Maria Pinto’s changes are all by design at Mark Shale
Maria Pinto isn’t a morning person.
“Next time this should be at cocktail hour.”
Pinto, whose designs have been worn by first lady Michelle Obama (most notably at the 2008 Democratic National Convention — “the purple dress” to aficionados — and on election night in Grant Park) hosted a breakfast preview of her first collection for luxury retailer Mark Shale at the Shops of 900 North Michigan March 1.
Over bottled water, Pinto, the store’s new creative director, told assembled fashionistas how she hopes to transform the retailer’s collections.
“I approach the buying process as a designer, understanding fit, construction and the fabrics.”
Her show gave insight into Pinto’s vision of dressing three different archetypal women — one starting her career, another already established professionally and a third who is “playful.”
“It’s exciting to find something that is beautiful for that value,” she said. “It’s not easy. And I want to give our customers a lot of design for the money.”
With a ’70s revival in full swing, Pinto pulled no punches when showing off the high-waisted denim trends for spring.
“Shopping for denim, isn’t it close [nearly as stressful] to bathing suits? We’ve studied fits, and with impeccable tailoring, we’ll find you something super flattering.”
Racks of her curated collection lined the walls, so she was quick to pull out a few of her favorite pieces, including, another iconic ’70s look — batik. This reincarnation is a pant ($295), refined from past incarnations and perfect for a contempory weekend.
“I approach the buying process as a designer, understanding fit, construction and the fabrics.”
Seeking a new take on a leather coat? The Vince leather wrap ($1,095) with jersey lining is just the ticket.
Pinto plans to be in the stores more now that buying season is over. After editing the collection in front of her, she’s looking forward to showing off.
“There are great designers all over the world. And I want to help cultivate designers, by offering our customers the chance to discover something that no one else has.”
By Meg Moore
Originally published March 10, 2011 in Pioneer Press Newspapers.
Reposted with permission