Valentino haute couture Spring 2016

Okay here goes... Another season, another huge collection on the runway, although by Valentino standards this was a small one. It occurs to me that they must have factories whose only mission is to manufacture sample collections and given the usual size that will keep those hands and machines busy every day year in year out. Okay, but I digress; there is no question that one must recognize and applaud the exquisiteness of every collection due to the extraordinary detail and workmanship involved season and after season. Yes, their ateliers boast wildly amazingly astoundingly rendered effects and techniques and that being said, those are the positives.

 

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Now let’s talk the reality of it which is... Again? Really? More of the same and by the way I am not quite sure who is buying 6 figure gowns that more or less look like ridiculously expensive peignoir sets or possibly trousseau negligees. So in my mind, these pre-Raphaelite ethereal goddess gowns and these Fortuny-esque gowns are nothing more than examples of impeccable workmanship and pushing the limits of the workrooms. These are clothes for those couture customers who wish to boast how high those 6 figures reach. BTW, there is something Biblical about these clothes and I mean that Literally!

 

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What I want to know is whatever happened to the deliciously sexy, sometimes signora, and provocatively sexy Valentino? What happened to the amazingly chic day clothes that the house once produced? And please don’t tell me that times have changed for I will counter and ask if women stopped appearing in daylight. It is shows like this that remind those of us who can still remember that Valentino was once a great and formidable house that didn’t rely on shoes, studs, sneakers and handbags for successful earnings or forced rave reviews.  Amazing as it may seem in today’s world of fashion, Valentino actually stood for and depended on its clothing whether it was couture or otherwise and that is how its reputation was built.

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Elie Saab Spring 2016 haute couture

Well, this is Saab on steroids! One of the things that I love about Elie Saab is that he actually draws a line between couture and ready to wear and the line is simply that there is no day wear in couture. BTW, I do think his daywear is pretty damned good.

 

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Okay, back to THIS!  One can only be amazed at the fabrics, the effects, the embellishments, the embroideries as they are far beyond the pale. For the most part he is a wise designer as the shapes and silhouettes remain reasonably simple to the eye and he allows the “the decoration” to do the talking. In cases where he seems to have gotten a bit carried away in the design department... well they are bit too costumey and frankly no so pretty.

 

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What I find to be quite interesting is that his “forest nymphs” or possibly “the Hedi effect” that he has chosen to mimic in a way is styled in a very of the moment way and yet he softens or maybe mutes those combat boots and tiaras by doing them in silver thusly not really drawing your attention away from the main event and often making them almost invisible. Tu comprends? In my eyes it is what sets apart the men from the boys when it comes to shows, design and shock value.

 

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This show is just one more in a long list of Saab extravaganzas that did not disappoint.

 

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PS I can’t bring myself to say that the forest nymphs etc. might have been inspired by Courtney Love…. But there I said it! ~

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Alexandre Vauthier haute couture Spring 2016

Well here is a man who truly understands sexy! 

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What amazes me most is that aside from the quite overtly sexy, he does quite a number for those little black dresses which yes are literally little but hell, they are hot! As stated before, this is couture so everything is sort of up for grabs including the lengths so that being said these are amazing. Let’s talk a genuine couture pea coat or military jacket... superb. if you wish to speak to the topic of LBD's then he has given that new meaning! Yes, there was the usual Vauthier fare with some wildly beautiful standouts; yes there were a few pieces that one might consider a bit more experimental and possibly not as ravishing. If there is a gripe, it would be that hip hop influence but given Vaulthier’s following in the music biz, at least it is understandable without further explanation.

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What is also to his credit is the casting which is perfect for his message. The models were truly exquisitely styled, made up and coiffed to the point of actually presenting a total image for the brand with each exit! Vauthier retains and massages his DNA with every collection which is a boat load more than I can say about so many others. So whether or not you like it, Vauthier is his own man and he designs for his client and is actually another one of those designers who earned a spotlight that he has never received and yet deserves. He has impeccable polish with a singular well-honed vision.

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In the end, I’ll take one Vauthier in place of any 10 Rafs, Johns or Nicolases.. get it?? Good!

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Maison Margiela haute couture Spring 2016

Let me preface this by saying, I write this at the  risk of being drawn and quartered as well as being publicly scorned by the fawners of fashion but who cares….

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Can someone please explain to me the so called collection of John Galliano (Maison Margiela); “le pauvre Galliano” who in my eyes is demonstrating that his stint at Dior was akin to Custer’s last stand. To say that these “things” are fashion is incomprehensible to me. Yes, they are technical feats of construction but so is a bridge. 

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To my eye and maybe I am just being old fashioned in my thinking that clothes are meant to be worn no matter the price but this looks like the clothes actually exploded on the models. If there is a positive to any of it, there were some beautifully tailored jackets and one off white trench coat but … really? To those who will fawn and coo.. get a grip as you no more understand these clothes than you do about utilizing quantum physics!

PS: with all the chatter about relevance.. explain tom e where hat enters the pictures here.... what exactly is this relevant to ??

Armani Privé spring 2016

Anyone who has followed Armani over the years has certainly learned that every so often he is prone to quirkiness. Sometimes it is an odd skirt, a pant, a length or a even a proportion; And so, with that being said  .. “Ciao quirky!” Even the styling and casting is quirky!

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Okay the message is clear … shorts! Gazar! Blue! Shoulders! Lilac! Ruffles! But alas this is a collection that leans heavily on the opposite of his new collection New Norma which is filled with classics! To me this is Armani at his quirkiest which means he bucks no interference from any critic as Cathy Horyn can attest to! There are some killer jackets and some killer gowns but the balance leaves me flummoxed! You get it ? Right? It is his way or the highway!

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So ... How’s about you make up your own mind and speak “into the mic!”

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