Fashion Blog » Hot Couture

I love to see the runway shots from a fashion show in chronological order because they usually get increasingly eye-boggling toward the end of the collection. A good example of that is the recent Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 08 Couture show, which started out pretty interesting, but soon moved into the realm of very interesting .

Here’s what I mean. The show started out with these pieces:

and then things got very oceanic, very sea creature….

I love it.  Let’s all get aquatic this Spring.

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The couture shows are like candy to me. I just sit back and wait to be dazzled, and I haven’t been disappointed by the Spring 08 runways. Angles, symmetry and volume seems to be an obsession of many designers this season, and nobody is holding back, especially where texture is concerned. Colorwise the pallets have run the gamut from muted at Chanel to vivid (an understatement) at Dior.

Here are some highlights of the Spring couture shows:

Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld plays with the classic Chanel jacket, mixing it with ballet flats and short angled skirts that remind of the 80s. Nylons also make a comeback in this ethereal collection.

Christian Dior

Leave it to John Galliano to do it up. The Dior catwalk was teaming with lusciously grandiose and billowing pieces. And, oh, was the 60s vibe was palpable.

Armani Privé.

It was all in the details for Giorgio Armani, who took a “more is better” attitude this season, working with lines, large floral add-ons, and sashes galore.

Where does the time go? I feel like I blinked and all the big shows had passed. So, with no further ado, here’s the round-up:

Armani Prive

Theme: Giorgio Armani says “David Bowie”

Trends: shots of bright colors, feathered boas, black and white, menswear, cinched waists, one shoulder, full skirts, tiers, a-symmetry, pink fur.

Christian Lacroix

Trends: Eastern European costume, feathers, fur, tiered skirt, crinkled fabric, black, bright color, puffed sleeves, oversized collars, Renaissance, big hats, embroidery

Givenchy

Trends: feathers, hunting jackets, animal prints, one shoulder, a-symmetry, puffed sleeves, muted color

Like this? Read my take on the Chanel and Christian Dior Fall 07 Couture shows.

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Now, I know I’ve got no business critiquing Karl Lagerfeld, and I’m aware that the Chanel couture collection is receiving rave reviews–Style.com called it “brilliant”–but I don’t get this particular piece.

Lagerfeld, leader of the pack at Chanel, was quoted as saying this collection is all about the profile: “Everything is flat at the front. It’s all side effects.” So maybe this looked different from the side, but when I see this from the front, I can’t help but be reminded of the Abominable Snow Monster from Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

Very gauche of me, I know. But I’ll make it up by showing you ensembles in the collection that didn’t make me think of live action figures:

The side profile thing is quite fascinating in this collection–it makes you see things from another perspective.

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The night and the Orangie at Versailles belonged to the supermodels and, of course, John Galiano, who provided a characteristically dramatic finale by donning a matador costume at yesterday’s Dior show. There was romance on the runway, where the familiar figures and faces of Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Shalom Harlow and Helena Christensen showcased elaborate masquerade ball gowns and painted facades inspired by painters, fashion illustrators and photographers.

At times, Galiano’s color palette, consisting of blush, mauve and icy blue, added delicacy to the embroidered, ruffled and feathered ensembles, which would have definitely required a whale-bone corset or two. By contrast, shocks of red, royal blue and black added delicious drama to post WWII-inspired silhouettes, courtly lady gowns that harkened back to old Versailles and Spanish dresses finished with mantilla.

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If you thought that those creepy Bratz dolls were the height of fashion, check out the ultra-sophisticated Fashion Royalty dolls by Jason Wu. While his Ready to Wear collections (for real people) have been praised for their maturity and “immaculate tailoring,” I´m even more impressed by these amazing dolls with their impeccable couture ensembles–I´m talking hand-embroidering, silk gowns, designer handbags, and accessories that put Barbie´s plastic doodads to shame.

And even if you´re not into finely dressed dolls, you should visit the website just to read the hilarious story about the Fashion Royalty “universe.” The Ugly Betty-esque story centers around the backstabbing fashion and cosmetic worlds, where competing companies vie for dominance and the main players deal with cheating husbands, hostile takeovers and unethical business practices. You´ll love it.

Sienna’s channeling her role as Edie in these ads for Tod’s fall campaign. As the first ever celebrity spokesperson for the Italian luxury brand, Sienna is beyond charming in Derek Lam’s creations (he’s the creative director at Tod’s). The ads will debut in August.