Throwbacks and Comebacks

All the best from the fall 2012 couture shows

Couture is always exciting. Couture challenges designers to push the artistic boundaries of fashion to the edge. Everything is fantastical, dreamlike, surreal. Couture focuses on ancient techniques and futuristic technologies alike. Couture is magical.

You've already heard my thoughts on the Christian Dior show, but here are my opinions on the rest of Fall 2012 Couture.

Alexis Mabille

Alexis Mabille is always good for a fantasy-inspired show, full of glimmering gowns and dramatic capes and cuts. The designer used jewels as his inspiration, allowing him to take full advantage of emerald greens, ruby reds, and sapphire blues. Maybe I've just been looking at this Game of Thrones "What Would They Wear?" Blog too much, but I wonder if Mr. Mabille has the HBO masterpiece on his TiVo. Daenerys Targaryen would totally work that shimmering blue dress; Cersei would be sassy as usual in that ruffled cream cape confection; Sansa would look princess-like and innocent in the midnight-blue dress with the bow on the shoulder.

Chanel

For Karl Lagerfeld, fashion can be quite the conundrum. Fashion is all about giving people something new, something fresh, but it is all rooted in the past. For the Chanel Fall 2012 Couture Presentation, the theme was "New Vintage" or a blending of future and past. In true Lagerfeld fashion, the clothes were only part of the presentation: the invite was a pink and grey sketch of Mademoiselle Coco done by Lagerfeld; the space was designed to look like Chanel's original salon de couture (source); the guests sat at white wicker chairs and tables with macarons and other vintage delights. But the clothes were the true stunners. Pink was the color of the night, and girls walked out in sequined skirts and glittering grey tights (and the sure-to-be most-wanted-accesory, sequined knit hats slung back on the models' heads. "New Vintage" indeed. 1930's silhouettes abounded, and yet, as usual, Lagerfeld made everything appear to be almost futuristic! My personal favorite? The dust pink sequin dress with fuzzy pom-poms protruding; I hope the right person wears that dress and kills it!

Elie Saab

Titled In Constantinople's Wake, the Elie Saab show was the usual tour de force that I always look forward to. Sure, perhaps Saab's love of sequins and sparkle can grow to be predictable, but he knows how to create something beautiful each and every time. I enjoy the designer's use of color stories as he transitions from one hue to the next and thus allows the show to evolve with each passing frock: first black gowns in lace, then contrasting ivory and peaches, then soft blues, and finally to golden-tinted neutrals. There are so many red-carpet looks here, as usual, and I cannot wait to see these gowns in action, but perhaps my favorite is the blue with gold brocade, vaguely miltary-esque dress (second from left). There is something so strong about it, and yet the glimmering details soften it, making in a dress of perfect balance.

Ulyana Sergeenko

Ulyana Sergeenko is Russian. If you didn't know that already, you would have figured it out by the time you looked at her debut couture show. Long winter military coats, fur hats and gloves, babushkas: Miss Sergeenko is very interested in her homeland. The street-style star turned designer has proven herself, for her way of dressing certainly carries over to her way of designing. She shows strong silhouettes and makes her style be known, but there is a whimsicality of the collection that makes it lighthearted and, to be honest, fun! Details are exaggerated and proportions are played with (she pairs a fur cap and gloves with a military-inspired bodysuit). Many fear that the theatricality of couture has been lost, now that Galliano is out of the game (for now, at least) but perhaps Sergeenko is the new torch-bearer of fun fashion.

Valentino

Finally, a Valentino collection that doesn't look like the costumes for the movie adaptation of a Jane Austen book! While we are talking about past Valentino collections, I don't think people were this up in arms about the new designers after Mr. Valentino himself left, and today's Valentino collection is far removed from the foundations, unlike Raf's Dior Debut. But I digress... This show was darker than past collections, but there was something very regal about the cut-out velvet gowns and brocade coats in lemons and sorbets. (Oddly enough, Tim Blanks referenced Game of Thrones in his review of the show for style.com; perhaps the show is on every top designer's TiVo these days!) This was perhaps the most ornate Valentino collection created by duo Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli to date, and yet nothing is overdone. Everything is still very aesthetically pleasing and poised, which I'm sure is the point.

Giambattista Valli

If Christian Dior's main inspiration was flowers, then butterflies are that for Giambattista Valli. Valli has been a favorite of mine and I think his is absolutely perfect for couture, and although his couture label is young, it is one of the strongest around. Butterflies were everywhere -hair, belts, even lips- and nature reigned today. Valli is not afraid to be bold, as evidenced by the strong pallet and structure of the clothes presented. The standouts? That forest fairy queen cape and gown (can't you just see Titania of A Midsummer Night's Dream wearing that?) and the sculpted asymmetrical peplums that bring new life to the season's biggest hit. Like his inspirational insect, Giambattista Valli is soaring.

What were your thoughts on all the couture shows?

(images from style.com)

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A New Hope

*but seriously this is Star Wars epic status

Raf Simons channels Christian Dior's iconic NEW LOOK for his Dior debut

The drama concludes (or has it just begun?) today, as the highly-anticipated Christian Dior couture debut of Raf Simons is revealed. The bloggers are already going absolutely insane with either high praise or high disapproval, but this review is solely my two cents on Mr. Simons' new collection.

Set in an abandoned mansion with five salons walled with reportedly a million flowers, a tailored black tuxedo suit appears on the curving marble runway. From the first look it is apparent that this is not a Galliano show - but that's okay! Because isn't the point of getting a new designer to go in a new direction? Or maybe that's just me.

Peplums and pants are my favorite silhouettes from the show

The channeling of New Look silhouettes is obvious, but Simons does it in a fresh way. Perhaps my favorite looks were the peplum tops, the nipped waists with these exaggerated skirts, all over straight-leg pants. I think those did the best job of utilizing New Look styles while going in a modern direction. This makes me eager to try my own oversized peplum/pants combo.

Now, a common complaint among bloggers is that Raf Simons doesn't "get" couture, or that this show lacked the theatricality of Galliano's couture shows. These complaints are silly for several reasons.

Red Carpet Ready

On the first point, about Simons not understanding the idea of couture (and by that they mean the clothes aren't over-the-top enough) nowhere in the Couture Regulations does it state that couture clothes require a certain amount of beads per square inch or a minimum of 20 yards of fabric per dress. People should also know that most other couturiers aren't nearly as flamboyant as Galliano or Lagerfeld. Look at Bouchra Jarrar who, as told by Nicole Phelps of style.com, "has yet to put a single beaded ball gown on her runway". Couture is about something more than elaborate sets and theatrics - it's about telling a story through beautiful clothing, about showcasing old-style sewing and designing.

On the second point, the whacky sets and over-the-top productions are fun and amusing but can be distracting, and the setting of this show was frankly stunning - beautiful but not so overwhelming that the staging overshadows the clothes.

I think Simons did an excellent job with this first couture collection (and his first ever collection for Dior, which is even more pressure!) and yes, he played it a bit safe with his heritage-based looks, but they were exquisite and flawless in their constructions. People miss Galliano and the excitement, but frankly, the hype that surrounded this presentation made it the most anticipated Dior show in a long while. Raf Simons is not John Galliano, and I am so totally fine with that.

Be sure to check back for more Fall 2012 Couture reviews and let me know what you thought about Raf Simons' debut at Christian Dior!

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FW2012 Round Up

Sorry I've been MIA lately. It's just one of those stressful times again. Did you know that once you finish your college applications you aren't actually done with tireless applications? Because you have to fill out scholarship forms so you can actually pay for higher education...sorry for ranting. I'm done now.

Of course, if there's anything that can brighten my day, it's the beautiful shows of fall fashion week! I was delighted to see designers are back to having fun. Fall doesn't just mean black anymore. Colors are abundant, just in rich autumnal hues. Geometric prints will dominate stores come fall, as seen at Prada and Rochas. With the stunning success of The Artist and the upcoming The Great Gatsby redux, the twenties will once again be the golden era.

There were tears at Jil Sander when Raf Simons announced his departure, and applause at both Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs shows for the absolutely stunning sets. And, for the first time in maybe all of history, Karl Lagerfeld added some color to his usual black and white ensemble.

Here they are, my personal favorite moments of all the fashion weeks.

Carven, the clothes of our dreams

Carven is one of those brands that always woos the twenty-something girl desperate for a dose of French chic because they make clothes that celebrate the fun of fashion. Once a girl passes the middle school threshold, it is officially acceptable to dress like a four-year-old again, and Carven totally gets this cutesy little girl style without losing any cool. The high collars and stiff cuffs are innocent enough, but the plunging necklines and cut-out shirts are anything but. Every girl's dream.

Let's Put on a Show

From Top: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Marc Jacobs

Fashion shows have evolved in the past few years. The internet has given them an unprecedented instantaneous, and now you don't even have to be part of the sartorial aristocracy to enjoy shows as they happen. Due to the widespread publicity of fashion shows these days, designers have revolutionized shows so that they are not just boring catwalks but full-on Broadway-worthy productions. The more elaborate the stage, the better. Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld have managed to master this art of stage decoration, but many other designers are hopping on the stage production (no pun intended, Marc Jacobs) train. While some argue that the costs of these shows is highly excessive, the artistic side of me feels that these sets add a whole new level to the ideas of a collection.

New City, New Energy

Moschino Cheap & Chic has been one of my favorite diffusion brands for a while, because the brand captures all the energy of it's parent, but with the youthfulness that attracts a younger, more colorful crowd. So it seemed perfectly natural for Cheap & Chic to move to London Fashion Week, where neon and cheeky prints are everyday fare. The brand succeeded in capturing the heart of its new city, as the collection got stellar reviews. Katy Perry has already been seen sporting a look from the collection only days after it showed, if that is any indication of the line's success.

The King of Kolor

That's right, I just Kardashian-ized the word color, or should I say, Karl-ized? But seriously, was anyone else as shocked as I was to see Uncle K don blue and purple, two colors that are not black nor white!?

Second Time's the Charm

The problem with Chloe and I, I've recently figured out, is that the first collection I really ever noticed of Chloe's was the Spring 2007 show, which was decidedly ornate for Chloe, and because I've only recently really understood the more minimalist side of fashion, Chloe has long since been a favorite of mine. When I scanned through the Fall 2012 show, however, I was instantly delighted to see that I truly enjoyed what Clair Waight Keller put out for her second collection for the brand. The soft colors and mixed proportions were absolutely lovely. Of course, it was the twisted one-shoulder gown at the end that really did me in.

The Tearful Goodbye

The Jil Sander show was, as it has been for several years now, one of the strongest of the season, and I personally was so delighted with the pale pinks and fifties silhouettes that I was promptly devastated when I heard the news that Raf Simons, the man behind Jil Sander for the past seven years, was leaving the brand. The plot thickens: Raf is now fending off rumors left and right that he will be the new creative director at Dior, and many insiders are speculating that Jil herself may be returning to her namesake brand. Raf will be missed, but we know he's going to do tremendously well wherever he goes.

So you may be asking 'Lindsey, what was your favorite show of the season?' Well, wonderful blog reader, I cannot say quite yet. These things take time. I've certainly fallen in love with many new dresses, but collections as a whole? Usually I hate Miu Miu now and then by the time Fall comes around I'm worshiping at Miuccia's feet, so we'll have to wait and see as we draw closer and closer to fall. Oh, how strange the fashion world is, that spring has not even officially started yet and still I'm yearning for one of Cheap & Chic's technicolor furs?

(all images from style.com)

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Allons-y!

I have had a crush on Kate Spade for quite some time now. There's no one who gets whimsicality and color quite like Kate. For fall, Kate took two of the things I love -Paris and Brad Goreski- and created a fabulous presentation full of Left Bank chic and classic Kate sass. Who said anything about boys? This Valentine's Day, I'll be pining over this presentation.

(images from fashionologie.com)

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This Side of Paradise

Dress by Juicy Couture

BCBGirl Wedges

Fiveloaves Twofish Headband

Betsey Johnson Bracelet

Because I've been in love with everything 20s for the past year, I nearly died when I laid eyes upon this fabulous Juicy drop-waist tennis dress last week at Nordstrom. It was love at first sight, and so I went all out in a flapper-inspired getup and channeled my inner Zelda Fitzgerald. 

The 20s have forever been known as a decade-long party, so it is hard not to be wishing to travel back to that era a la Gil from Midnight in Paris. But I guess he learns that it is better to enjoy the present, so I will have to settle for a good Hemingway book -or, for that matter, a book about Hemingway and his first wife that I happen to be reading right now, called The Paris Wife. I still plan to keep the 20s tradition alive and become an American expat in Paris, of course, because no matter what decade we live in there is no place like that city. But my, in the 20s with Chanel at her height and a mecca of literary geniuses!? 

One can only dream.

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