A follow up on the Fashion Show, a video by Diane Pernet, just a glimpse of what's going on in the prestigious student show.
There are also more detailed videos about the show here (too many videos so I am not going to post here)
I have this image in my blog folder for quite sometime. The classic Roland Mouret dress from Fall 2005, has a very 1950s European style to it. It is such surgically body enhancing piece that really sculpt your body the right way. Looking at the voluminous blouses and dresses and all these emperor waisted style that are all concealing the curviness of the body figure, I find myself always going back to the body enhancing pieces, maybe adding the edgier, funkier element with a pair of unique heels, bold accessories, and captivating makeup. 
The International competition for the new fashion and photography talents is happening in the South of France! From the look of a few shots on Diane's blog I see some really exciting new designs that is absolutely innovative and refreshing - so far I am liking Peter Bertsch "Bionic" collection from Belgium (first 2 images on the bottom) and of course that "McQueen of kitwear" Sandra Backlund "Ink Blot Test" Sweden (last 3 images on the bottom - I have already blogged her twice, Knit gone wild and When art is fashion).
I am looking forward to see more new shots, and if I can find my way to a good source for the event I will definitely post it here!
I have really been quite disappointed (and uninspired) with the recent stuff that came down on the major runway, by major I mean the stuff that you can look through style.com, or any major fashion mags like Vogue or Harper Bazaar (at least the US ones). Therefore it is absolutely essential to look at some of the most influential blogs like "Diane, A Shaded View on Fashion"(which I have already "advertised" many times), or fashion forums like "The Fashion Spot". These places you will find a lot of insider's information and materials that will only come out in the major mags few months later, or they wouldn't come out at all because some people in the biz think the advertisements pages are more important.
Anyways, one of the thing i would like to achieve in this blog is to archive some of the designers that really inspire me. I feel like my vision and my taste in this fabric manipulation art has been growing along with my blog. If you back track my entries you see stuff that I pick at first are like easy breezy La Rok, Forty's, and Tracy Reese. But what really inspire me now is the more sober, fluid yet feminine design, and more importantly, is the impeccable tailoring that make a piece deserve a timeless status. I found the Fall/Winter 2007 collection by this Argentinian-French designer Gaspard Yurkievich absolutely captivating. The soft flow cling comfortably on the body, the slim dress pants, mini skirt and blazer with big stripes (fabulous detail on the back of the blazer), beautiful sheer contrast with the satin bow on the chest, and its great that he threw in the more whimsical piece like the crochet + feather tube over the sheer grey blue turtle neck, ends with a bubble mini.
I am really loving this one piece designed by Gaurav Gupta, a graduate from Central Saint Martins, who returned to India to become the local fashion star in his own country...this is definitely a great inspiration for me. I love the fabric (should be some sort of luster rayon material), the top embellishments (not too heavy but shows a little bit of the ethnic influence), the draping and the layering down the waist. I am wishing him all the best in his early career (I wonder how its like to start out in India as a fashion designer, more so I wonder how its like to start out in China as a fashion designer...).
On my previous post about how I think of couture as "all about concept, and showcasing craftsmanship from the designer's atelier and most of all go wild with it," and on how the term "wearable" might not be a flattering word in the couture world. It was a hasty comment and I must refine it through google.
And this is what I found on wikipedia:
Haute couture is a highly technical art form. For pieces that are really conceptual and "unwearable" a lot of times they are for the riches who collects them, like fine arts and jewelries. But of course some of the highly wearable ones like Elie Saab and Armani Prive they are for the exclusives to look absolutely out of this world."Haute couture (French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking") refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted fashions. It originally referred to French fashion and in France, is a "protected name" that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to comprise all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as New York, London, and Milan.
Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques." from wikipedia.com
Ones that I picked out last night, Ai's Vivienne Tam's ad and the rest are by Elie Saab.
No...not talking about Juicy Couture's "Couture" collection. Its the 2007 Spring Couture that I am raving about. What I found interesting is that as I thought that the real couture stuff are all about concept, and showcasing craftsmanship from the designer's atelier and most of all go wild with it, a lot of the dresses I see are really "wearable" (which might not be a flattering word in the couture world). Like the red carpet ready collection by Elie Saab, elegant and classic silhouettes by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, and even Christian Lacroix's colorful and flowery collection for the stylish socialites. The most unwearable couture collection is of course by John Galliano for Christian Dior, while the romantic and more serious pieces (in terms of mood and use of color) by Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy comes in a close second.
Although Tisci designed my favorite piece of all (first pic), I can't say I like his overall collection the best. He also picked Irina Lazareanu to wear that stunning yellow gown which I thought was such a stand out (I do have a record of liking models with an exotic face - Devon Aoki for example).
Maybe because I am Asian and have been exposed to Japanese craze for decades, I am not so stunned by Galliano's Geisha/Rurouni(Wanderer) inspiration. However, I think this collection has such flawless executions with the origami-like foldings, splendorous structures, and refreshing colors...I love the look of Shalom Harlow in the origami wedding gown.
On Elie Saab, have to say his dresses are very pretty and glam as always but just not very Couture-licious so to speak. But then again I have to throw in two pictures of my other all time favorite model Ai Tominaga. I loved her Vivienne Tam ad.
humm...realized how choosing the right model for their key pieces is such an important thing? This notion was also mentioned in "Fashion Babylon" (read it!!) except the designer was forced to pick a "hot" model to wear her key piece, which is rather sad.
Ok, was going to continue on but for some reason the blog image uploader is not working properly...so more pictures later! :)
