Elie Saab Couture 2013 Spring

I enjoy how easy it is to write about Elie Saab, nothing shocks, nothing jars, nothing underwhelms.  Overlooking the rather clumsy title of An Ode to Delicateness, the beautiful creations in this collection are again glorious examples of beading, lace, drape and subtlety. They look light and effortless and will be very popular with stylists and actresses alike.

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Chanel Couture Spring 2013 Paris

It’s me, it must be me. I must be missing some chromosome that means I don’t get Karl Lagerfeld’s vision because I think this is truly awful. Let’s start with the dead bird that appears to be sitting on all these poor girls’ heads or perhaps focus on the horrible make up or those silver (latex??) legging/shoe things. Nothing here speaks of Coco, nothing. These shapeless dresses do a woman’s body no favours. He has fixated on a very horizontal aesthetic, with width in the cut at so many points: across the body at the shoulder, at the waist, the hip and the cuff, then added to the effect with horizontals in the tweed, in the ruching and the pleating.  The wide frame at the shoulders particularly made the models look like American Football players and then instead of adding some element of tailoring to give balance, the dress and skirts and coats flare back out again. Astonishing.

I’m sure the workmanship and the fabrics and the detailing are stunning but if they don’t translate into photos then it doesn’t work. Clearly you don’t look at couture for what’s going to be in the shops next season, but you do look at it to be inspired by wonderful creativity and imaginative reach. This makes me laugh  and cry in equal measure, especially when the fashion journalists eat it up without a word of discontent.

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Giambattista Valli Couture Spring 2013 Paris

This isn’t one of my favourite Valli couture collections but it’s so inoffensive compared to the other offenders that I can only be positive. I like the monochrome palette of black and white with its hints of silver, the interesting use of bold gold accessories and the dynamic prints and patterns, although these were less successful the closer they came to animal skins. There’s a younger feel to his designs and I like the short preppy shapes at the start of the collection and also, bypassing the  flowery interlude, the later more elegant evening gowns.

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Christian Dior Couture Spring 2013 Paris

This is Raf Simons’ second crack at Couture for Dior and I still don’t understand the narrative. Who is it for, what is it, what are the references, where is the cohesion? The workmanship may be thrilling but something beyond that has to translate into the pictures and the message. If you read the show notes you hear all the PR stuff about Spring and rebirth and archival flower themes but orange and yellow tights just don’t do that for me. I don’t like coloured tights anyway but here they seem particularly jarring and out of place in a way that is totally distracting and when I saw a pair of sheer navy tights I wanted to cry. Some of the more metallic materials that had a iridescent effect felt very similar to the ones used by Giorgio Armani a couple of seasons ago. Also I have to say I really don’t care for the wigs or the make-up; the models just look as if they have haven’t washed their hair and the Swarovski crystals on the lips are so not haute!

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Altelier Versace Couture Spring 2013 Paris

These two pink creations came out about half way through this tacky collection and wow, do they stand out for the sheer (get it) lack of taste, elegance or artistry. Of course you don’t look to Versace for ‘upper class’ it’s a sexy, extravagant label but despite throwing in some daring combinations of mink and metal, leather and silk, chiffon and neon, this collection missed even those marks. Horrible fluorescent yellows will not look good on anyone and heavy black fur epaulettes seem so wrong for Spring. The make -up makes even Karlie Kloss look cheap, which is quite an achievement.

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Worst 26 Looks from S/S13 Fashion Week’s

You have to be named and shamed. The usual offenders: Marc Jacobs and Chanel.  Believe me, I understand about playful riffs on a theme, I understand that not every look that comes down the runway will translate exactly to the shop or the street, but anyone who can look at these shapes and think they bring anything to fashion, or to the brand, or to any woman’s body, must either be on drugs or visually impaired, or possibly both.

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Top 26 Looks from Paris Fashion Week S/S13

I was away in NYC last week and then my computer had a fairly major breakdown, hence the delay in posting on my favourite looks from Paris.  It was too difficult to bring the total down to 20 so 26 it is. I missed the excitement of  Haider Ackermann’s usual palette of teal, maroon and burnt orange but this collection was as beautifully constructed and desirable as ever. With Jean Paul Gautier it’s worth looking through the whole collection just to see his extraordinary imagination at work – Karlie Kloss as Boy George is an image you won’t forget. For me Raf Simons did nothing spectacular at Dior nor Lagerfeld at Chanel, despite the fawning press following both shows.

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Top 20 Looks from Milan Fashion Week

In keeping with New York and London there was a lot of black and white on show in Milan, with the occasional splash of colour used with best effect at Etro which was probably one of the most vibrant shows of the season. I also thought Bottega Veneta had a great collection.  There was surprisingly little consistency of vision/form/shape across the designers, or even within a brand. Sad to say, I wasn’t spoilt for choice in the edit.

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Top 20 Looks at London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week is sadly over although my feet are incredibly grateful it’s done. Below are my picks from the shows I didn’t attend and reflect the looks I think stand above the rest.  The thing I’ve missed most from the shows this week is some great music; a lot of the ‘music’ the producers have chosen this year has been downbeat and melancholy, and sometimes just plain odd. I think a show is really lifted by great music and when the whole front frow is toe tapping to the beat you know it’s going well! And the accessory of the week, the very latest arm candy, seems to have been….a baby. There have been babies or toddlers toted at every show and even some breast feeding at Sass&Bide. They do say the bloggers are getting younger.  Roll on Milan and Paris.

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Top 20 Looks from New York Fashion Week

As I was away perfecting my tan lines during New York Fashion Week I missed reviewing the shows, but I have clicked through most of them now and the pictures below are my edit of the best looks.

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