Sunday, July 7, 2013

Haute Bouillabaisse...Haute couture Fall 2013



Within this minute and very specific area of fashion lies many who might be overlooked or some who might not really have a clear concept of what haute couture really means or exactly what makes it emblematic of being the epitome of fashion design and manufacture.  Today is about a mixture of all different calibers of design … so maybe it should be the Couture Stew or Haute Bouillabaisse!

Viktor and Rolfe certainly know what it means or takes to produce in the ways of the Haute Couture as they practice so much of it within their regular ready to wear collections.  Twice a year they usually take the mechanics of the couture and bring it to dizzying heights but such was not the case this season.  For fall 2013 apparently, they opted to pay homage to Rei K and Yohji Y and yet still impart their flawless workmanship but in the most discreet of ways.  One looks to them for the fantasy that is always part and parcel of the Haute Couture, so this season’s decidedly Zen like mode is something of a shock.


Elie Saab is a pro when it comes to showing off his talents especially during the week of Haute Couture.  He is all about beaded and embroidered and unapologetically so.  So, the collection comes as nothing short of business as usual at the House of Saab.  Don’t misread this as unattractive or not exciting, it is just that this is what he does and he does it with few competitors or deviation.  The clothes are decadently opulent, luxe, riche and well designed for the ladies of Saab!

Vionnet … depending on how you look at it, this collection might rank right up there with the desecration of the YSL name.  As far as can be seen, there was absolutely not one good reason to make a fuss over 12 ill-conceived garments that bear no DNA or resemblance of the namesake designer.  To add insult to injury, the garments are poorly executed ala Project Runway which holds no fascination in the world of Haute Couture!  One more reimagining gone awry!


Alexandre Vaulthier is a fixture of the Haute Couture and yet he is not the run of the mill designer who adheres to classically designed clothes.  The collections are edgy, modern and possibly over the top to some viewers.  One must assume that the customer is there or else why go through the expense of it.  In my estimation this season the collection “out Balmains Balmain” and that might be saying something!  The clothes are dangerously sexy and sit on the border of trashy but no matter; these clothes are the result of a well thought out collection that has limited appeal, even within the already limited world of Haute Couture!

 
Giambattista Valli delivers collection after collection that speaks to his ladies… of any age.  The clothes are wildly feminine as well as frilly, flowery and girly … not one of those said in a pejorative way.  The clothes speak in the vocabulary of the brand and no one can argue that.  He clearly reveres and utilizes the petit mains that make the Haute Couture a land of endless possibility for any designer who is fluent in that dialect of fashion speak!  It is clear that Mr. Valli is a linguist…if you catch my drift

No comments:

Post a Comment