The Devil Is in the Details

I feel like these clothes deserve to be taken out to a 3-Michelin star dinner and treated to a fine bottle of Dom Perignon before I wear them.  

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Head Over Heels

In a twist from recent seasons, the star of Chanel's couture show wasn't gilted, perilous stilettos (though one unlucky model did take a tumble).  Instead, the intricate headdresses, made entirely out of paper, stole all the attention— and maybe a few hearts. 

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Bad Move, Va Va

Alessandra Facchinetti should have clutched the reigns of Valentino.  Though I agree that Maria Chiuri and Pier Piccioli's first attempt at couture was by no means disastrous, it was respectable.  And couture is not about respectable.  Facchinetti may have made some missteps, but she never played it safe.  It's the case of the yawn-inducing red suit vs. the lovely but perhaps unwearable (and uncommercial— tsk tsk Va Va) gown.

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Superfemale

Molly Haskell, the film theorist, coined the term "superfemale" to describe heroines who manage to dominate yet retain a feminine sensibility.  In other words, the woman Jean Paul Gaultier personified with this collection.

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Step Aside, Juliet

At dinner the other night a friend and I were talking about Ophelian style.  Then I came home and watched the Givenchy show, complete with flowers, romantic pale gowns and creepy dead-lady make-up.  Yes— definitely channeling Ophelia.  At least in this version girlfriend gets sent off in couture.

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Oh, Mme Hash:

I went to your couture presentation, and all I got was this lousy suit.

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Maximizing Minimalism

Karl Lagerfeld's newest couture for Chanel embodies the best of aestheticism.  There's the immediate, orgasmic pleasure of looking at the collection as a whole: endless, enveloping white punctuated by the crispness of perfect tailoring and black.  And then there is the pleasure of the details.  Uncle Karl's meticulous use of matte plastic, lace, cellophane and organza fluff transforms classic beauty into something altogether more breathtaking.  Under the guidance of his discriminating imagination, the trimming became the outfit. 

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Minimizing Maximalism

Lacroix, whose confectionary garments are best known for their sweetness that borders on sickly at times, seems to have taken some classes in streamlining.   Or perhaps it's just SPRING cleaning.  Zing.  I'm really enjoying the toned-down Lacroix, but I hope he doesn't lose his personality— some of the mix-and-match ensembles reminded me of Marc Jacobs' last collection in intent and flavor.

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Seeing Past the Red

John Galliano falls into the wonderful, sadly declining group of designers who create to make something genuinely unique and beautiful.  Occasionally—when the stars align, or through osmosis, etc. etc. etc.—this something can make the client feel just as remarkable.  

As Galliano stated after the Dior couture show, "There's a credit crunch, not a creative crunch... It's our job to make people dream, and to provide the value in quality, cut and imagination."  Despite the failing economy, people crave art.  In fact, we probably need it even more. When reality gets harsh, we need escapism and fantasy.  We need that extraordinary dress to transport us to a softer, more pleasurable place, which is what fashion at its best can do.

So if, as some critics say, the mark of "successful" art is that is completes its purpose, than the newest Dior collection triumphed.  I believe you would be hard-pressed to find even one guest who wasn't carried away, at least for a moment, by Galliano's playful mixture of Dutch paintings and the classic Dior New Look.  The Old World glamor of the cuts, the richness of the palette and the overall boldness make it my favorite so far.  I dare you not to smile.

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Velvet by the Yard

I have an obsession with velvet clothes.  When I was six I got my first velvet dress— it was purple with a peter-pan collar and everything that a little girl's dress should be.  Inevitably, it got ruined, and I mourned its passing for weeks.  Maybe this should have been a clue as to my future direction.  Anyway.  I was pleased to see Penelope Cruz looking beautiful in this Azzedine Alaia at the SAG Awards the other night and even MORE pleased to see velvet all over Alexis Mabille's couture collection.  It's nice to know that some childhood pleasures translate so well to adulthood.  

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Fashion Show, Fashion Show, Fashion Show at Lunch!

The couture shows are my favorite part of the year.  For me, they represent not so much the industry of fashion, but the idea of fashion.  Couture is creativity and inspiration at their peak. And considering that the last RTW season wasn't the most exciting I remember, though it certainly had its highs in designers like Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein, I am especially thirsty for vision.  

Normally, I'm not the biggest fan of Armani Prive.  Whenever someone mentions it I immediately think of Anne Hathaway in some bland strapless number with an updo and huge earrings.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to see the above gowns.  Sure- the lacy thing was just done (impeccably by Prada) but I like this take because it feels a little harder and three-dimensional. The sand-dollar effect on the silver gown is romantic without going too far, perhaps because of the material's peek-a-boo quality. 

Unfortunately, some of Armani's more obvious, Eastern-inspired pieces harshed my buzz.  

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New Year, New Face

Happy New Year All: 

From now on, the blog will focus exclusively on fashion, rather than including culture, film, etc. Since I never really posted on these topics anyway, I think it's safe to assume they will not be missed.  

So here's to a fresh blog that shall have fresh posts!

xx