HAUTE COUTURE
The history of fashion goes far beyond Anna Wintour’s reign as editor of American Vogue, Alexander McQueen’s humble beginnings at Savile Row, or Kate Moss’ first photo shoot for The Face. Fashion originated when people started choosing what they wore for style, attractiveness, and comfort rather than functionality or the purpose clothing served in their lifestyles. This can be traced back to the late 19th century and the first couturier, Charles Worth. He shifted the focus of fashion by becoming the proprietor of what was en vogue, sketching and creating original designs for his clientele rather than simply taking orders for their apparel needs. He paved the way for designers, not consumers, to be the dictators of fashion.
There's no doubt that Dior has been over shadowed this year by the racist controversy (and subsequent departure) of its lead designer, John Galliano. Many wondered how this would affect the brand in the long term. For FW 11/12 Dior brought us a fantasy inspired catwalk featuring pieces caught somewhere in between Cirque Du Soleil and a birthday cake.
Dior has always pushed the envelope on the wearable factor, but this show may have teetered over the edge. It was not well-received, and NYT's Cathy Horyn went on to say, "All sorts of weird vibes, along with a lack of design leadership, have a way of surfacing in clothes. A runway is like a shrink’s couch; stuff just comes out."
As amusing as Valentino Spring 2010 Couture may have been - we must honestly admit - we were just happy to see a breath of fresh air from the dreadful design duo, Chiuri and Paolo.
The faster they return their sketch books to Nicolas Ghesquiere's (Balenciaga) reject pile - the better.
Though, the real Valentino and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, weren't too pleased. Leading Giancarlo to let out his frustration on Facebook:
“just speechless...not sad…just surprised.…We have always
supported the new designers and we love them, but this time we have to
distance ourselves from this ridiculous circus.”
We would like Giancarlo more had he not deleted the status subsequent to receiving bad press for his thought - but, who really cares - because they (the current Valentino designers) really suck.
Minnie Mouse, is that you?
Karl Lagerfeld made good on his "neon baroque" promise by using models with Minnie Mouse inspired hair - topped with Daphne Guinness inspired highlights.
The bevy took a liking toward metallics on gowns and Chanel tweed suits alike.
The difference?
Well, there wasn't any white or black in the collection, which was a challenge for Karl to manage, saying, "I saw it in a dream and I made the sketches...at five o'clock in the morning."
Apparently, Carine Roitfeld decided to come out and play when Anna Wintour visited Paris during couture week to meet with French Minister, Christian Estrosi, to discuss funding young Paris designers. Oh, and Hamish Bowles was there too.
What came out of the meeting, you ask?
Estrosi recaps on Anna's fashion doings in NYC:
"Everyone knows the role Anna plays in making New York a great fashion capital. My objective was to benefit from her experience.
I want Paris to remain the world's capital of fashion. Today, we need people to share the risks.”
It's no secret that John Galliano, chief designer for Christian Dior, thinks he's a celebrity in his own head. From his backstage bodyguards to his pretentious finale-walk and bow - Galliano thinks of nothing but himself. And we actually like that side of him.
But, in this day and age, and with Haute Couture shows beginning next week, his selfishness is rubbing another designer the wrong way - Giorgio Armani.
On December 10, 2004, French designer Christian Lacroix revealed that he had written a book about the traumas of his childhood for cathartic purposes. As well as the suicides of his great uncle and aunt, the designer also spoke out about his relationship with his grandfather. "When I was very little, my grandfather once took me to a local gypsy neighborhood and pushed me into the middle of them saying, 'Start a fight and then try and defend yourself,'" he said. Lacroix has had it rough this last year, the man who was the king of haute couture in the late 80s and early 90s had his final runway show in July 2009. Christian Lacroix's fashion house is to be dismantled after a Paris bankruptcy court approved a plan to shut down the firm's clothes design activities and axe nearly all its staff. This just shows the world that no one is immune to our current financial condition.
Who woulda thought? Ahead of Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Marilyn Monroe is iconic French designer Yves Saint Laurent as the world's richest posthumous celebrity. The designer, who passed away from brain cancer last year, grossed over 350 million dollars from the sales of his estate. This number beats out musical-makers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, who had a combined income of 235 million dollars from their back catalogue, Michael Jackson who had 90 million dollars and Elvis Presley who had roughly 55 million according to Forbes.com.
CALLING ALL FASHIONISTAS! CALLING ALL FASHIONISTAS! One of my favorite seasons has approached and I am so excited! No, I’m not talking about summer; I’m speaking of fall haute couture season. For those of you who don't already know, haute couture (better known as couture) is French for "high dressmaking". It refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and is constructed from high-quality fabric that is sewn with attention to detail. Twice a year (fall and spring), the fashion industry introduces the word to daring and imaginative collections. This season, fashion houses such as Christian Dior, Chanel, Armani Prive and Valentino (to name a few), are viewing past the current economic state and shelling out the big bucks for amazing quality.
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