In Martha Madigan’s photography, the minute details of the natural world are illuminated. Last night, Lafayette 148 transformed its SoHo flagship into a buzzing celebration of nature, art, and the late photographer. The star-studded event launched a collaborative capsule collection designed by Emily Smith, the fashion house's creative director, in partnership with Madigan's daughters, recording artist Claire Khodara and landscape designer Grace Fuller Marroquin.
Madigan’s instantly recognizable cyanotype prints are splashed across billowing dresses, scarves, two-piece sets, and more. The pieces were unveiled on International Women's Day earlier this month, a nod to Madigan's quiet but resolute feminist stance. Twenty percent of profits from the clothing will be donated to the Martha Madigan Foundation, which helps fund arts education.
"She was a true feminist," Marroquin notes. "She wasn't loud about it; it was simply a given." Halley Harrisburg, a director at Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, shares her memory of Madigan’s understated defiance: "She would've encouraged women in the arts to be true to their vision, be true to themselves, and to persevere whether there's an audience or not."
Upon arrival, guests were greeted by live jazz and pieces from the collection. The lineup included an Italian silk pajama set and scarf alongside a semi-sheer voile kaftan, each piece a canvas for one of Madigan's signature floral shadows. "The most important thing was to translate her connection to nature," Khodara says. "Nature was her greatest teacher."
Actress Beanie Feldstein mingled among the crowd, which also included editor Lilah Ramzi, entrepreneur Dasha Zhukova, actress Kathryn Gallagher, the Art Production Fund’s Casey Fremont, designer Lizzie Grover Rad, fashion writer Karen Blanchard, and designer Wes Gordon.
While guests sipped passion fruit margaritas and nibbled on small bites, Khodara took the stage to perform a series of original songs, each written as an interpretation of her mother's work. On either side of her were solar photograms on silk by Madigan, which will remain on view through April 13. As the evening came to a close, Khodara ended with a rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," the perfect send-off for guests spilling into the night.
