The best inventions are those borne of necessity and a desire for efficiency––just take the wheel or Instagram. So when designer Marguerite Wade couldn't find tennis clothes she liked, she made her own. In a world where women's athletic clothes trend towards garish and uncomfortable, Marguerite's line, Full Court, is a collection of easy, color-blocked active wear that fits right in with an iced coffee at The Smile and still lets you dominate on the court. And you can only find this sleek gear at Opening Ceremony! To showcase the collection's versatility, we took the pieces out to play with some of our Spring/Summer favorites, and then sat down with the designer to talk sports.
Shop all Full Court here
DANA MELANZ: So what's the story behind Full Court? How did you get into fashion design?
MARGUERITE WADE: Well, I got into it in sort of a roundabout way. I'd been working in fashion for so long—in production design—and I was always in that world. Designing something myself is completely new, and I ended up with this because I'm a do-er. I was playing tennis and a friend said that someone should design something cooler than the current tennis gear and I decided I would. At first it was sort of like a few pieces, just a kit for myself. Then, people started suggesting things I should make and I got inspired, started pulling references, and then the line kind of grew from that.
How did you hook up with OC?
I've known Carol and Humberto for a long time, and I've seen the store grow into what it is now. So when I was developing the line, I thought it was the perfect place. There's a bit of '90s and old-school throwback feel to the line, which, I think aligns with the store's sensibility. I'm very happy that it came to the store; it's a great place to be if you're doing something that's a little bit different, even though my line's not necessarily wildly innovative.
What were some of the things that you noticed were missing from athletic gear?
It was always the color. White and pink, always. That's not my style, and walking through the city streets I wanted something a little bit darker, a little bit more urban. I was thinking about that from the get-go. The ball pocket [on the backs of the shorts and leggings] was the start of what I wanted to do, and I'm still working on that, conceptually. I wanted clothes that I can keep wearing throughout the day, so I created a collection I actually want to wear.
Who are some of the women you had in mind while you were designing?
Just women like my friends and me. [For] busy people who are living in the city, riding the subway... a tiny tennis skirt isn't going to fly without something underneath it. People who love fashion and love sports were interested. There are a lot of people like me out there, so I'm just designing with my own interests in mind like a big selfish person. [Laughs]
But if you don't wear your own clothes, it's probably much harder to figure out the technical stuff when you're starting.
Exactly! The fit was really important. When you're using yourself as the fit model and the jumping-off point, you take all of these other things in[to consideration] that you might not normally if you were doing something from afar.
How many other women did you have to try on your garments to develop the fit?
That was really great actually, since it's not my primary line people were curious about what I was doing. People would come over and I would just put the pieces on everyone to see if they would loo
Shop all Full Court here
DANA MELANZ: So what's the story behind Full Court? How did you get into fashion design?
MARGUERITE WADE: Well, I got into it in sort of a roundabout way. I'd been working in fashion for so long—in production design—and I was always in that world. Designing something myself is completely new, and I ended up with this because I'm a do-er. I was playing tennis and a friend said that someone should design something cooler than the current tennis gear and I decided I would. At first it was sort of like a few pieces, just a kit for myself. Then, people started suggesting things I should make and I got inspired, started pulling references, and then the line kind of grew from that.
How did you hook up with OC?
I've known Carol and Humberto for a long time, and I've seen the store grow into what it is now. So when I was developing the line, I thought it was the perfect place. There's a bit of '90s and old-school throwback feel to the line, which, I think aligns with the store's sensibility. I'm very happy that it came to the store; it's a great place to be if you're doing something that's a little bit different, even though my line's not necessarily wildly innovative.
What were some of the things that you noticed were missing from athletic gear?
It was always the color. White and pink, always. That's not my style, and walking through the city streets I wanted something a little bit darker, a little bit more urban. I was thinking about that from the get-go. The ball pocket [on the backs of the shorts and leggings] was the start of what I wanted to do, and I'm still working on that, conceptually. I wanted clothes that I can keep wearing throughout the day, so I created a collection I actually want to wear.
Who are some of the women you had in mind while you were designing?
Just women like my friends and me. [For] busy people who are living in the city, riding the subway... a tiny tennis skirt isn't going to fly without something underneath it. People who love fashion and love sports were interested. There are a lot of people like me out there, so I'm just designing with my own interests in mind like a big selfish person. [Laughs]
But if you don't wear your own clothes, it's probably much harder to figure out the technical stuff when you're starting.
Exactly! The fit was really important. When you're using yourself as the fit model and the jumping-off point, you take all of these other things in[to consideration] that you might not normally if you were doing something from afar.
How many other women did you have to try on your garments to develop the fit?
That was really great actually, since it's not my primary line people were curious about what I was doing. People would come over and I would just put the pieces on everyone to see if they would loo