I wholeheartedly adore the brilliant looks created by gorgeous Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig of Marchesa. From Sienna Miller to Jennifer Lopez to Anne Hathaway {even to my recent bride!} the Marchesa ladies have become one of the most sought-after designers for those who know and adore fashion.

Many of the dresses are seemingly so simple, while many also capture such a wonderful balance of drama, art, sophistication and style. Here are a few of my favorite dresses from their 2009 Resort Collection.

I find this collection a fantastic answer to a brides constant quandary – what to wear to my own rehearsal dinner?! These dresses would also be the perfect additions to one’s honeymoon collection, be it sunning in St. Tropez, sailing around Santorini or relaxing in Rio De Janeiro.

While my own honeymoon wardrobe was not composed of runway-ready frocks, I did have fun hunting for the perfect finds that would allow me to don a different dress every night…Perhaps if I only would have scaled back on my floral decor from the wedding, I may have found one of these lovelies in my Hartmann hanging bag…but then again…who am I kidding – how would I ever scale back on flowers!

I am also incredibly fascinated by the Marchesa co-founders’ muse – Marchesa Luisa Casati – Europe’s most scandalous, notorious and eccentric celebrity at the start of the twentieth century. A woman who wanted to be a living work of art, a woman who thrived on drama and intrigue and mystery. A woman who wore snakes as jewelry, trotted next to cheetahs she held by diamond leashes and who had nude servants gilded in gold leaf attending to her needs.

Knowing this interesting inspiration for the gorgeous Marchesa girls, I love studying each of their dresses, hunting for the curious links to their original muse.

Enjoy!

{photo credits} all dresses found on marchesa.com