Valentino's fw11 Aces

It might just be me but I am still feeling a little iffy about Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli's work at Valentino. It escapes me why they need two designers to come up with work that never lives up to Garavani's old standards. Having said that, they are kind of slowly finding their way and creating a new Valentino woman. The fw11 collection was a bit hit and miss but the hits, I thought, were big ones. The cocktail dresses and night gowns obviously stood out from the bowed and bland two-pieces. I specially loved the mustard/olive green colours they used for evening and the pale pink for the day. I was also happy with the fact that they have used intricate but understated detailing like lace, embroidery and ruffles in a way that would suit the classy ladies that (I expect) wear Valentino.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Haute Couture SS11: Two looks

Haute Couture's quality changes almost drastically from season to season like harvests of wine. Last season we got some really good bottles but mostly quite average ones. This year, however, was the kind of year that you remember and ask for at restaurants. While I still think that Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli are yet to completely define the focus of their whole inherited (kinda) Valentino Empire. Their last HC collection was as promising as anyone new to the business can get. This year I quite expected grandeur but we got romanticism and melancholy instead, which is not necessarily bad. The show was very clearly divided in two parts —the first, consisting of girly cocktail and day dresses that tied the line with last season and the second, of flowy gowns as a second skin. Ruffles at the neck were almost Victorian reminiscences, which contrasted with the omnipresence of see-through materials for a refined touch of sexiness.

Jean Paul Gaultier continues to outdo himself, which I find extraordinary, especially when it comes to couture. His last collection, inspired by Jessica Rabbit, was clever and fashion forward yet reminiscing of the 20's. This year the main influence was Punk —introduced by rebel mohawks, black drapery and ragged pieces. The critics have applauded this collection and repeatedly talked about how dry his previous lines had been and how JPG has got his mojo back. I completely agree but I think that process of mojo-reclaiming started last season. And just like Chanel, I love the separates because they look so exquisite and we rarely get such RTW usuals at an Haute Couture show.

Which show has been your favourite?
I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Keira finds Valentino's lost mojo

It turns out I did find the time to make a second post today! Regardless of what little time I had to blog in this busy say I couldn't ignore this exceptional fashion moment.
Ever since Valentino Garavani stopped designing for his namesake brand the Italian staple house utterly lost the focus that it had acquired through decades and took a different turn, which, at the moment, seemed rather non-directional and unattached to Garavani's previous work. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli took their time to find a new, more modern path for the brand to have a future in. Their latest SS11 collection felt as if they are finally on the right track. It established some of their usual motifs as signature elements and it made their designs desirable. But fashion is also about who wears it. So far, a great variety of celebrities had worn Valentino but they hadn't found 'la donna Valentino'. I believe they have done so with Keira Knightley. Her edgy and modern yet classic look is as perfect a fit for the current 'Chanel femme' as it can be for the Italian house. And that's why I think that, after the brand's fuzzy last seasons, the Emperor can rest assured his brand has its mojo back.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Celebrity-Gossip.com]

It's gonna be alright

When I found out about Alexander McQueen's passing I told myself I would never like anyone's creations for his namesake brand. Then I worried about the house's future if no one could find somebody who could remotely fill Lee's shoes. Shortly after this rush of sentiments, the LVMH group announced Sarah Burton's appointment as new creative director. Knowing she had spent 15 years very close to McQueen gave me hope. But it wasn't until yesterday that we finally learnt we can rest assured everything's going to be alright. The space for the SS11 collection set a much more relaxed mood that we are used to for these shows, which seemed to be Burton's add to the brand. She played with the idea of a queen of nature. Leather leaves, pheasant feathers, butterflies and golden poison ivy wrapped around the body and shared space with McQueen's gilded staples typical of monarchic outfitting. Not only Burton didn't disappoint but she aroused an excitement we thought gone.

Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri finally found a path for Valentino. After seasons of creative wandering around they started walking in the right direction on their last Couture collection and they successfully translated that vision for the prêt-á-porter line. The Italian duo wanted "dangerous refinement", made evident in the combination of materials; a tough straw lace skirt paired up with delicate Chantilly lace. Ruffles and bows, which had characterised previous collections, blended into the pieces instead of becoming protagonists. Chiffon played the biggest role on the evening wear, floating like a sophisticated jellyfish over simple, harder shapes in line with the juxtaposition of the delicate and the dangerous. The overall feel of the SS11 line was much younger (very celebrity-appealing) and focused but miles away from Garavani's legacy, which has now been reduced to a mere tag.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

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]