Mid-week Fashion Hits
JustJared

I normally stop myself posting about celebrity looks during the week because I feel like Monday's BDOTW post is enough for 7 days. But this time around I just couldn't resist myself.
Kristen Stewart usually looks awkward when she dresses up for red carpet events, however that seems to change when the designer she is wearing is Balmain. I guess the house has the perfect dose of rock and roll and sex appeal she needs to feel comfortable. I loved her latest Balmain hit this week, albeit the hair.
Keira Knightley, now with a brand new rock on her finger, rocked a Valentino FW12 dress. You know I haven't been too keen on the house for the last few seasons but this look is a knock-out! The embroidery and the colours are stunning and contrast so nicely with the nude chiffon.
Emma Stone is totally having her moment these past weeks. This is one of her better looks so far, courtesy of Elie Saab. I love the high-waisted tux trousers and the plunging neckline of the embroidered top. The gold on the belt adds just the perfect touch of colour. And you can see in the grin in her face this is a hit.

From left to right: Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Atelier Versace, Chanel.
Vogue.fr

The last edition of Haute Couture that closed yesterday was, in my opinion, one of the best of the last few years. I was deeply disappointed by Valentino. Last season it seemed like they were finally going in the right direction but all we have seen this week were all the same dresses they have been producing for the last couple of years, only in different palettes. I think it's time to get the talks of a substitute for Maria Grazia and Pier Paolo cracking.
Otherwise I am thrilled with what's been sent down the runway. The return of Atelier Versace lived up to its expectations. I would probably say it's been my favourite collection of the whole week. What Donatella did with the metallic panels and the shape of the body was superb.
I also particularly loved the high-and-low play that Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy and Jean Paul Gaultier had in their collections. Gaultier's "polo shirt" dress and varsity jacket look were an innovative take on current punk rock that was perfectly suited to the Amy Winehouse theme on the catwalk. What was most interesting about Tisci is how he managed to incorporate most of the elements he has made iconic on the Givenchy mainline –stars, studs, luxury sportswear garments– and how he mixed them with his take on the traditional Indian wedding jewellery. Although the most remarkable about his collection is the craftsmanship, especially on the individually sewn pieces of crocodile onto silk.
Chanel was more about the extraordinary setting (a catwalk that looked like a plain inside the Petit Palais) than about the innovation of the clothes. Everything was beautiful and very... like Karl had designed the Pan American uniform. My favourite thing about the collection were the bejewelled tights, which created a magical effect with the dresses.

From left to right: Armani Privé, Giambattista Valli, Elie Saab
Courtesy of Armani, Vogue.fr

I am a huge fan of what Mr Armani is doing for the Privé line. His last collections have had great success on the red carpet and I feel like he's on a roll. His lime green haute couture collection was spotless, sculptural and ultra modern. Lime green is one of my favourite colours (as you can tell by some of the font on my blog and Twitter) so this is right up my street.
There was a bit of Dior in the latest Giambattista Valli collection. I loved his take on the "bar jacket" but I thought he failed (in lack of a better word) to create that fantasy that he normally brings to all of his collections. However, I did appreciate looks like the above where we saw a tougher side to him, I wish there had been more of it.
Elie Saab was my pleasant surprise of the season. It's almost like they knew Valentino was going to disappoint and decided to take the spotlight. The entire collection was incredibly beautiful and dreamy. They did a lot of see-through but in such a refined feminine way you are only half aware. And and I am absolutely positive we are going to see 80% of this collection all over the red carpet in the next few months.

JustJared, Style.com

This weekend was a good one in terms of style. Giulia and I have changed our minds a couple of times until coming up with the final four for the post, which doesn't happen very often. Eventually we got it down to these four ladies won...

1. Dree Hemingway in custom made Christian Dior. I absolutely love this. Dior recreated the iconic gown Marilyn Monroe wore for her last photoshoot with Bern Stern, which Dree wore to the opening of the "Picturing Marilyn" exhibition in New York.

2. Zoe Saldana in Elie Saab. Green has always been my favourite colour. I love this simple but super elegant look. It works great on Zoe's skin tone and it hugs her body without being strictly body-con.

3. Jessica Alba in Armani Privé. She wore this to the opening of the Armani Hotel in Milan. I just love the drop waist silhouette and the original length with the kimono detail at the hem. The top, the makeup and the emerald ring were simply stunning. Can you believe she recently gave birth?

4. Jaime King in Oscar de la Renta. She has the perfect look for an old school Hollywood glamour outfit. The hair and makeup are perfect, as is the slick black velvet Oscar gown.

I am really happy with this year's edition of Cannes film festival. Most people have made a good effort and it's paid off. Rachel McAdams and Penélope Cruz almost restored my faith in Marchesa. And I also started to believe that Pe can actually dress. Her Givenchy and Stella McCartney moments were definitely highlights of the festival.

Some other of my favourites have been slightly less talked about. Spanish actress Paz Vega rocked an Azzaro jumpsuit (a spin off of Carey Mulligan's Azzaro dress from last year's Cannes). I was impressed with how well she wore it. I loved the choice of shoes and the hair but I would have made the trousers straighter. Jane Fonda looked über-elegant in a blue gown and an amazing diamond and sapphire necklace. Clotilde Courau had one of those classic moments of a simple number with a trail in a champagne hue and Elizabeth Olsen showed not once but twice that I wasn't wrong in predicting we could expect great things from her.

The absolute star of the show for me was Fan Bing Bing. She has not only the best designer liaisons but an exquisite flair for fashion. She pulled off everything from a personally designed gown with Oriental motifs (which apparently took 4 months to make), to a couple of Versace Atelier (my two favourites) and  some Elie Saab Couture. Simply outstanding. I really hope she gets a role in a big period drama soon so we get lots of brilliant red carpet moments like these.

[Zimbio]

Oscars 2011: Less is more

I am rather disappointed with this year's Oscar red carpet looks. I was surprised not only not to find Angelina, Charlize Theron and Diane Kruger amongst the guests but also to see Natalie Portman and Gwyneth Paltrow in very bland dresses. Luckily, one can always count on Cate Blanchett to save the night. She was unarguably the best dressed at the Oscars in an incredible lilac and neon yellow beaded Haute Couture dress fresh of the Givenchy SS11 runway. She always makes such edgy choices that she wears with incredible taste. Number two on my ranking is very unexpected even for myself. Amy Adams chose the right shape of dress with a sexy back slit and covered neckline all covered in L'Wren Scott navy sequins. The choice of colour was perfect for her skin tone (for once) as were the jade, diamond and emerald jewels.

Third on the list is Mila Kunis, who had been building up to this moment. She saved this stunning lilac and nude lace Elie Saab number, which was made grand and occasion-appropriate by the glamourous hair-do and the smoky eyes. I loved everything about her and was happy to see her having such a great moment. And lastly, one of my favourite girls. Michelle Williams has been having some up and downs over the last few months but she made it clear that the only thing a girl needs is some Chanel Haute Couture. I loved how they turned the original dress into a body-con beaded masterpiece and how she relied on a good haircut and light make up.

On a different note, I need to point out Anne Hathaway's style throughout the show. For the red carpet she wore a red Valentino from 2002, when Garavani was still in charge, and even though she looked stunning there was something not quite right, which is why she wasn't on my best dressed list. However, there were two looks she wore during the Oscars that did out her here. The first was a Lanvin tuxedo, which she wore with a ponytail and Ryan Atwood sparkly pumps. And the second was an Amarni Privé number from the Haute Couture SS11 collection. Giulia and I were thrilled she wore it as we had predicted she'd wear it a few weeks before. Who was your favourite?

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net]

Haute Couture shoe edition: what was Karl thinking?

One of the things that keeps me going back to Style.com for catwalk pictures despite their inefficiency is the fact that they do normally include a considerable amount of detail shots —aka: shoes, belts, bags, and ruffles up close. I normally tend to have a quick look and save any pictures of the stuff that has caught my attention. This process is normally really short with the Haute Couture shows because designers (in general) don't like to complicate them too much as it's all about the dresses. Well, this time I spent more time than normal, for better or worse, looking at Couture shoes and this is what I thought.

This was the first Valentino collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli that I actually liked. It seemed as if they're finally gathering all the firstly disconnected elements and turning them into cohesive ideas. The shoes followed the bow-centred theme of the collection and even though the low heels were very Oscar de la Renta for Anna Wintour, I loved them. There was a sense of Louis XVI to them that looked tremendously chic and surprisingly contemporary. I certainly hope they keep it up for the SS10 Prêt-à-Porter collection.

I am tired of Karl's inconsistency and of the world applauding his every move no matter what only because we all know he's a genius. The last Chanel collections (mid-seasons included) have been outrageously indulgent, even for them. We did see stunning dresses, I won't deny that, but Chanel should be about flawlessness and chic and instead we keep getting rococo. I wonder what Mademoiselle Chanel, who believed in simplicity and elegance, would think of Lagerfeld's Russian nightmares.

Elie Saab was apt and all but it was a particular red shoe that caught my attention. If you look closely at them it seems only obvious they should appear of Fashionista's 'The adventures of copyright' section as they're almost identical (apart from colour) to Dolce & Gabbana's FW09 black wedges.
I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Polyvore.com]

PARISIAN highlights

Alright, I spoke too soon. As I saw Paris Fashion Week fade away it seemed quite clear I couldn’t possibly keep my word —I will not refrain from posting about the Haute Couture shows. However, I will stick to my shameful knowledge in the field as an excuse not to comment the catwalk and only show my favourites. So behold.

[Pictures credit: Style.com]

Which of the above would you wear? Why?

Also, does anybody else find Chanel's collection quite explicitly dedicated to Queen of Fashion, Anna Wintour?

I'm off.