When I said last week I couldn't wait until fall to start checking out the spring collections, I totally forgot that Fall 2009 Couture hit the runways this week!
For obvious reasons, Couture is a different animal than Ready-To-Wear. When I look at the RTW collections, I'm constantly thinking about how I can interpret this look or that look with clothes I can afford, or whether this trend or that will make it to the mainstream. Looking at Couture, on the other hand, is an escapist fantasy for me: everything's so ornate, outlandish, and out of my reach that I can just sit back and enjoy the show.
Here's the first batch of collections that really caught my eye this season.
Alexis Mabille
Mabille's collection has a super romantic, luxurious vibe; the materials used -- satin, chiffon, eyelet, and lace -- bring to mind elegant sleepwear, but the shapes, though still sweet and high femme, are chic enough that no one would mistake these clothes for nightgowns. My favorite pieces, though, were the ones that didn't so clearly invoke the bedroom feel: the black cutout minidress and white jacket with the high, asymmetrical ruffled collar. Gorgeous.
Chanel
I couldn't narrow my Chanel favorites down to six looks so I went for a full dozen. I loved how the first half of this collection concentrated on variations on the classic Chanel wool suit -- the slashed-sleeve version and the one dripping with embellishments were two favorites of mine -- and the second half was totally fanciful. The bursts of sequins are incredible (just look at this close up -- breathtaking). Karl Lagerfeld truly is the mad scientist of fashion -- he makes everything work.
Christian Dior
Loving how this collection manages to be both eye-poppingly racy and completely true to the Dior name -- leave it to John Galliano, of course. Every single one of the looks has echoes of the '50s Dior "New Look" that made the label famous -- cinched waists, elegant hats, and skirts that look like they would be full if they didn't stop two inches after the waist! The color palette is totally delicious and I love the use of animal prints.
Christian Lacroix
You may or may not know about the turmoil currently surrounding the Lacroix label (long story short: the house's owners put the business into administration and laid off all but 12 workers, leaving Christian to create this collection on a shoestring budget and the help of his loyal seamstresses, milliners, and other craftspeople). Unless this collection inspires a new backer to come forth, it'll be the last we'll see from Christian Lacroix. If the looks are to be his swan song, they're appropriate -- impeccable, elegant pieces that show considerable restraint without sacrificing craftsmanship and sheer beauty. If someone doesn't step forward and rescue this label on the merit of this collection alone, I'll be very surprised and not a little sad.
Givenchy
Ooooh, the Givenchy girl this season is a mean underworld bitch goddess with a bone to pick, and I like it. According to Style.com, "Morocco, Berber tribespeople, and equestrianism" informed Riccardo Tisci's designs, but all I see here is cold hard heavy metal. I love the white pieces covered in supersized gold studs, and the body hugging black gowns are ethereally sinsiter. So, so sick.
Jean Paul Gaultier
You only need look at that sexy sailor siren in the floor-sweeping chinchilla coat to know who designed these clothes. To look at his models, it's clear he was inspired by Brigitte Bardot, but the collection as a whole's only real consistency was its inconsistency, which would be a problem for a lot of designers -- but not for Gaultier. He revels in looks that are wildly sexy, super tough, and just a little absurd. I adore the silver oragami bodysuit, the ultraluxe furs, and his profligate use of geometric black mesh.
Valentino
Valentino is a classic, to be sure, but often the label's collections feel too heavy handed for me. This season, though, is a total delight, rife with the mini-est miniskirts, beautiful black lace gorgeously layered over nudes, dramatic feathers everywhere, and lots of sparkle and flash -- just take a look at those amazing headpieces! Still, it doesn't feel overwrought or out of character for the house, just a little more youthful. The metallic pieces are my favorite, making me desperate for a few things dripping in shine of my own.
What's your take on the couture collections so far? Are you more of a ready-to-wear fan? More to come next week! Follow the collections as they come out on Style.com.
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1 comments:
Everything Chanel does is amazing - so that's a given, but I would seriously kill numerous small children for that black and gold Lacroix cape/coat
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