Dior Haute Couture

Yesterday saw the start of the Couture shows, one of my most anticipated times of year. Admittedly, I'm always most excited about the Dior show, and this year was no different. I missed the elaborate setting that we saw in Galliano's last couture collection, however, in terms of the clothes, they exceeded the stunning pieces I fell in love with last January.

Beginning on a crimson runway, the show began with the kind of high drama and glamour that draws me to Dior. The New Look was revived in the elegant, hourglass shapes that many of the dresses took on. However, the skirts were multi layered and deliciously 'swishy', and increasingly reminded me of fifties, prom style dresses though of course with a couture twist. Exquisite jackets with the classic Dior nipped in waist, but refreshed with elaborate shoulder detailing and elbow length gloves, offered the chic elegance synonymous with the brand, and took us back to the sophisticated Dior lady of the 1940s.

The colours were sensational: dramatic yet very subtle with soft bleeds of black across red, and darker shades creeping across their lighter counterparts, creating a beautiful effect of light and shadow. Look 19 and 22 were perhaps my favourite colour palette with a delicate duck-egg blue and soft, sandy beige combination.  

I feel completely in awe after looking at this collection. What do you think?

All photos found at style.com

aristocracy in black and white

My Fair Lady

This scene is just perfect in every single way and the costumes are just exquisite.

"It's my belief that they done the old woman in".

Christian Dior spring Couture 2010

I can't wait for John Galliano's next couture show for Christian Dior.

Sources: Youtube, Style.com

Couture Couture Couture

I really should have organised myself a little better and grabbed myself a little patience at the same time, so that I could have just popped all these couture posts into one tidy little number. However, patience is not an attribute of mine and when I see a gorgeous couture collection get posted up online, if I like it, I just have to post it here.I'm always really excited about the Elie Saab collection, and the last two seasons of couture have undeniably lived up to my expectations. Partly I love them because at heart, I guess I love a little princess glamour - the big, floaty ballgowns which Elie Saab is so brilliant at creating.

The collection for this year was a little disappointing to me, not only because it didn't have as many big, floaty ballgowns as I expected but also because there wasn't enough 'wow' factor. You know, Givenchy had the 'wow' factor. Elie seems to have a penchant for the one sleeve look at the moment, which I find incredibly annoying. Asymmetric shoulder where both sleeves are short, yes. One whole sleeve while the other arm lingers bald as an eagle like it hasn't been completed? No. The finale gown seemed overly OTT compared to the sleek, understated elegance of many of the others too.

However, though it wasn't as brilliant as I expected, I would do alot to get the chance to wear one of those gowns, and I would happily welcome any one of them into my wardrobe. There were some pure beauties, and practically all of them appeared to be designed entirely for major red carpet events. I'm still in 'nude' mode (as in the colour palette), but a lot was made of next season's deliciously seductive red.

My blog posts are becoming a little taken over by couture at the moment, so instead of posting up every look I loved (the collection comprised 45 looks, so there were a few extra special lovelies), I managed to pick out my absolute favourite.

What do you think?

Givenchy Couture: Less Is More...

...in terms of the size of the collection (only 11 pieces compared to Chanel's mammoth 64), it leaves me wanting to see more. The few pieces there are though, are absolutely stunning. Wouldn't you just love to see one of these in person? That white one would make the most perfect wedding gown too. 

Chanel Couture

My favourite looks.

The details are just so exquisite and there was such a variety of looks in the whole collection. 

What do you think of the shoes? I'd like to ignore them, if I'm honest.

B.E.A.UTIFUL

There's been a fair few celebrities out in Valentino couture recently, and they've all looked sensational. I just had to go back onto style.com and look back at the collection. It's so incredibly beautiful, I love it. The colours, the material, the embroidery and the make up - perfect. So, here are my favourite pieces to enjoy all over again.

If I was lucky enough to be going to a festival this summer, this would be the inspiration for my makeup.

Indulge in your Fantasy

Christian Dior Couture Spring 2010

I've been going over and over the couture collections the last couple of days, and one in particular remains prominent in my mind - Christian Dior. It was a collection that delivered drama and endless sophistication, glamour and indulgence from balloon enveloped hair to heeled, dominating riding boot. Galliano gave more of a performance than any of the other couture shows, and portrayed the fantastical way in which fashion can be used to create an escape into a uniquely beautiful world. 

It wasn't only the clothes which caught my eye, but the equally stunning make up. I still can't get over the porcelain perfection achieved on the models skin, contrasted with that matte, show-stopping red lip and heavily lined and wing-framed eye.

Chokers, bracelets, and earrings were blown up to portray extreme, vulgar displays of wealth and extravagance. 

Look at the detail on that jacket! Intricately detailed to give almost a frosted, ice-like effect that contrasts perfectly to the warmth of the pink.

Galliano's woman for this collection is clearly aristocratic, strong, dominating but also very seductive and sensual. The models wore the clothes as these very women, taking on a haughty, poised stance surveying their surroundings with a trace of distaste across their faces, in some cases a riding crop appropriately lurking under arm.

That last dress is one of my favourites worn by Alexandra Tretter. I love the overflowing cascades of fabric, in such richly luxurious colours. I couldn't help but be reminded of one of my favourite movies, My Fair Lady, where Eliza is transformed to attend the races. Doesn't this collection just exude that exact scene of society - fantastically glamorous but sadly, unattractively exclusive.

Watch the show here:

Did you love this collection too? 

Elie Saab Couture 2010

"...a bit too fantasy-prom to cut it in Couture week", were the words of Sarah Mower in her review of Elie Saabs latest couture collection. As a huge fan of Saab's collections year in and year out, I quite predictably disagree. Ok, it wasn't as breathtaking as I found it to be for Fall/Winter '09 - that frosted, ice cold elegance created a league all of it's own, but to not 'cut it in Couture week'?, now that's just plain wrong. I don't know if my perceptions are blinkered though, because I do have a slightly Cinderella based obsession with fantasy floor length gowns, intricately beaded and embroidered within every last inch of fabric (I'm also one of those who's had their wedding dress planned since I found out how amazingly fantastic a dress can make you feel. I may have been four and in a Laura Ashley summer dress, but the feeling is the same!). However, this collection was very worthy of Couture week and I hope the following photos illustrate this!

The dresses were expectantly exquisite, and had an air of vintage sophistication and style which reminded me of the gowns Kate Winslet wore in The Titanic. There were repetitive styles of dress (I reluctantly admit there were a couple a little too easy to click the 'next' button on), but hang on a second, didn't Karl Lagerfeld just show us jacket and skirt combination...after tedious jacket and skirt combination? Repetitive as either may be argued to be, they both stuck to what they do best and with what their labels have become synonymous with. The weakest points to the collection were probably the shorter dresses, as Mower did have a point in her review, they were a little too reminiscient of a school-girl prom. However, the rest was stunning and maybe the theme was inspired by the dress-dreams of many, many women? And that last dress....well, I'll let you decide!

And last but definitely not least...

So, worthy of couture week? What do you think? Whose couture do you look forward to seeing?

Elie Saab Couture Spring 2010

Christian Dior Couture 2010

I love this couture collection. True, I may have been brainwashed into pastel-loving submission, which may have played it's part in featuring the above pieces but come on, how can you not adore that cream-yellow, if not even secretly? The detailing on the pieces is stunning, the other colour combinations in the collection were vibrant and appealingly brash. High drama and theatrics set this show apart from the others that have been viewed so far. I was really disappointed with Chanel's couture, though looking back through the seasons, I remembered I usually am. Hurry up Elie Saab! Now there's one who never fails to deliver...