Grammy award-winning musician Mary J. Blige brought the audience to its feet as she closed the Dennis Basso runway show at Cipriani 42nd Street.
Blige, who also serves as the face of Basso’s latest ad campaign, stunned in a white evening gown with black embroidery and a fur shawl draped over her arms – sashaying down the runway to the tune of her own music.
“She’s just wonderful,” Basso said. “She was initially just the face of my campaign, but now I’m lucky to call her a great friend, so naturally I asked her to walk as the finale of my show.”
Blige served as the perfect modern day muse his Spring-Summer 2019 collection, but Basso also looked to Italian noblewoman Marella Agnelli for inspiration. “I tried to create a collection that focused on women that are strong and empowering,” said Basso. “I wanted to create something that was modern yet a little bit sexy.”
This feeling manifested itself into a wide range of looks, from striped jersey pajama sets to embellished cocktail dresses and his evening gowns that harkened back to old world glamour – the kind that Agnelli mastered.
Basso, in business for 35 years, has maintained a reputation for red carpet-worthy gowns – adored by fans from Martha Stewart to Susan Lucci.
To the next generation of American fashion, he had this advice: “I think everyone has to follow their dream. They have to be focused and they have to go ahead and not let anyone or anything stand in their way.”
