The Avant Garde Issue

This was the scene at the recent San Francisco Fashion
Awards as Maricella Olague took home the coveted
new-designer-on-the-block honor. Getting to this point
wasn’t an easy or straight path for the designer though, and
like any milestone worth achieving, this award was earned
through hard work, dedication, and serious creative drive.
After realizing her desire to pursue a career in fashion,
Maricella left UCSC and moved to San Francisco to study first
at FIDM, and then at the Academy of Art University, from
where she’ll graduate with a second degree in Spring 2016.
I’ve had the honor of watching Maricella’s creative
development from the sidelines since San Francisco Fashion
Week in September 2013 where she sent feathers,
leather, and lace down the runway. There was a high-collared
feathered cape with a black satin bow closure that sent me
straight backstage to introduce myself as soon as the show’s
final model disappeared behind the curtain.
Dresses and outerwear have made up the bulk of the recent
Olague collections, though the S/S 2015 collection, entitled
Plague, which she showed at the San Francisco Fashion
Awards ceremony in January, featured headwear as well.
Plague, as its name aptly suggests, is a dark, deeply
dramatic collection of pieces that truly showcases the
designer’s ability to combine materials and fabrics with
outstanding results. Black leather fringe decorated cropped
capes and high-necked bodycon dresses done in swirling
blue and purple prints. A particularly memorable dress
was wrought in a close-cropped shimmery green metallic
fabric that brought to mind a futuristic aquatic deity as the
golden-tressed model slunk down the catwalk. Broad, flattopped
black fringed hats straight from a Renaissance minstrel’s
ballad were the perfect punctuation, simultaneously
highlighting and grounding the intensity of the fearless
designs.
After the celebration of her win, Fashion Xchange sat down
with the optimistic and cheerful designer to chat about her
future in the fashion industry, personal style, and her
signature beauty look.
FX: You recently won the Best Emerging Designer award
at the San Francisco Fashion Awards and showcased your
new
collection – What was the best part of the evening for
you?
O: Being at the awards show was an awesome reunion to
wrap up the year. Between showcasing my S/S 2015 Plague
collection and hanging out with friends & supporters,
winning Best Emerging Designer came as a huge surprise! It
was unbelievable. I remember frantically trying to get all my
models dressed for the lineup and then all of a sudden
hearing my name being called. I had no clue I even had a
chance with all of the other talents in the running. It was
a humbling experience, and the amount of love I got was
something that made the night absolutely perfect. Thank
you to everyone who came out and those who voted!
FX: 2014 was a big year for the Olague brand – What is
your top goal for 2015?
Photo of model Nicole Bonifacio wearing a cape &
dress designed by Maricella Olague taken by Robert
Silver; hair & makeup by Nicolette LaFranchi
O: I'm stoked for 2015. My main goal is to OFFICIALLY launch
my label, Olague, by the end of the year, and build it here
in San Francisco before moving my business to New York
in 2016 when I finish school. This coming August I'll be in
Tokyo, mostly for pleasure, but I’m planning to make time to
meet with local manufacturers as well.
FX: What runway shows and events are you hoping to
participate in during 2015?
O: I've been approached to showcase at Mercedes Benz
Fashion Week in New York this Fall which would be a dream
come true. I've also been asked to show at Mercedes Benz
60 | Avant Garde Issue 2015 | Fashion Xchange Magazine