Showing posts with label Elie Saab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elie Saab. Show all posts

Monday, July 13, 2009

"Yes, I do.", the Haute Couture way!!

This Haute Couture season held in the wake of an economic recession had drawn mixed reactions from the fashion population, while some termed the simplicity prevalent in many collections as the future of couture which held wearability as its prime focus, others blamed the designers for swimming inside tested waters.Perhaps the stressful life that people led these days added extra weight to their expectations from Couture as a means of "fashion escapism" and perhaps, the equally stressed out designers trying to balance their creativity with their company's bottomline, in an ardent effort to stay afloat, didn't venture much into unknown territories but rather crouched inside a boundary of "guarded optimism" to produce collections that instead of torching a new fashion trail, relished and relived the glorious days of the past.The only exception being Christian Lacroix, the very company on the brink of bankruptcy, that ended up producing the best collection of this season proving that unparalleled creativity cannot be stymied by budgetary restrictions.

The bridal gown of Haute Couture always hold a special place, for, that is the one look that sums up the entire collection. All the bridal looks of Fall 2009's Haute Couture have been summarised here.Tell me which one would make you desperate to walk the aisle?

Christian Lacroix Fall 2009 Haute Couture

Christian Lacroix's show lent credibility to the saying that "All good things must come to an end.".In what could be the design house's last collection(unless it finds a suitable investor), the house has proved that even its financial turmoil could not strip away the finesse it has been known for! The bridal dress beautifully amalgamated all the elements that uniquely identified the design house, namely artfully worked laces, delicate tulle, fine embroidery,rich colors (brought out by roses in bright colors),and flowers.If Marie Antoinette had been a bride today, we know what she would be wearing!

Elie Saab Fall 2009 Haute Couture

Elie Saab's all white collection(similar to Chanel's white collection last season), was a stellar example of what creativity can do with just a single hue, the bridal dress shown here is a testament to the detailing that went into the entire collection.The intricate detailing found on each of the forty six white dresses comprising the collection, makes them all double up as bridal dresses as well!Be it a crystal studded jumpsuit or fur trimmed jackets or short skirts or organza flower decorated evening dresses, the collection had it all, making the brides truly spoilt for choice.


Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2009 Haute Couture

"Take Fashion, ACTION!" screamed Gaultier's show!! An ode to Hollywood, with images of yesteryear's actresses floating on a screen offered the perfect atmosphere for the uber glamorous collection done the Gaultier way!! Similar to the bridal dress, this collection is not for the faint of heart, heavy fur coats, 3-D geometric dresses in sparking metal with conical bras, overalls in crocodile were all designed to bring out the rock star chic in you, that is, if you dare to reveal that side of you to the outside world.

Christian Dior Fall 2009 Haute Couture

Christian Dior's focus, this season, on "innerwear as outerwear" extended to the bridal gown as well.Like the bridal gown, the collection was deft in its artistry and workmanship, the only caveat being the lack of the "unseen", the show like the gown, was too familiar and strongly circled within Galliano territory!

Chanel Fall 2009 Haute Couture

This season Chanel focused on the house's raison d'etre of tweed suits and delicate evening gowns, the only addition being the "Superman like cape" behind the dresses much like the one seen in the bridal dress.Fashion tribes dubbed the extension as "tails", whether they will don one is a bit doubtful but Karl Lagerfeld did use them cleverly to frame his dresses and attract attention to a collection that might otherwise have been passed over as "the familiar".The "tails" were what the corsets were to Galliano, adding a new dimension to a familiar look.

Givenchy Fall 2009 Haute Couture

Ever dreamt of a Celtic wedding? Givenchy might be the answer to that dream, what with their collection loaded with heavy embellishments, chunky jewellery, spiked headgear and bracelets, accessorizing dresses with sharp tailoring and geometric cuts! A warrior princess could essentially wear everything from the collection, for rest its a slim picking!

On Aura Tout Vu Fall 2009 Haute Couture

On Aura Tout Vu's collection says "Get close to nature"! In addition to an earthy palette comprising of nudes and grays, the collection included plenty of colorful accessories in the form of twigs and feathers and dresses embellished with peacock feathers and 3d leaves.An ideal countryside wedding would benefit from this collection, arty and modern.

Stephane Rolland Fall 2009 Haute Couture

Stephane Rolland, the latest addition to the Haute Couture family, maintains a tensile balance between modernity, simplicity and sophistication.This season the focus was on the shoulders with dresses cut close to the body and sporting geometric embellishments accentuating a long slender silhouette much like the wedding dress seen above, a perfect wedding dress for the second time bride!

On the whole, though the melancholy of recession did have a heavy bearing on the Haute Couture season at least in terms of lack of outlandish experiments, it still held fast to the very corner stones of Couture namely intricate and skilled craftsmanship with a paradigm shift towards modernity where couture had transcended from the aristocratic princesses who spent a large part of their time preening themselves in front of the mirror to the power women of today with a strong need to incorporate sophistication into her wardrobe without appearing too made up or archaic!! Long live Couture!

Image Source:www.catwalking.com

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Elie Saab, Snow Whites on the Runway !!


Just when I had accepted that this Haute Couture season was a damp squib, Elie Saab proves the contrary in the form of an ornate all white collection(two dresses were in off-white), similar to what we had seen last season at Chanel(the similarity between the two collections ends with the choice of color). This collection encompassed almost everything that I had wanted in a couture show, complexity, creativity, meticulous detailing and freshness.The asymmetrical shoulders, the big pouf sleeves, delicately worked organza flowers that gently wrapped the body, a number of evening dresses in myriad wraps and volumes some of which sparkling with crystals, fur trimmed dresses, jumpsuits, short dresses - the options were truly infinite.Finally my faith in Haute Couture was reposed by this designer, who had really saved the best for last!
Image Source:www.catwalking.com

Friday, March 20, 2009

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose...

Which is why, despite the different ways designers expressed them on the catwalks of Spring Couture 2009, they still turned out elegant, sophisticated and romantic, just as roses are meant to be...

Ever heard of the walking rose bouquet?

The latest mad hatter in town!!

Like my origami skills?

Twists, turns and a lacy affair...

I used to make jalebis in my previous life.

Am I in the valley of roses?

Image Source:www.wwd.com

Friday, February 6, 2009

Haute Couture Brides of Spring 2009

What makes a haute couture bride? Bold, elegant and most important of all, wears the most extravagantly edgy wedding dress.Baring the affordability factor, tell me whether you can see yourself in any of these dresses on your D day?

Am I not a vision?

Hey, where is my bridal veil ?

What if he forgets the wedding?

I cannot wait to wed my prince charming!!


Image Source:www.style.com

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Spring Trends 2009 : Get Knotty Part 1

The year is 2011, the economy in deep recession and dressing is reduced to saving your modesty rather than an extravagant affair that it once used to be.With bread retailing at $100 a loaf, people have barely anything to eat, let alone wear.The "size zeros" are no longer restricted to the ramps, rather they are the norm of the day.Wealth eroded and with that all vanity too.Dressing for occasion, place, mood, everything seems so distant.People just scrap whatever is left of their dresses, tie them together and wear them."Haute couture" is as extinct as the dodo.There is no concept of "size" any longer, the order of the day being "ONE SIZE FITS ALL".So if the clothes are too big, then they are gathered together and tied, to prevent from tripping and falling.An alien reconnaissancing Earth, had taken the following snaps of people going about their business on one such gloomy "spring of despair".

Tying the pieces together.

Too hungry to bother.

Remembering her scouting days.

Curtains to the rescue.

Nerds take it easy.

Making ends meet.

She's got large clothes to fit into.

Image Source:www.style.com

Monday, November 10, 2008

Fall 2008 Couture Bride


Its the season when wedding vows will be exchanged, hope of a lifetime of happiness cherished and "lived happily ever after" dreamt.What better way to begin your life than a fantastical wedding!!And the wedding always propounds the question of choosing the right dress, after all when you are the star of the day you wouldn't want to be frumpy and drab.So this time around, I looked at Fall 2008 Couture for some wedding appropriate clothes.Fitted at the top and flaring at bottom seems to be work well and so does a voluminous silhouette.

My choices cover fantastical, classic, bold and traditional themes.Pick a dress to match your attitude!!!

p.s:Click on the photos to see more from each designer's collection.

Image Source:www.style.com