Madyssen Hrlevich is showing for the second time at Omaha Fashion Week after her runway debut last spring.
Inspired by the female spies and heroines of James Bond films and novels by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Madyssen sought out to illustrate a love letter from a heartbroken woman. “I took those aesthetics [from James Bond and F. Scott Fitzgerald] and I’m using them to portray a very dark love story on stage and I’m embroidering that love story throughout the collection,” she tells us. The use of fabrics like wool, chiffon and velvet helped her tell the story and maintain a dark femininity, she says.
Madyssen says she also drew inspiration from her favorite designers like Karl Lagerfeld, citing his portrayal of a “tailored, sleek and powerful woman”. “I wanted to recreate those really independent feminine elements into my collection,” she says.
The young designer, who is mainly self-taught, also tells us that only one or two of her eight looks from the collection were sketched, while the rest she created freehand, inspired by watching fashion shows throughout the months she spent creating her collection.
Learn more about Madyssen Jean here or see her on the runway during Designer Showcase III Saturday Feb 25.