These pieces put the 'haute' in haute couture.
Alexis Mabille
Theres something quite chic about the fitted jacket over flowing skirts- it suggests that you've been/are going somewhere glamorous enough to wear a ballgown, but also that you don't really care.
'This jacket? Yeah, I just threw it on!'
....Yeah, right.
Chanel
Chanel's makeup was, as usual ambitious, trend-setting and managed to pull something off that would normally never work. This time the challenge was PANDA EYES made beautiful by cobweb-like false lashes. (See here)
Apparently the two girls in wedding dresses walking together (see picture) were meant to represent Karl Lagerfeld's support for gay marriage. Lagerfeld is always creating controversy around himself, and while, in my opinion, gay marriage shouldn't have to be a controversial topic, this subtext showed its controversy by creating a buzz around the collection. I have to say I wasn't completely taken in by this display. I didn't fully believe in the supposed pro-gay marriage subtext; not to say that Karl Lagerfeld doesn't support gay marriage, but more that I don't think this display worked in expressing his views fully. It just seemed a bit, well... odd.
I guess it's nice to hear Karl say something that's slightly more easy to defend than his some of his other views... I'm sure you've heard the slightly distasteful things he has said in the past about both Adele and Pippa Middleton. Did you know he also has a very controversial view on prostitution? You didn't? Well....
I guess it's nice to hear Karl say something that's slightly more easy to defend than his some of his other views... I'm sure you've heard the slightly distasteful things he has said in the past about both Adele and Pippa Middleton. Did you know he also has a very controversial view on prostitution? You didn't? Well....
'I'm rather pro-prostitution. I admire people who do it. It can't be much fun. Thank goodness for it. People need relief or they become murderers."
I mean, it just makes you wince doesn't it. Oh Karl.
I actually have a list from the Evening Standard magazine with all the controversial things he's said, which I love, because I can keep reading it and still not quite believe my eyes. I honestly think he just says some of this stuff for fun, to make people react so he can have a jolly old time laughing at their subsequent horror. Although I don't agree with many of his views, you've got to admire him for honestly speaking his mind, and not caring what the public think. In fact, it draws them in! All too many celebrities and people in the public eye have plainly been trained to have certain 'safe' views on controversial topics. And lets be honest, where's the fun in that?
I'm having a slightly strange vision right now of Karl Lagerfeld as a sort of God, looking over everyone from a massive balcony and just laughing.... I think it might not be as far from the truth as you might think.
I'm having a slightly strange vision right now of Karl Lagerfeld as a sort of God, looking over everyone from a massive balcony and just laughing.... I think it might not be as far from the truth as you might think.
Christian Dior
Choosing Raf Simons to take over at Dior was a stroke of genius. Every collection has been not only superb, but also pleasing in the way that Simons has managed to mix the Dior aesthetic with his own minimalist tendencies and come out with collections of perfectly refined, silky glamour. Thinking back to the era of John Galliano and the massive, outlandish stamp that he made on Dior's history, many were worried about Simon's ability to return Dior to it's former glory after Galliano's departure. We can safely say, we were wrong to worry.
Elie Saab
Elie Saab is a bit of a 'King of Couture'. Couture is what he does. Although his RTW collections might not strictly be classified at 'haute couture', due to the way the clothes are made, these collections look like couture. Dresses, sequins, silk everywhere. Not a pair of trousers in sight. So it's unsurprising to see him continue to do the 'princess dress' well.
I loved the vintage-style use of silk and 3/4 length sleeves on a ball gown, while also keeping it modern and subtly sexy by using a sheer panel at the top (see above).
He also continues to succeed in making mid length dresses just as beautifully as ball gowns. The one above is a perfect shape and, although covered in sequins, is kept chic by the sheer breaks in the pattern of the sequins, which creates a lovely effect overall.
I'll never forget the first time I saw an Elie Saab collection- I was gobsmacked by the beauty of his clothes. I mean it's what every girl wants deep down isn't it? A beautiful, sparkly princess dress. Although Elie Saab continues to do what he does well, I sort of wish he would try something else. It can sometimes feel as if we're seeing the same dress down the runway in different colours every season.
Giambattista Valli
I'm really loving the cape-dress at the moment, and it feels pretty right in this short, sequined version by Giambattista.
Ulyana Sergeenko
This collection doesn't really feel like couture- it's pretty laid back, but not to say I didn't like it.
This collection left me longing for summer, especially when I saw pieces like the sheer white shirt paired with a long, white cotton skirt and parasol (see above). It just reminds you of hot, lazy summer days in the past.
The second piece I really loved from this collection was the crochet dressing-gown-type piece. I've been looking for a robe, or kaftan, or whatever you call them (...cover ups?) to wear over summer pyjamas, or something to wear on the beach. I can imagine this as a glamourous but suitably cooling option (well... it's not really an option for me due to the price!)
Valentino
You might be mislead into thinking rouge was the 'couleur du jour' at Valentino for their couture collection. I am sad to say you are wrong, for although the collection itself wasn't dominated by the colour red, the red pieces that were shown did seem to dominate the collection.
The vibrant passion of the red was too much for all those black dresses.
As I've said before, I'm really loving the cape-dress at the moment. The cape dress (see above) + the red = ever so simple but endlessly chic
I love the way that the second dress just drops but still has a shape to it. Embroidery is not often seen on such bright colours such as red, but I have to say, this time it worked well.
I'm going to go out there and post, yes 'Thrift Shop' by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis with a post about haute couture. Just to be ironic ;)
