Paris Couture Autumn-Winter 2005-2006 Day 2

Anne Valerie Hash - Floaty romantic jumbles of fabric are not what I'd pay $20k. I just dont see an impressive technique (other than those gorgeous shoes!) or the drama that I expect from couture. I think statement and breathtaking and a little risky, this collection is none of that - even though I like a lot of it...if it were ready-to-wear.

Chanel - The description of the show is better than the photos, which is the unfairness of not attending. The suits seem a little old and a tad boring, but the cocktail dresses are fun - with the occasional Dorothy from "Golden Girls" here too. Is it just me or do the models look very Olsen Twin-ish?

It's very disorienting to see 14 year old girls in your grandmother's (well, if your grandmother is a Chanel couture client) clothes. But perhaps that is their client-base?
This dress is giving me the heebie-jeebies:

This dress is interesting:

The general idea of the last two dresses is nice, but maybe in real life they would be better realized:



Christian Lacroix - Exotic and surprisingly demure suits, gorgeously beaded eveningwear - I think a better mix of youth and sophistication than Chanel.

The most gorgeous white blouse:

The most beautiful coat I have ever seen. The embroidery and the stiffness of the fabric make the most statement and the red ribbon and fur cuff details push the whole thing over the edge. This is a coat for a Russian princess, but perhaps not in a Russian winter, especially with those gorgeous shoes.

The whole collection is rich-gypsy, which I can get behind a whole lot better than the current lazy peasant-style that's become impossible to get away from. I cannot even make out what this outfit is, but I still want it:

And the fabrics that dont at all go together, but somehow make the most breathtaking piece of art (and again! that red ribbon, mmmm!)

It's just too exquisite, I may die:

Christina Aguilera was apparently in attendance, shopping for wedding dresses. I would recommend:




Givenchy - A new designer, and apparently one *not* haunted by the ghost of Audrey Hepburn - perhaps maybe a little Helmut Lang and Tom Ford though. I'm most struck by the sleeves in each piece. Very bondage-y here and very antique over there. Sexy and tough clothes with the sharpest detail. Not often seen in couture, but perhaps there is a client just waiting for such things. I would be in the market, most certainly.

I wish the photos were brighter and the clothes easier to make out...this is why a show should never contain black clothing! Sell it later in black, but there's no way it will come across in photos. My only qualm with this collection is that it goes from fussy to minimalist and back and I feel like you have to commit to a look - you cant just cover all the bases. That's not risk-taking, that's mass-market.