haute couture

The Fashion Statement: Paris Couture Pares Back

The haute couture shows in Paris are in full swing, but rather than enjoy the spectacle, fashion watchers have the nagging suspicion they are witnessing the end of an era.

Sure, clothing that can cost as much as a house, have little relevance in today's world-only a handful of women in the world can afford the custom-made pieces. And fashion houses like Jean Paul Gaultier, pictured above, create the looks mostly for press and to promote brand awareness and maintain an image. (Dita Von Teese guest strutted in black wire and stockings.) But the Great Recession has sped up the decline of an institution of fashion, the highest level a designer can achieve, the crème de la crème of the biz. It's sad!

Signs of decline are all there. Shows have been reduced to six spanning three days. Sets have been pared back. Givenchy eschewed a show altogether to stage "presentations," or museum like display on dress forms-a sure sign of financial conservatism.

"Why not just hang a sign on the door that says, 'Shut?'" wrote Cathy Horyn yesterday in The New York Times.

Tags: Chanel, Christian Dior, Dita Von Teese, Elie Saab Couture, Givenchy, haute couture, jean paul gaultier, Paris Fashion Week, Paris haute couture, runway, runway fashion, runway models, runway shows, RunwayFashion, RunwayShow, Valentino

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The Fashion Statement: Hats On

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Fashion Statement

The Spring/Summer 2010 Haute Couture shows got underway earlier this week in Paris and, by the looks of things so far, they could have easily been renamed "Hat Couture."

Jean Paul Gaultier framed his models' faces in feathers (shown above), Mexican sombreros and metallic halos reminiscent of South American icons. (We noticed the blue nail polish, too.)

Karl Lagerfeld, whose muse for Chanel Couture must be equal parts geisha, schoolgirl and American housewife circa late '50s/early '60s, placed sugary sweet bows in each girls' bouffant 'do.

On Aura Tout Vu went to the extreme by building a tiny city around one model's head, held in place by metal rods affixed to her belt.

Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy took the concept of "lid" to a whole new level with a millinery lineup that resembled screw-top caps, cylinders and mid-century lampshades. Some were white, stark and shiny while others were black, textured or featured veils.

Galliano was among the more conservative with equestrian top hats, stovepipes and high hats. The riding crops he placed in the hands of his models, expected in an equestrian theme, nevertheless added a dominatrix spirit.

The bride wore black veils at Franck Sorbier...and forks?! Sure enough, even a handful of forks was sculpted into a chapeau.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: Hats, 01/28/10

Tags: Chanel, Givenchy, hats, haute couture, HauteCouture, Lady Gaga, LadyGaga

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Alexander McQueen: Romantic and Contemporary

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Alexander McQueen is a nominee for a Readers' Choice Award for Best Clothing Line. McQueen is one of the most respected fashion designers in the world. In 1996, when he was in only his late 20's, he was appointed Chief Designer at the French Haute Couture House Givenchy. He worked there until 2001, leaving to launch his own company.

McQueen is known for both the emotional power and raw energy of his fashion shows as well as the romantic but contemporary nature of his collections. Integral to the McQueen culture is the justaposition between contrasting elements: fragility and strength, tradition and modernity and fluidity and severity. His collections combine an in-depth working knowledge of bespoke British tailoring, the fine workmanship of the French Haute Couture atelier and the impeccable finish of Italian manufacturing.

Born in 1969, McQueen grew up in London, the youngest of six children. He dropped out of school at age 16 and to apprentice at two traditional Saville Row tailors where he learned about the technical construction of clothing. His next career move was to Angels and Bermans, designers of theatrical costumes, where he learned and mastered six methods of pattern cutting, from that used during the melodramatic 16th Century to the razor sharp tailoring which is now his signature style. After several other career moves, including a stint in Milan, McQueen received a Masters degree in Fashion Design at St. Martins. McQueen has received the British Designer of the year award four times, the International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designer's of America (2003) and GQ's Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2007.

In 2000, 51% of Alexander McQueen was acquired by the Gucci Group, where he remains to this day as Creative Director. Collections include women's ready-to-wear, Men's ready-to-wear, accessories, eyewear and fragrance. Flagship stores are found in New York, London and Milan. Alexander McQueen collections are now distributed in more than 39 countries through 194 wholesale accounts including specialty shops and better department stores.

Cast your vote for the Readers' Choice Awards at http://www.luxist.com/awards-vote/accessories-awards.

Tags: accessories-award, alexander mcqueen, AlexanderMcqueen, awards-main, gucci group, GucciGroup, haute couture, HauteCouture, luxist-awards, ready-to-wear

Rent The Runway Offers Gowns For The Moment

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Being able to rent a couture gown for a special event is nothing new but a new service, Rent the Runway, hopes to streamline the process and become, as the NY Times describes it, a Netflix for haute couture. The site was founded by two recent Harvard Business School graduates, Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Carter Fleiss. A four-night dress rental can cost from $50 to $200 depending on the value of the gown. Pieces can be rented for either four or eight days.

The gowns bear some well-known labels: Diane Von Furstenberg, Hervé Léger and Proenza Schouler are among the offerings and Christian Siriano will be offering his new collection on the site. To begin the process you choose a gown and reserve your dates. A dress will arrive within a couple days of your event. Dresses come with a Fit Kit which includes double-sided tape,deodorant wipes, and a bra converter. The services also promises that stylists will be available by phone during normal business hours to offer advice and help. After wearing, you send it off in a pre-paid, pre-addressed return envelope. The service handles the dry cleaning.

The NY Times profile on the service says that more than more than 20,000 women have joined. The service has only been shipping dresses for only a week. Part of the risk of this business it requires a constant rotation of fashionable dresses which will only be in play for a season or two. Several services including Avelle (formerly Bag, Borrow or Steal) already offer accessories like handbags, sunglasses, jewelry for rent. Adorn Brides offers high-end jewelry featuring diamonds, pearls and colored gemstones for brides and bridesmaids.

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Tags: fashion, gown rental, GownRental, haute couture, HauteCouture, rent the runway, RentTheRunway

The Fashion Statement: What is Luxury Now?

by Kristin Young (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, The Fashion Statement

As designers march their winter haute couture collections down runways in Paris this week, one has the feeling we're witnessing the end of an era. Only a handful of women in the world can afford this level of craftsmanship and, in the throws of the most diabolical recession we've ever seen, even they are pulling in their gilded belts. More's the pity.

As a result, this may be the last of Christian Lacroix. A few days ago, the designer showed a jaw-dropping collection every bit worthy of his couturier status. But his house is in such a financial mess, it needs a buyer to survive.

Lacroix is not alone, of course. Earlier this year, I asked a CEO of a high-end Italian fabric company how he was planning to celebrate the company's anniversary. "We'll barely be able to afford a birthday cake!" he joked.

Meanwhile, New York's famed specialty store Henri Bendel has stopped selling designer clothes altogether. Beginning this fall, the store will focus exclusively on selling smaller ticket items like jewelry, handbags, fragrance and gifts. It's a well-known fact that accessories sales are the bread-and-butter of retailers and fashion houses. Runway looks, especially haute couture, are more about creating publicity and brand image. But learning that H. Bendel will no longer be selling designer clothing is a little like discovering the coolest kid at school is into Dungeons & Dragons. It's just sad.

The luxury segment-particularly fashion and jewelry-has skirted trouble for years. In Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster out a few years ago, reporter Dana Thomas chronicled how the then $157 billion luxury goods industry eschewed exclusivity-a key characteristic of luxury-in order to rack up mass sales.

Still, few predicted the floor would drop out quite like this. "You can't justify premiums these days with the same old stuff," says Milton Pedreza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, noting luxury companies will be forced to reinvent themselves to stay relevant. "Many people feel like luxury has duped them into buying ubiquitous products. The main principles-great design, superior quality, heritage and service-need to be upped quite a bit."

Gallery: Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture

Tags: Christian Lacroix, Haute Couture, Luxury Institute, LuxuryInstitute, Paris Fashion Week, Tre

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Christian Lacroix Files for Bankruptcy

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Last month my colleague Deidre Woollard reported that French fashion house Christian Lacroix was looking for investors to shore up its business. Now the brand has filed for bankruptcy in the wake of an increasingly bleak financial picture. Lacroix, which is owned by duty free retailer the Falic Group and employs 125 people, has been hit hard by the faltering market for ultra-luxury goods like haute couture gowns. Lacroix chief executive Nicolas Topiol said the economic crisis had "considerably hurt our revenues," the London Times reports. Major retailers recently stopped buying new Lacroix merchandise and last month both Neiman Marcus and Saks reduced their orders for Lacroix apparel considerably. Sales of the Lacroix women's summer collection are down 35% this year; last year the company reported a $15 million loss.

Tags: Christian Lacroix, ChristianLacroix, French fashion, FrenchFashion, haute couture, HauteCouture, Neiman Marcus, NeimanMarcus

Armani Prive's Chinese Fantasy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

At a time when the world is in financial turmoil, the neutral world of Armani has suddenly gone quite colorful. Giorgio Armani's Paris show for his haute couture label, Giorgio Armani Prive was a kaleidoscope of silks, tassels and sequins inspired by China. Armani's creations included lean suits with tassel details and tight gowns heavy with details like sequins and embroidery. The entire collection had a fantasy element to it with the models wearing either black bobbed wigs or tight towers of hair and heavy black eye makeup. Armani himself called it "a dream, a real spectacle, a film" when talking to The Associated Press. It made for quite a dramatic show but is any of it wearable even amid the haute couture set?

Gallery: Giorgio Armani Prive Couture Spring 2009

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Tags: armani prive, ArmaniPrive, haute couture, HauteCouture

The House of Valentino's 50 Fashionable Years

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Books

The remarkable 50-year career of Valentino, founder of the first couture house to be recognized by the French government outside of Paris, is given the coffee table treatment in a lavish new book, Valentino: Themes and Variations (Rizzoli, $75).

The tome on Rome-based Valentino Garavani is published in association with a prestigious exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, curated by the author, Pamela Golbin. The book focuses on the designer's haute couture creations, culminating in his brilliant Paris presentation last January.

"I have always considered my work as the one of a writer," Valentino notes in the foreword. "Over the years I wrote only one story, the one of my style, where each collection represents a single chapter, with all its emotions, ideas and motifs. The looks may change with every chapter, but the main characters are the same, as are the people and things that inspire me."

Tags: Haute couture, HauteCouture, Italian fashion, ItalianFashion, Paris, Rome, Valentino

Givenchy Spring 2008 Couture Collection

by Star Sutherland (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Events, Celebrity Shopping

Givenchy dresses have been worn by notably sophisticated ladies for decades, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the Duchess of Windsor are among the memorable women who've made Givenchy the fashion legend it is today. Recently joining the list is the always stunning and stylish Natalie Portman who had heads turning when she showed up at a Cannes soiree in this elegant and refreshing Givenchy gown. Easily the best dress seen all week, I think she blew it with the shoes but c'est la vie! If you have any high class events coming up, browse the Givenchy 2008 Collection, it features some fabulous designs that will have people dying to know who "dressed" you!

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Tags: cannes, cannes film festival, CannesFilmFestival, givenchy, givenchy dress, givenchy gowns, givenchy shopper, GivenchyDress, GivenchyGowns, GivenchyShopper, haute couture, HauteCouture, natalie portman, NataliePortman, spring 2008 fashion, Spring2008Fashion

Balenciaga Shoulder Bag, Handbag of the Day!

by Star Sutherland (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Balenciaga is well known for creating avant-garde bags, their designs are always on the cutting edge of fashion and as far as quality, their extraordinary craftsmanship is unsurpassed. This chic new Balenciaga shoulder bag is so refreshing and different. I love the interesting combination of both black and tan leather. The straps are comprised of buckles, a creative twist on the usual use of hardware. Available online exclusively from matchesfashion.com for $2,400.

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Tags: bags, Balenciaga, Balenciaga Shoulder Bag, BalenciagaShoulderBag, handbag, Handbag of the Day, HandbagOfTheDay, haute couture, HauteCouture, purses

Haute Couture by Angelo Katsapis

by Star Sutherland (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Not even 30 years old and already making a huge name for himself in fashion, Australian designer Angelo Katsapis is one to start paying attention to if you haven't already. His much anticipated signature line (called Angelokatsapis) was in the works during the years he spent in Milan as a senior designer for Giorgio Armani, once launched it immediately became a favorite among fashions toughest critics. Sold at the finest boutiques including Harvey Nichols you can also purchase select pieces from the collection online. The quality and unsurpassed design is reflected in the prices, dresses range from $1300 up to $10,000.

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Tags: Angelo Katsapis, AngeloKatsapis, designer, designers, harvey nichols, HarveyNichols, haute couture, HauteCouture, matches fashion, MatchesFashion, shopping

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