Marissa Webb: Fashion Remix

Fashion designer Marissa Webb’s look book is filled with models that mimic her.  Many sport a classically structured design that borrows from elements in masculine tailoring, while still accented with traits of feminine color and whimsy.  Considering she frequently tried to convince friends to call her Mark while growing up, this balance of masculine and feminine qualities in her clothes serves as a poignant example of when a self-proclaimed tom-boy falls into the world of fashion.

Adopted at the age of four from Korea, Webb remembers her days growing up as a child in Delaware already filled with fashion illustration. She would constantly ask her mother if she could see her sketches retailing in stores.  Young Webb balanced this with tricks on the skateboard, playing a myriad of sports, and challenging any boy she came across. As she got older her interests expanded, having originally set out to New Jersey for a degree in Psychology at Rutgers University.  Webb refocused her plan shortly thereafter and instead studied fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. The designer’s first gig in fashion came directly out of college.  She was working at Polo Jeans in New York City, and was one day confronted by head designer Ralph Lauren as he viewed the collection.  Beginning as a struggling designer, Webb was unable to afford the basics (she admits to living off of ramen and M&M’s) and was dressed very casually for the occasion – vintage menswear pants belted high along the hips, a black tank top, and flip flops. She recounts her first meeting with Ralph Lauren in an interview with style website Fashion Week Daily, “I remember him turning around and asking, ‘What is she wearing? Where did you get that? I love it!’ I was mortified, but excited that he would ask about this nobody who shouldn’t be speaking at all.”

But Webb came into her own when she began designing for multi-brand retailer J. Crew.  She dedicated eleven years of her time to building J. Crew’s style, eventually cultivating herself as the Head of Women’s Design.  She and her design team focused again on those traits Webb is so well known for, creating a classy, ageless woman that does not mind taking risks with masculine structures.  And though J. Crew is immensely popular, Webb chose not to make that final leap until last year, when the line officially launched on the largest stage in fashion during the Spring 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.   Webb spoke with fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar about the timing of the show: “The past couple of seasons that we have shown were almost a test to see what the reaction would be. We want to do everything organically. Launching right into Fashion Week…it’s not easy, you know? You’re playing in the big leagues. So it was a natural growth and it seemed like the right time.” The designer’s growth has only continued on.  Surprising many of those devoted to her, Webb decided to step down from her position of Head of Women’s Design in September 2011, shortly after J. Crew’s well-received showing at Fashion Week.  She left to begin her own clothing line, taking what she had learned from her own experiences at J. Crew in order to launch what many believe will be an extremely successful venture.  After a booming show in Fashion Week this September, reviewers agreed that her style relied not on a copying of J. Crew, but a detailed expansion that used classic black and whites (with varying, smart pops of color), leather, and an urbanized sense of style that translates completely unique from Webb’s previous work.  Her ready-to-wear collection is set to be released in Spring of 2013.             Marissa Webb has translated her personality into a style that can be appreciated by all.  Her branching from J. Crew seems to be a smart move, and fashionistas everywhere can expect great things from her new line.  So instead of mourning her departure from the brand that made her famous, fans can rejoice in Webb’s decision to continue moving forward in the name of fashion.

– Melissa Cruz