront of fashion.
Clients ranging from presidential daughters to Hollywood award-winners to society brides have chosen Badgley Mischka to ensure they look their best during some of the most memorable and stylish events of their lives.
In 1997 the model Georgina Grenville wore Badgley Mischka on the front cover of Vogue and both Will Smith and Jada Pinkett wore it at their wedding.
By 2000 they had their first store, situated on the prestigious on Rodeo Drive and a year later accepted Marymount University’s Designer of the Year Award.
Their timeless designs appeal to a range of fashionable women, including celebrities such as Madonna, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jennifer Lopez, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Winona Ryder, Taylor Swift, Sarah Jessica Parker and Carrie Underwood. In recent times Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren & Queen Latifah defined glamour in Badgley Mischka Couture at the Oscars, while Glee’s Jayma Mays dazzled in Badgley Mischka Couture at The Golden Globes.
Even the character Charlotte from Sex and the City wore a Badgley Mischka wedding dress in the famous TV series in 2003, by 2004 Badgely Mischka had its own range of collectable Barbie dolls and in 2007 Jordin Sparks was wearing the brand as she won American Idol.
Badgley Mischka continues to grace the covers of countless magazines including Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily.
In 2009, the brand launched its contemporary collection ‘Mark & James by Badgley Mischka’. Designed for a young yet sophisticated customer, it offers women a fresh, modern, sexy and more affordable way to wear the Badgley Mischka label.
Badgley Mischka is sold in the most prestigious stores in the world including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The range at Karstadt only acts to enforce this prestigious history.
The stunning diffusion range ‘Belle Badgley Mischka’ is reaching Europe stores later this year to provide another branch of this beautiful brand.