Haute Couture and Paris, two deliciously wonderful ideas that are a match made in heaven.
Couture, a lavish spectacle and a creative extravaganza is a dream for the majority of the population.
Who can watch, let alone afford these individual and 5 figure prices?
Haute couture is for the rich and famous, for the celebrities who have pride of place in the front row and for Oscar nominees searching for that red carpet winner.
For Paris and the French, haute couture is an expression of national pride, a symbol of their forward thinking, their fearlessness and their creative genius.
For us, haute couture is a window into new trends or a walk down memory lane, a runway of interpretation and a mood board to gauge what’s next in store.
I never see haute couture as a literal fashion statement, rather more as a larger than life peak into the designer’s mind.
Lagerfeld created a blooming garden to celebrate springtime, his genius seems to know no bounds and his sets were as fabulous and original as his fashion. Chanel was my favourite show. The laces, the tulles and the bee keeper style hats, not to mention the embellished cloches. There was a return to the tweed, the little black jacket style; the way the fabrics were edited together lured me in.
Raf Simons at Dior gave us some pretty, mixed with a large dose of groovy.
He merged ideas from the ’50’s, the 60’s and the 70’s to show the Dior woman of today. Perhaps Simons is trying to reinterpret the House of Dior, be sympathetic to past glories but forge ahead with some of his own.
His David Bowie inspired bodysuits were not my flavour, yet in some way I thought the mix of plasic, encrusted beading and embroidery and sheers rather wonderful.
It would also seem that we are in for boots and more boots, perhaps with a tendancy to shine.
Bring out those patent leather babies that you have been saving for best.
And then there was Elie Saab.
Gorgeous, floaty, beautiful Elie Saab. Gowns to dream of, the Cinderellas of the ball.
Who wouldn’t want to wear one of these beauties, if just for a night?
Months in the planning, the making and the designing. Hours and hours of intricate work; seamstresses and tailors behind the scenes continuing to work their magic.
Thankfully Chanel came to the rescue in the 1990s and saved couture from an unhappy bankrupsy, not only safeguarding tradition, maintaining employment but also positioning the house as the doyenne of couture. Philanthropic and smart business.
Paris, this week you have excelled yourself… xv
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top 3 chanel, mid 3 dior, bottom 4 elie saab via style.com
