In an exclusive interview with MEGA, Marian Zara shares the design process of Heart Evangelista’s NYFW look
The season of fashion week has commenced once again and New York is the first to take the reins as they bring us their iteration of the Spring/Summer trends for 2024. And who appears in full gear when this time of the year comes? It is none other than style-setter Heart Evangelista herself, and we already saw her first look created by a Filipina designer—Marian Zara takes us behind the creation of the all-white ensemble Heart wore for the start of fashion week.
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One of the signature fabrics we noticed the Filipina designer would often work with is denim. She has a knack towards the beloved fabric, turning them into classic designs and deconstructed pieces many personalities have already worn. Marian shared, “Denim is one of my favorite fabrics to work with. I’ve seen our retaso box full of small denims and since I don’t like throwing retasos, I had this idea of putting them together to make new pieces, and it became our small way of reducing waste.”
This is undoubtedly evident in her designs, and Heart took her own custom piece all the way to New York Fashion Week. The collaboration came to be when Heart’s stylist, Iza Sim, reached out to Marian to see if a set can be made for the 38-year-old global fashion tastemaker.
The direction of the design was smooth since the idea behind it was a corset translated the Marian Zara way. She made it clear that dresses and gowns are not her brand’s usual design, which made it a challenge for her and the team. To make their way around the idea, they settled on a deconstructed corset done in a subtle manner.
As seen on the design, the corset was done in a layered fashion. A ruched neckline was incorporated, while the bodice had two sleek flaps that wrapped around Heart’s torso. Instead of the usual cropped corset, the hemline reached her mid-thigh and the ties were placed at the front. She then completed the look by wearing a sheer mini dress in a cream hue for a monochromatic finish.
Creating a custom piece is no easy gig for any designer, and it’s why it’s crucial for the wearer to be hands-on with the design. This is a sentiment Marian expressed since Heart played an integral part in the process. The designer shared that Heart’s honesty and respect towards creative freedom became the driving force behind the piece.
Photos: HEART EVANGELISTA and MARIAN ZARA (via Instagram)
