Elie Saab Spring Haute Couture Spring 2011



Elie Saab

Elie Saab is a self taught guy. He taught himself to cut and make patterns and pretty much built a clientelle in his own neighborhood where he was growing up. At 18 he opened his couture atelier with 15 employees. A few months later he presented his first collection to a group of young women and soon developed a reputation for creating ultra feminine clothing, attracting women of high society who desired an Elie Saab dress.

In 1997 he was invited to present his collection at the prestigious Camera Nazionale della Moda as the only non-Italian designer among talented Italian designers. After three years of presenting his collection in Rome, he was invited by the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture to present his collection as a guest in Paris.
In 2002 he opened his couture house in the eigth arrondessiment in Paris and gave the international clients an opportunity to order his fine designs.
Then in 2005 Saab opened his couture how right in the heart of the reconstructed downtown area of Beirut. It is a five floor building which houses his atelier, design studio, ready to wear line, couture and bridal salon. This is perfect for the middle eastern clientelle that can go to Beirut rather than Paris if it is a convenience for them.

Many celebrities wear his beautiful couture on the red carpet all over the world.

One of the most memorable ones was the one that Halle Berry wore when she won the Oscar in 2002.

His clientelle keeps growing which indicates that there is a demand for an Elie Saab dress.

His Spring Haute Couture 2011 collection presentation was a wonderful parade of dresses, layered and textured with lace, flowers, embroidery and beading that were intertwined with the chiffons, sliks and organzas. Each dress was draped to flatter the feminine body and constructed to perfection, especially the bodices that were all sprinkled and punctuated with beading and embroidery. What definitely connot be unoticed is the regal wedding dress that is fit for a princessat the end of the presentation. This was a perfect indication of what his bridal salon will be offering according to his vision for brides.

This Spring Haute Couture should not be missed because it has all the ingredients that a woman of any age  would enjoy through and through.

Elie Saab

Haute Couture

Spring 2011

L'AMOUR FOU - Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé - WONDERFUL!

Anyone who wants to know more about Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé then go watch "L'Amour Fou".
It is a documentary that leads up to the Yves Saint Laurent auction in 2009.
Pierre Bergé who was Yves Saint Laurent's life and business partner gives a wonderful intimate interview.
It illustrated the deep love he had for Saint Laurent. The ball starts rolling when he reveals how he and Saint Laurent met each other.

Bergé speaks about how the business started and how he knew nothing about the Haute Couture business only to help Saint Laurent open a house so that he could express his incredible talent as a couturier.
The Paris, Normandy and Morocco living spaces they lived in were totally dreamy and amazing. Each living space was beautifully decorated and looked luxurious and sometimes decadent. Glimpses of how each piece of art is being appraised and boxed up and packed for the auction are woven in the film.
The auction was pretty interesting and it was exciting to see people putting bids in for these pieces spending millions of euros.



Saint Laurent's drug and alcohol addiction was spoken of and how it had a toll on their relationship and how they pulled through that chapter to the point of Saint Laurent's seclusion and retirement.
Bergé reveals the real reason why Yves Saint Laurent retired and I agree with the reason why.
I do think that Couture is finding its way back to evolving into a bigger presence in the fashion world because each season there are new talented couturiers emerging with wonderful collections.

The movie had a haunting bitter sweet quality. Pierre Bergé speaks of Saint Laurent with a gentle pride and a bit of longing, missing his love very much. No...he does not cry but you can see it in his eyes and if you listen carefully, you can feel the loss of his loved one in his speech.
It was very interesting to have that glimpse inside that relationship because I always wondered how they made each other tick. It is obvious to me that they really loved each other and that somehow that they complimented each other very well. This obviously reflected clearly in their business and their private lives..
It felt as though Yves Saint Laurent was invisible in every frame watching over Bergé and I have no doubt in my mind that this is true.
In the end I thought this documentary was Pierre Bergé's love story with Yves Saint Laurent and shows us more so who Yves Saint Laurent was as a designer and a human being and it was wonderful.

Alexandre Vauthier and Spring Couture 2011

Alexandre Vauthier is a couturier who is surely making his mark in the world of Couture. His reputation is growing and he is gaining a clientelle that includes celebrities such as Rihanna and French singer Kerry Ann.
His obvious sleek, seductive and glamorous creative energy is potent and is surely a pleasure to witness.
I am really happy to see that he is one of the new rising couturiers among others, who is creating a buzz.

Alexandre Vauthier is a former law student who dove into fashion studies with fervor and determination. He worked with Mr. Thierry Mugler himself on Mugler's team. After 4 years he went on to become the assistant for Jean Paul Gaultier's budding Haute Couture collection, Gaultier Paris. Four years after that he showed a collection under his own name on January 20th, 2009 at La maison des Metallos.

Alexandre Vauthier

 With all of this being said, his collection was a little repetitive. I did enjoy the retro disco look and the sexy metallic dresses that looked like metallic liquid poured onto the models. It was refreshing to see the geometric print caftan in the middle of the hobble wearing models. I noticed too, that the finishing of the garments were not up to par, maybe because there were last minutes adjustments being made and they were not finsished on time. The seduction that these designs were radiating surely kept my eye's attention.

The potential of becoming a humungous couture force is definitely present. With some fine tuning in details and finishing I am certain that it will raise the frequency even higher on Vaultier's Haute Couture quality scale.

Alexandre Vauthier
Couture Eté
2011

The Latest on Galliano

More legal problems continue to pile up for Galliano. John Galliano who is to stand on trial in Paris on a charge of public insult has a legal action taken against him by his former lawyer Stéphane Zerbib. Zerbib was recently dismissed following the alleged discovery of irregularities in respect to his firm's administration of Galliano's financial affairs over a number of years.
It is confirmed by Zerbib that he and his lawyer, Emma Lapijower, will file a charge of defamation against Galliano, among other complaints.

Galliano has a lot on his plate. There is a lot to be taken care of. And the unknown is truly where Galliano is right now. Surrendering to all of this is the only way to go. It looks like everything is out of control. Yet all that is unsettled, will settle. Just like the stirred up sand in the turbulent waters of the ocean that once the water is still the sand will settle quietly and there is clarity once more.
The beat goes on.



In the Zone. An Exquisite Valentino Spring 2011 Couture Collection

The world of couture is changing and is one of the unique specialties in the world that seems to be an exotic rarity today that some ladies have the privilege to enjoy. Thank goodness there are new young couturiers who are finding their way and making their mark in the alluring world of Couture. Valentino definitely made his.
But when Valentino announced his retirement in 2007, I was horrified and shocked. I asked myself, what is going to happen to the world of Haute Couture since all of the greats are retiring or dying?? Yves Saint Laurent is gone and now Valentino is going!

Enter Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierre Paolo Piccioli. They have previously designed accessories for the label for 10 years. Really? Accessories? What makes them qualified to design Haute Couture when their experience is only accessories? With the full support of Valentino himself Chiuri and Piccioli presented their first collection in 2009.
In the past their collections were confusing because they were infusing their own ideas while still maintaining the essentials of the house. I saw that it is going to take time for this design duo to sail through the turbulence and land smoothly into the groove of the Valentino world of Couture. This Spring season they presented a collection that exhibited their persistance in pleasing the Valentino fans, clients and editors.

Maria Grazia Chiuri & Pierre Paolo Piccioli

Yes. This collection was quite exquisite! Garments were produced that radiated every aspect of Valentino. Transparency combined with elegance in every way is a promise these designers kept and gave to all those anticipating this collection.
Chiuri and Piciolli hit the Couture bull's eye with a parade of lace, bows, ruffles, flowers, pleats, plissé and beading. Underneath all of this is the incredible workmanship. "Researching lightness, subtracting weight." said Piccioli.
Clients, fans and editors are all delighted with this wonderful collection.
Chiuri and Piccioli are finally in the zone.

Valentino

COUTURE

Spring/Summer 2011

John Galliano has a new Lawyer

John Galliano's trial date is approaching. On May 12th Galliano is expected in the High Court to stand trial on a charge of public insult.
Galliano has new legal representation. Aurélien Hamelle at Metzner Associés in Paris has been appointed to represent the designer according to his London based publicist Jo Milloy. Stéphane Zerbib was recently dismissed as Galliano's lawyer following the discovery of apparent irregularities in respect to his firm's administration of Galliano's financial affairs over the years. Zerbib is unreachable for any comment.

During the whirlpool of disintegration, Galliano was dismissed from Dior and even from his namesake house and being charged for hurling insults to three people. An intense video spread like fire in cyberspace showing Galliano slurring "I love Hitler". When I saw this video, I thought how intoxicated he was with alcohol. All I saw was someone who was absolutely drunk and had absolutely no idea what he was saying or doing. It may be possible that he if he went home and woke up the next day, he would not even remember what he said or did that night.
The penalty in France for insult against people due to their origin, belonging or not belonging to religion, race or ethnicity is six month imprisonment and a fine of 22,500 euros, or $31,217 at current exchange, according to the French prosecutor.

The designer is currently receiving extended "after care" when he completed an intensive on month treatment at a rehabilitation center in Arizona.
Galliano apologized in March saying: "I must take responsibility for the circumstances in which I find myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light. I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion."

As the court date approaches I am sure the press is gearing up to be right there before, during and after the trial. Who knows what the outcome will be. What ever it will be it is going be a new start to a new beginning for Galliano's life. For me this is a demonstration that we are all human. We make mistakes. We have a choice in that moment to either punish ourselves or berate ourselves for making them or we can take a breath and look at the mistake and notice what to do the next time and to tell ourselves that everything is fine and that evreything is going to be OK. I know I would choose to do the thing that would make me feel better and loved. Which choice do you think would make you feel better?

Enter Olivier Rousting at Balmain

One day in 2005, when I was reading Vogue, I noticed a snippet that Balmain was going to present a collection designed by Christophe Decarnin. I was really excited that the Balmain name is finding its way back into the fashion world because after the Haute Couture was shuttered, Balmain almost dissapeared completely. I read that Decarnin was the Artistic director of Paco Rabanne for seven years. I did not know what to expect only to hope that the upcoming collection would be strong enough to revitalize the Balmain name.
Eventually Balmain got back on its feet, thanks to Decarnin and the sexy, high dresses, lightweight T-shirts and ornate embroidery he created that dominated the runway. These could not stay on the racks...or shelves. The Balmain name has claimed its rightful place in fashion once more.

Christophe Decarnin

This year Decarnin was not at the Fall 2011/12 presentation due to his depression and his doctors orders. He then left Balmian abruptly because Decarnin and CEO Alain Hivelin had different views of strategy and direction for the fast growing company. The Decarnin era at Balmain ends and the Rousteing era begins.
Olivier Rousteing has been appointed as the designer of the women's and men's ready-to-wear collections. Rousteing has been in charge of the Balmain women's studio since 2009 and worked at Roberto Cavalli for five years. For his appointment Rousteing said, "I plan to honor that confidence by ensuring that Pierre Balmain always remains one of the leading brands that others look to as a reference." He did not elaborate on what his planned vision is for the House of Balmain.

Olivier Rousteing

It is actually nice to see that an unknown is given the chance to show what they can do. I can only imagine the pressure and the excitement that Rousteing may feel. What a great opportunity for him!
I look forward to see what Balmain has to offer again. Rousteing is practically an unknown. And you know what? Why not give an understudy a chance. The audience will certainly like what he does. I'm sure.

Beautiful Blessings for Givenchy Haute Couture Spring 2011 by Riccardo Tisci

Riccardo Tisci is a gifted and spirited talent indeed. He has been creating beautiful, modern designs that is attracting more admirers, if not more clients to the House of Givenchy. His passionate creative energy is continuously evolving and growing and there is no stopping it. There is no mistake that the forces of the universe put him in a position to work in one of the most luxurious houses in Haute Couture.

Riccardo Tisci

At 17 he went to London's Central Saint Martin"s College of Art and Design and graduated in 1999 only to go back to his home country to work for Antonio Berardim, Coccapani, Puma and Ruffo Research. He later designed his own line and showed it at the Milan Fall 2005-2006 shows. On February 28th, 2005 he was appointed creative director of Haute Couture, ready-to-wear and accessories lines for Givenchy. He loves romanticism and sensuality.
One of the darlings of Bernard Arnault of LVMH, he is most likely on the list of successors for creative director at the House of Dior. We will see if he is chosen when the time comes. In the meantime he is in the right place at the right time and for his Spring 2011 couture, he produced an exquisite group of masterpieces that expresses his passion for Haute Couture and all its metiers.

This beautiful collection was inspired by the Japanese dancer Kazuo Ohno and the crane as a symbol of Asian art. These brilliant pieces are truly works of art because they are mixed beautifully with Tischi's love for hard construction softened by delicate couture treatments. One outfit required 2,000 hours cutting and 4,000 hours of sewing.

I guarantee that he prayed before showing this collection, as he always does before a presentation.

And the powers that be, he delivered.

Givenchy

HAUTE COUTURE
Spring/Summer 2011