Beyoncé and Adele Made This Underground Designer Go Viral in 48 Hours
Call it the Beyoncé effect: In under 48 hours, searches for Marine Serre — the Parisian couturier behind the crescent moon bodysuit in Black Is King — skyrocketed 426 percent. According to global fashion search platform Lyst, this marked a 50 percent increase from the previous week and concurrently triggered the breakout search term “Marine Serre moon bodysuit.”
The bodysuit was undeniably a star (or celestial body, at least) of Beyoncé’s explosive visual album. Styled by Zerina Akers, Black Is King brilliantly wove together luxury labels, independent brands, and so many emerging Black designers. For the song “Already,” Beyoncé and seven identically dressed dancers wore catsuits imprinted with Marine Serre’s repeating crescent moon pattern. The motif has been gaining recognition over the last three years since then-24-year-old Serre debuted it to the approval of Karl Lagerfeld, Phoebe Philo, and Nicolas Ghesquière, who awarded her the LVMH prize in 2017.
Serre’s designs — and her moon motif — have been worn by plenty of fashion’s prominent early adopters: Dua Lipa, Lorde, Selena Gomez, Rosalia… Kylie Jenner even basically deemed it house-wear during quarantine. It’s notable, also, that this isn’t Beyoncé’s first time wearing Serre’s crescents; she’s worn them everywhere from Instagram to courtside.
With such a heavyweight industry backing and A-list fandom, Serre’s ascent was inevitable. In a recent press release, Lyst called Marine Serre “one of the fastest rising brands over the past quarter” and named its moon-print face mask the second-hottest women’s item from spring 2020, based on site searches and social media mentions.
What’s more, fashion resale platform Vestiaire Collective saw a 1,200 percent increase in sales for the brand over the past year, suggesting a high investment potential more comparable to luxury labels like Gucci or Hermès than season-in, season-out fashion that quickly loses value. Of the approximately 300 Marine Serre pieces currently selling or sold on the platform, a vast majority are listed at close to or at times exceeding retail.
Beyoncé’s cosign of the brand was easily enough ammunition to push Marine Serre into collector territory, but an unexpected Instagram post from a near-unrecognizable Adele gave the brand an even bigger boost.
“Thank you Queen for always making us all feel so loved through your art ♥️♥️,” Adele captioned a post in which she posed in a crescent-laden long-sleeve Marine Serre shirt, matching Beyoncé in freeze-frame on the screen beside her.
Given Marine Serre’s credentials, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was sold out everywhere. But, miraculously, the opposite seems to hold true — at least in one instance. Right now, Nordstrom is offering pretty drastic discounts on the brand of up to 70 percent off. Coats, dresses, and shoes are all included in the sale, and even some full-priced items featuring the iconic moon print are available for under $200.
Elsewhere, at Luisa Via Roma, Ssense, and Farfetch, an even wider selection of Marine Serre pieces are selling anywhere from $99 to over $5,700. Pet parents can even get their canines decked out in Beyoncé-ready prints for just $48.
This brand’s upwards spiral shows no signs of slowing down, so the current markdowns might be the last. Grab a piece from the brand Beyoncé is catapulting into the spotlight while your investment is still a steal.
Marine Serre Oversized Logo T-Shirt
Shop now: $195; nordstrom.com
Marine Serre Bias Cut Slip Dress
Shop now: $323 (Originally $1,075); nordstrom.com
Marine Serre Moiré Track Jacket
Shop now: $360 (Originally $1,200); nordstrom.com
Marine Serre Sock Bootie
Shop now: $323 (Originally $1,075); nordstrom.com
Marine Serre Moon Shadow Print Sock Bootie
Shop now: $1,203; luisaviaroma.com
Marine Serre Moon Print Jersey Top
Shop now: $200; farfetch.com
Marine Serre x SSENSE Exclusive Black & Red Moon Dog T-Shirt
Shop now: $48 (Originally $160); ssense.com
Marine Serre Black Moon T-Shirt
Shop now: $106 (Originally $190); ssense.com
Marine Serre x SSENSE Exclusive Black 'Future Wear' Leggings
Shop now: $113 (Originally $565); ssense.com
