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
