Anne Valérie Hash Couture Spring 2008: Still Young, Still Nude

Well if you know me, you know I Love illusory things. I love the first look, followed by the detailed look and how one is so different than the other. What's even amazing about this collection is that at first sight, it doesn't seem as though the pieces are see-through, but they are. It's this irony that I adore Anne Valérie Hash. I love that the clothes are see through but from a distant they're not. From a distance the clothes look simple, basic, but at a closer look it is engulfed with details and masterful fabric manipulation. Her concepts and construction, especially the geometric folds are just so masterful, supporting her credentials as a couturier.

See the rest of the collection: Anne Valérie Hash Couture Spring 2008

Give in to Givenchy Couture Spring 2008

When I hear Givenchy, I think of dark elegance with structure, but presented in a light way. Does that make sense? With that in mind, that's exactly what Riccardo Tisci gave for his Givenchy Couture Spring 2008 collection. The clothes were tailored and the wearer unintimidated. I picture L'wren Scott, fashion stylist, strutting about in them with her lean figure as though she's ready to stomp on anyone that dare gives her a dirty look. It's like a Karl Lagerfeld with a bitchy, wrinkle-free face in 6" heels.

Ok, that may be a bad image but that's what comes to mind for me. As fearless as the clothes make the wearer, it's presented in a romantic soft way. Tisci said the collection was very much a "dark ballerina," which is clear in the plume of folds and wind-tossed feathers. The third outfit in the picture above reminds me of Doo.Ri's notorious signature tight-wrapping and folding.

See rest of collection: Givenchy Couture Spring 2008 Collection

She sells seashell in her Chanel

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When Karl Lagerfeld went vacationing in Saint Tropez, after prancing about with his neck high, hands joined with Brad, he stumbled on some little girl collecting seashells and he thought, my little princcipessa (princess in Italian), you've inspired me for my couture show. And that's what brought about Chanel Couture SPring 2008. The folds and accesories screamed shells. Chanel was a clam, and the clothes were its pearls. The structure was stiff like the ridges of a shell, and I would like to think Karl is trying to tell me, or us, that there's life under the sea, which in this case means the east. Haha. Mini skirts makes the Japanese school girls scream, along with the flats making Amy Winehouse scream along with every American who love flats.

Now say it with me as quickly as you can for at least six consecutive time: She sells seashell in her Chanel.


So unless you have a wooping $500+ to dish out on a hair band, you better run to your nearest seashore or online seastore and start collecting those shells and strand them. I'm sure yours won't be as good and well made as Chanel's but, you'll be "ahead" of the trend. (Side note: extra brownie points for whomever brave enough integrate a conch into their brooch, headband, and/or whatever.)

See rest of collection: Chanel Couture Spring 2008

Couture-off Spring 2008

Which gown would you like for your sweet sixteen?

Me? Why not both? Entrance with the Lacroix and change mid-way into Chanel. I think I should be a stylist for MTV's Super Sweet 16. Those children know diddly squat(nothing).

But seriously, these gowns probably took over 450 hours each to make. The intricate detail, sculpting, gems and jewels. I love the Lacroix's collar and how it accentuates her arms, or skeleton of an arm. What you're supposed to do is take it as it is, or take what you like it and alter the rest. For the Lacroix dress, I would take everything from where her hand meets up, and then from that point on, just have the dress fall directly down into a flowing gown. Maybe by doing that I'll also get 20000USD off of the price since less labor??

For the Chanel, I love the jewels and gems embroideries and the volume so I want to keep that. I would just shorten the trail and make it fall around my waist as well, but still with a little volume. Don't get me wrong, the dresses themselves are spectacular and if I was 6'2+ I would wear them, but for me, I will have to settle for slender silhouettes to stretch out my body average length body. Basically the dresses would turn out like below:



Picture Source: Style.com

Christian Dior Couture Spring 2008

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At Christian Dior, the girls never weigh less than 100 lbs each.

John Galliano put out another couture show to accentuate his mastery in volume and detail. This dramatic muted pastel colors referenced the east, and the work seemed like a surpressed holding of his Maddamn Butterfly couture for Spring 2007 synthesized with his Couture Fall 2007 show. This time, it moved a little bit more north with a reference of Vienna's Klimt shapes and color.

What first came to mind for me, however, was exotic flowers. Especially this one:

It made sense to me because his Spring collection was quiet, and this seemed to be the unflowering, or deflowing of the Spring collection. To me, it's as though he was telling the Dior fan that his craftmanship has not gone dormant and he has not grown content like it seemed with his Spring 2008 collection.

Though this collection was true to his nature, it seemed like a transitional collection because it didn't inject something new and grandiose like his normal couture collection. Galliano prefers his workers to call him Master, and it is clear through his construction, his collections, and the fluidity of the whole house season to season that he is worthy of that name.

See rest of collection: Christian Dior Couture Spring 2008