Posts tagged couture
Posts tagged couture
“jason wu [ready-to-wear spring/summer 2012] found a markedly american sense of ease & grace. there was no overcooked severity or theatricality — the wu woman turns heads w/a much less cloying sense of poise.” vogue uk
the refinement of couture combined w/the dynamism of the pop art movement is the inspiration behind wu’s rtw ss12 collection. wu offsets his sharply articulated waistlines w/rippling peplums & full skirts. chartreuse & pink pieces play a bold contrast to gauzy blouses (many sleeveless & shown w/meticulously beaded collars) & beautifully crafted pants in black, grey & white — or a monochrome floral print made in collaboration w/artist kaws. wu must sense that his evening wear has become a sought-after staple; the designer offers richly coloured confections featuring brightly coloured tiers of cascading silk gazar.
view the complete collection here.
(Source: fromme-toyou)
red valentino fall/winter 2012-13. pier paolo piccioli & maria grazia chiuri have been as successful co-designers as they could be. in piccioli’s words, the diffusion collection is a romantic idea of a young girl thinking about fashion: mixing something new w/something vintage w/something couture. the result is full of charm: tulle ruffled cocktail dresses that look as sweet as they sound, fitted pants w/cashmere capes for day & for evening, a brocade jacket. w/a simple & feminine colour palette — blacks, off-whites & shades of blush — it has the potential to be as popular as its big-sister collection, valentino. & w/so many items to pick from, i’d love to see a store in canada/united-states soon.
view the complete lookbook here.
designers maria grazia chiuri & pier paolo piccioli refashion valentino’s distinct feminine ideal to create a modern glamour that is all their own. their breathtaking creations reveal what makes haute couture special, but it’s the hands of valentino’s roman atelier staff that spin magic into material & bring the chiuri & piccioli vision to life.
light as thistledown & shown on pale, lithe girls, valentino couture spring 2012 references valentino’s own romantic clothes from the early 70s, especially in the use of faded flower-sprigged organza, often veiled & shadowed in point d’esprit & lace.
the designers use warp-printed taffetas of the sort that marie antoinette favored for frolics, woven w/subtle foliate motifs & an eighteenth-century toile (in a soft rust red) representing africa for a strapless ball dress w/ballooning skirts. four-leaf clovers or posies of violets printed over airy organza & shadowed w/layers of tulle & lace, like belle époque tea gowns. at the neck, a prim ruffle of lace.
tailored pieces revealed a stricter hand: sleek ivory cape over lean pants, or jersey or double-face dresses w/hand detailing of extraordinary subtlety & skill; princess seams of a little dress finished with rows of self-fabric piping spirals, graduated in scale from shoulder to hem (required 450m of fabric); 1,000hrs of labor went into the handwork on a dress of elaborately smocked organza; 1,250hrs into the sparkling silver embroidery on a chine taffeta redingote based on an eighteenth-century version; & 800hrs to weave the warp-print faille for one of the ball dresses.
view the complete collection here.
“in the world today haute couture is one of the last repositories of the marvelous & the couturiers the last possessors of the wand of cinderella’s fairy godmother.” christian dior
christian dior couture spring 2012. view the complete collection here.
(Source: barboradudinska.com)
the style & refinement of bianca jagger’s early 80s wardrobe is the source of inspiration for the romantic & feminine valentino pre-fall 2012. ensembles for day focus on miniature, flared coats, small suits, high-waisted, ankle-length pants & jumpsuits that bare the shoulders. cocktail hour sees tone-on-tone details, precious fabrics (lace, brocade, velvet, taffeta), little dresses w/unexpected volumes on the sleeves & hips. likewise, evening ensembles follow the same philosophy, but lengthen hemlines & choose the beloved colours of the fashion house.
view the complete collection here.
chanel paris-bombay pre-fall 2012. i die! do you die?
watch chanel paris-bombay pre-fall 2012 trailer here. more chanel paris-bombay here.
(Source: thecoveteur.com)
“there is a school of thought which says that mystery preserves the magic[…]if you reveal the machinery, you can enhance the mystery. that’s because you’re throwing a spotlight on the intangibles of creativity.” tim blanks
john galliano remains incessantly hypnotized by the inner works of haute couture; hence, working alongside him at christian dior for 16 years, it is inexorable that bill gaytten would come to share the same obsession.
christian dior couture spring 2012: sheer layers baring the underlying creation of garments; outline of black floral designs on flaring white skirts resembling templates for a master embroiderer to fill in the colours; sequins tracing a grid similar to a pattern-maker’s directives.
within the couture lies an aura of perfectly unfinished coyness as if gaytten is laying out his blueprints on the runway, sending a message to the industry: this is me, this is what i can do & this is how i can do it.
view the complete collection here.
(Source: style.com)
made-to-measure masterpieces at atelier versace, a line absent from paris’ couture schedule since 2004, are designed strictly for the red carpet. angelina jolie walked the red carpet at golden globes 2012 in a white atelier versace gown w/a corseted waist that was made to look minuscule by the frock’s arabesque of a red neckline.
atelier versace spring couture 2012 follows the same general principle: second-skin tight & cut to accentuate the hourglass curves of a woman’s body — in fact, the shapes are even further exaggerated thanks to curving gold metal insets that build up the shoulders or widen the hips. the models clad in versace couture are deemed “warrior women” by haute fashion designer donatella versace, but fierce mildly describes her couture collection. amid the strict, cantilevering gowns, versace includes a handful of super-short cocktail dresses topped w/matching zip-front jackets. my fave piece? model lindsey wixon’s citrine retro maillot modernized w/metal accents — can’t wait to see beyoncé’s curves in atelier versace spring couture 2012. “non-glamazons need not apply.”
view the complete collection here.
