Lions and Karlie and Couture
Haute couture is the French word for “high sewing” or “high dressmaking,” and specifically refers to the concept of making exclusive, one-of-a-kind dresses to fit an individual client’s size, taste, and any other wants and desires. We could rattle off our wants and desires but after watching Paris Couture Fashion Week unfold before our eyes, we are silenced in amazement.
Naturally designers like to go over the top, and who can blame them. From opulent settings to star-studded front rows, to Dita von Teese’s strip tease at Jean Paul Gaultier’s show, all eyes were on Paris.
While we salivated over all the runways, our favorite show, from start to finish, has to be Elie Saab. In recent years the design house of Elie Saab has reestablished itself as a red carpet favorite for celebrities and their couture show clearly capitalized upon this Hollywood demand. What we loved was that every piece from the show was gorgeous, meticulous, and wearable. Yes, we understand there is supposed to be a little drama involved in couture, but Elie Saab was able to pull off this drama within in the color and fabric choices, while keeping cuts and drapery flattering for all.
In terms of drama, Christian Dior brought the heat with bold color choices, layered on top of black for a dramatic statement while floral was clearly the inspiration for texture and shape of the tulip dresses. Models’ hair and makeup were also vamped up to match the volume of the dresses.
Yes, the clothes come first, but the models make a close second. The seventeen-year-old Karlie Kloss was clearly the toast of Paris as she not only closed the show at Armani Prive but also opened both Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Dior. How does one go back to high school after that? We would bet money that there are no bigger than life golden lions in her hometown of St. Louis, M.O.
Thank god for Karl Lagerfeld, and his ability to put on a show while pushing boundaries in all directions. He opted against formal evening wear, the usual for couture shows, and instead showed functional suits that played with proportions. Cropped jackets and adjusted hem lengths updated the classic suit shape to modern standards. As for the lion? Well, Coco was a leo…
Naturally designers like to go over the top, and who can blame them. From opulent settings to star-studded front rows, to Dita von Teese’s strip tease at Jean Paul Gaultier’s show, all eyes were on Paris.
While we salivated over all the runways, our favorite show, from start to finish, has to be Elie Saab. In recent years the design house of Elie Saab has reestablished itself as a red carpet favorite for celebrities and their couture show clearly capitalized upon this Hollywood demand. What we loved was that every piece from the show was gorgeous, meticulous, and wearable. Yes, we understand there is supposed to be a little drama involved in couture, but Elie Saab was able to pull off this drama within in the color and fabric choices, while keeping cuts and drapery flattering for all.
In terms of drama, Christian Dior brought the heat with bold color choices, layered on top of black for a dramatic statement while floral was clearly the inspiration for texture and shape of the tulip dresses. Models’ hair and makeup were also vamped up to match the volume of the dresses.
Yes, the clothes come first, but the models make a close second. The seventeen-year-old Karlie Kloss was clearly the toast of Paris as she not only closed the show at Armani Prive but also opened both Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Dior. How does one go back to high school after that? We would bet money that there are no bigger than life golden lions in her hometown of St. Louis, M.O.
Thank god for Karl Lagerfeld, and his ability to put on a show while pushing boundaries in all directions. He opted against formal evening wear, the usual for couture shows, and instead showed functional suits that played with proportions. Cropped jackets and adjusted hem lengths updated the classic suit shape to modern standards. As for the lion? Well, Coco was a leo…