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]

the canny jumpsuit

So far, the best adjective to describe this year's Cannes festival in terms of fashion is inconsistent. There have been great moments by Cate Blanchett and Carey Mulligan, and even a more unexpected Beckinsale one (in Balmain today). But there have also been pretty bad moments courtesy of Eva Longoria and anyone else who wore the boring new Gucci Première. And to add up to the inconsistency, Elsa Pataky, a Spanish actress, surprised everyone looking dashing in a ruffled Fendi jumpsuit. The cleverest part of this choice was the fact that the jumpsuit in question had ruffles both at the front and back, something pretty handy when you're photographed from either side at will.

Also today, I found Cate Blanchett on the new cover of W magazine. In the spread inside, which is not to be missed, Blanchett donned another jumpsuit of a similar features this time by Chloé. This got me thinking about the tricky nature of jumpsuits and how much easier it seems to pull of in a jersey or silk of this champagne-meets-khaki kind of hue. I found two other similar, more casual jumpsuits by Halston and Stella McCartney that confirmed my theory.

What do you think of the jumpsuit trend? Would you wear one?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Wmagazine.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Style.com, BergdorfGoodman.com, Zimbio.com, Vogue.es]

so much for not caring 'bout RESORT

Let me begin this post apologizing once again for my week-long absence. As the end of the school year approaches (yeah, I am not done yet!) things start to pile up and I need to deal with them. However, one shall never be too harsh with oneself, so I indulged myself with some partying and going out.

This said, I may proceed. When I last posted about Cruise collections, going on about what a bore they were I never thought I would be moved by one of them. Alessandra Facchinetti has done an amazing work with this collection. I have always liked Valentino for sticking to his taste but, quite honestly, after so many years doing red gowns he was surely running out of originality. This is where Ms. Facchinetti comes in. She's refurbished V's spirit with subtle elegance and up-to-date innovation while staying true to the soul of the italian designer. Women have dreamt of wearing Valentino for as long as the designer started drafting, and that won't change. Ruffles and bows are the main adornments in these dresses, they stick out on the sides of skirts and fronts of silk blouses. Silhouettes are simple and chic with the right amount of modernity and the colours serve their dynamism purpose without snatching attention from the cuts.

As I watched the collection, a certain fiction lady came to my mind. Isn't this collection perfect for Lily Van Der Woodsen? Serena's über-chic mum is the ultimate example of modern elegance achieved through simplicity and stamping your character clear on your outfit.

Loving or hating Valentino's refreshed visage?

[Picture credits: Style.com & Cw.com]

I'm off.