Hey Bombshells!
Haute Couture houses Chanel, Lacroix, Givenchy, and Dior are currently showing in Paris, flaunting their word class custom dressmaking skills and attention to detail. While most dresses can cost as much as $100,000, it’s still fun to look at the highest common denominators when it comes to forward thinking fashion. Here’s a quick run down:
Chanel:
Karl Largerfeld stayed true to the Chanel legacy of nubby tweed suits and coats reinvented for the modern career woman. Each collection begs for a new take, and Karl offered interesting plays with proportion and silhouette, presenting jackets and dresses with long tales or trains and lovely lace patterned tights. I kept looking for a standout frock, and it came in a classic belted black shift with tulle. Unfortunately, for me, it was the sole standout:
Christian Lacroix:
Christian Lacroix seemed to be mourning the current state of his company with his latest and perhaps final Haute Couture collection. Using funereal blacks and navy blues, Lacroix relinquished his typical opulence and fearless use of fabric, opting instead for decidedly more subdued colors and surface decoration. Bereavement aside, Lacroix’s fine hand and history of grandiosity were evident in the details–swing coats with gold embroidery and fur accoutrements, neck high lace tops worn under cinch waist skirted jackets, and strapless dresses peppered with crystals and beading:
Givenchy:
Riccardo Tisci also went for subdued colors like black or white, but amped up his collection with piles of statement jewels that seemed to draw inspiration from Moroccan royalty. Layered black outfits (replete with head scarves) were presented in contrast to gold face jewelry and stacks of chunky bangles. Intricate beading and embellishments contributed to a collection searingly rich in details, yet pedestrian enough to be worn by celebrity trendsetters:
Lastly, Christian Dior:
In high contrast to Chanel, Lacroix, and Givenchy, Dior went above and beyond blacks, grays, and whites to offer punches of bright pink, orange, and purple. On top of the onslaught of technicolor, Galliano continued to push the envelope with models shown in various states of undress, wearing bras with full skirts, jackets with girdles worn under sheer skirts, and slips with dresses. Exposed underpinnings aside, Galliano managed to harken back to Dior’s 1950’s cinched waist New Look while also offering silhouettes that would appeal to the modern well heeled fashionista. This collection made Haute Couture interesting and droolworthy in a way the others failed to do:
Summer calls for simple, easy, white tanks, and this Charlotte Russe Bow Tie option offers an alternative to the run of the mill:
The stripes are in line with this season’s nautical trend, and the added bow fixture offers a sweet girly essence. Get yours for $17 at Charlotte Russe.
Dress down with a pair of jeans or go for chic in a slim pencil skirt:
I was cruising over at Net-a-Porter’s the Outnet and came across this Erickson Beamon Ping Pong Bangle:
The multicolored square stunner is an obvious conversation piece, but at $255, it’s quite a splurge. Thankfully, the Outnet has lots of more affordable, yet chic accessories. Take a look:
Irish designer Tom Binns has created some of the most talked about pieces in fashion by mixing antique style with modern colors and materials. A 25 year veteran in the industry, he has collaborated with Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm McLaren, and Swarovski:
Binns statement making jewelry is consistently impressive, and with Michelle Obama as a customer, it’s hard to dispute his talent.
A preview of his Autumn/Winter line looks like classic Tom Binns, with plenty of sparkle and punky edge:
Serena Williams was spotted the other day for an appearance on the David Letterman show sporting a fresh face and a casual but chic look. Dressing up a basic tee with a statement necklace, skinny jeans, and killer black pumps, she definitely looks hot. Get the look with the pieces below: