After looking at all of the runway shows on
Style.com... I felt so inspired. There was color, movement, and body in all of the clothing the designers show cased. It was very hard to pick one show that stood out to me the most but Elie Saab has my vote. His show was fantastically gorgeous. It almost felt like there should be raining flowers, a misty rainbow, and a cupid floating about. I know that sounds ridiculous but, it literally gave me a fuzzy feeling inside when I was looking at all of those gorgeous gowns.
Over all, I noticed a lot of embroidery, color, sheer fabrics and layers within the different collections. I also feel that if a collection wasn't overly feminine it was futuristic. On another note, after seeing all of these collections, I want to wear an evening gown so bad!!
The Break Down
Alexis Mabille showed beautiful clothing that was so Hollywood. I could picture starlettes like Hepburn, Taylor, and Streisand wearing these dresses on the red carpet. The colors used were very vibrant and bold as well. I really liked this collection. It was simple and wearable which is something that doesn't come to mind when you think couture! Though speaking of couture, I don't know how I felt about those giant flower head pieces and painted faces. Sure, its a couture show... you know what... It worked!
Armani Prive showed an interesting collection. There were a lot of lime undertones and metallics, textured fabrics and interesting shapes. The clothing was very futuristic-sharp yet beautifully feminine. I also thought that the black spirals that the models donned were a nice touch. The spirals served as an accent... they weren't too over the top yet noticeable. I think sometimes designers put too many things on the models and you forget to look at the clothes.
Bouchra Jarrar showed a ready-to-wear collection that was very typical of the designer. She showed her signature man tailored look with some color, floral, and scandalous backs! I loved all of the pants, though I don't think they would look very good on a hippy, short female like myself nonetheless, they were gorgeous. I couldn't help but notice the shoes that the models were wearing and I loved those as well... especially the chestnut suede ones. Key tones of the collection were double breasted tops, big brassy buttons, and fur!
Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld is one the greatest designers left on our planet. You can seriously look through pictures of the show and get the classic Chanel feel but it's soo different than before. This collection had every shade of blue imaginable... anywhere from sky blue to slate blue. It was romantic in the belled sleeves yet manly in the low waist line and front pockets. May I also mention the neck line? It was outstretched which normally would come across messy but in my opinion it looks superbly sophisticated. I loved this collection.
Christian Dior = Glam. This collection was very sexy. There was a lot of layering with sheer fabrics! I did enjoy the revealing of "under garments". Again, there was this old Hollywood feel to the gowns. I loved the structured herringbone patterned tops mixed with sheer, billowy skirts. There were two gowns that had a very dramatic hip area... the silhouette screamed "Gone with the Wind" yet regal. I thoroughly enjoyed the touches of embroidery and nudeness... I'm sure we'll see someone wearing one of these dresses on the red carpet.
In the famous words of Rachel Zoe, this collection was "bananas".
Elie Saab knows how to pull my fashion heart strings!! This collection was beautiful. The gowns were all so delicate yet eye catching. I honestly feel like if any of these dresses were in white or off white that they would suffice as gorgeous wedding gowns. :) Again, you will find a lot of embroidery and sheer fabrics in a wide array of colors. He showed pastel blues, greens, pinks, corals, yellows, champagne and even a wedding gown! Btw, I'll take one of every thing!
Giambattista Valli showed a very elegant collection. There were a lot of black and white pieces with many textures. It was playful but sophisticated. There was a menagerie of sheer fabrics, volume, and drapes. All of the pieces were head turners for sure! He took very simple cuts and added bits of texture like crocodile, patent leather, or ruffles and made it into something spectacular. It sincerely is a lovely collection.
Givenchy stood out tremendously
. I couldn't help but appreciate the structures of the pieces and even the sheer genius of it all. Perhaps, I'm not mature in fashion enough yet to say that I truly loved it though. The collection had hard pieces like an all croc dress with very intricate lay outs and then you jump to a soft, sheer gown with a heavy top layering it. The beaded dress shown to the left was one of the softer pieces but doesn't it kind of have a steam punky feel to it? I don't know, there is something about the tone of the room and the jewelry that gives this soft gown a hardened look.
The
Jean Paul Gauthier collection can be described in two words: Amy Winehouse. It is no secret that she was the muse behind the designers vision... he did her great justice. He used a gorgeous palette of color and texture. There was a lot of subtle shine. I enjoyed the robes he showed as well! If I had to pick a show to have been at it would've been this one. You can just tell from the pictures that there was such great energy! The collection had a fun rockabilly look that Amy Winehouse did so well. I love the tight fitting skirts, corset tops, and mixing of fun colors.
Maxime Simoens had a great collection. It was very futuristic! I almost felt like I was watching a fashion show in Tron. I loved the gold on black as well as the embroidery work. His collection used a lot of geometrical shapes-there were tons of mosaic like squares and sharp lines. Another aspect I loved was the simplicity of the pieces, sure they are intricate in their own right but the shapes he used made the collection seem effortlessly great! I think he is a designer that is going to set the stage for a new era in fashion.
It is no secret that I love Valentino. This collection took me off guard. Valentino, the brand, is known for high end glamour and for being boldy classical. In this collection, there was a presence of country side romanticism and the old world. There was organza, cotton, and lace mixed through out... the picture on the right is the perfect example. I also noticed a lot of high neck lines... it's like they were thinking of may be an old fairy tale when they drew up the designs. All in all, a very pretty collection.
When you think Versace.. you think sexy and cutting edge. Well, this show was no different. The collection used a lot of gold metallic accents, exaggerated curvature, and a lot of va-va-voom. There was definitely a futuristic element mixed in but again we see softer textures mixed in with bold lines and shapes. It was very, very Donatella. I did adore every piece I saw. I even loved the added citrusy colors mix with delicate embroidery!!
