Haute Couture... Fashion for the Fashionable

I don't know about you, but I'm still recovering from the amazing couture shows seen at Paris only last week. We had Chanel of course, with Lagerfeld reinventing the iconic chanel suit with a sense of youth and excitement, not to mention the fact that every model stomped the catwalk in a pair of trainers! Is couture becoming something for the young as well as the old? Lagerfeld certainly thought so, yet these are no ordinary trainers... They will set you back at least £3000! Yes, mouth watering! But overall, a fantastic show with an equally amazing set, and orchestra.

Dior brought us ladylike elegance with a fresh twist. Tailored lines, a soft colour palette, divine dresses... Raf Simmons could not have done better. Another favourite of mine was Elie Saab. Before a model even sets foot down the Saab runway, you know you're in for a treat. Saab are the only fashion house which has it's audience practically drooling with every look presented. Capturing every colour in the rainbow, these gowns were adorned with crystals, gems and sparkle which just glistened down the catwalk. Elie Saab can make any woman look stunning; that's probably why they are a firm red carpet favourite.

Atelier Versace

Atelier Versace and Jean Paul Gaultier as always, brought the sex appeal and fun to couture week. At the start of the week, Donatella Versace gave us a jaw dropping collection of beautiful hooded dresses, sweeping chiffon skirts and fur stoles draped romantically around models arms.  A homage to Grace Jones this show was, with glamour, sophistication and an attitude reminiscent of a diva - like Jones. With Lady Gaga sitting front row, and then later seen wearing a dress hot off the catwalk (we can only dream!) this was a fabulous collection! Dita Von Teese stalked Jean Paul Gaultier's runway in a butterfly corset dress towards the end of the week, bringing a little naughtiness and adventure to couture. Gaultier once again delighted with a show full of va va voom, tight corsets, short skirts and fun! This man is defiantly one of a kind and never fails to set the world of couture alight with his magical creations.

Giorgio Armani took us on a dark, Arabian adventure for his show with every model wearing an elaborate turban, Armani style.  Oversized jackets, midnight blue shift dresses, tailored trousers and Italian swagger - this was couture at its finest. Giambattista Valli, Roland Mouret and Victor & Rolf also upped the stakes this season with collections which summed up couture completely. Valentino also was a delight. With Katy Perry donning the musical ball gown for the Grammy's on Sunday, this show was all about current beauty done the Valentino way. Every model looked like an angel basically. Nothing to fault, only to wonder at and admire.

As for Dolce and Gabbana's Alta Moda collection... It's a mystery! D&G only allowed once again, 150 guests to view their top secret couture show, with no press allowed at all. However, Mr Stephano Gabbana posted some pics on Instagram, and from what I saw it looked like an absolutly stunning collection of Italian couture. Maybe one day we'll finally witness a D&G couture show... Fingers crossed!

Some may say that couture is a thing of the past. Women have no longer the need for such elaborate dresses in the age we live in. Yet as this fashion week proved, Haute Couture is still alive and very much part of the world of fashion. We are allowed to dream and wonder at beauty, which is exactly what the couture shows provide; a sense of magic and elegance. I'm in love, I just hope you share this wonderful love affair too...

GRAMMYS 2014 BEST DRESSED!!

 

 

 

A Rare Romance: Valentino Couture

A soft spring romance, sweeping with chiffon dresses and intricate lace skirts...it could only be Valentino. As the Spring/Summer 2014 Couture show opened with a ballerina inspired gown, covered with music notes, we knew we would be in for a treat. There were precious jewel coloured dresses in olive, yellow and dusky pink as well as Valentino's famous neutral tones which featured on many a lace dress. Sheer fabrics covered with applique, belts inspired by serpents slithering down across the waist and funnily enough, a lion printed on the skirt of an exotic looking shift dress (not to mention the 'tiger' dress). Even though designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli stated that this was a collection inspired by the opera and set designer Maurizio Varamo of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, this show mixed beautiful ballerina dresses with fierce animal motifs. 

The sheer sleves and delicate tulle skirts looked absolutly ravishing as the models sailed down the catwalk, something Valentino capture well: the clothes always move beautifully, perfectly in sink with the wearer. Valentino brought a sense of forgotten romance and intense drama to couture week, creating dresses that surely would not look amiss on the Academy Awards red carpet. There's just something so special about the way Grazia Chiuri and Piccioli design, that reminds us of the famous Miss Havisham in Great Expetations.There is mystery, love and enchantment surrounding these collections, as though the models have stepped out of a time portal from a forgotten, magical land. This collection was spectacular and a treat for all the front row buyers and editors who I assume, rarely get to see such wonderful, elegant creations. Bellissimo!

The Show Must Go On... Elie Saab and Armani

Giorgio Armani Couture spring 2014

Elegance, clear tailoring and attention to detail. Mr Armani gave us a show like no other, full of his delightful midnight hues and 1920's influences. Probably one of the best Armani couture shows, this was a collection aimed at the sophisticated, inner city woman who according to this show was oozing with sensuality and style. I loved it!!

Elie Saab couture spring 2014

If you were a celebrity, preparing for an important red carpet appearance, you could never go wrong with an Elie Saab creation. Every single dress dripped with sparkly jewels and divine sequins, making the models look effortless and terribly beautiful. As always, this show was a joy to watch, something that brings a whole other level to couture and a show which is a treat to the eyes. Sailing through the different hues of the rainbow, these dresses swept along the catwalk with grace and ease. Absolutly perfect, and lifted my mood completely!!

Chanel steals the Show....

Today, the world witnessed, possibly the most beautiful Chanel couture show ever. Karl Lagerfeld brought us one of his best Chanel shows to date, mixing beautiful femininity with pure, pastel motifs. With Cara Delevingne opening and closing this prestigious show, model after model hit the catwalk wearing exquisite dresses, feathery body suits, floor length evening gowns and the classic Chanel suit, updated for this season with a tight cinching in of the waist. And another thing, only Lagerfeld can make trainers look glamorous. On trend with the whole 'sporty' look, each model wore a cute pair of trainers matching their dress and I have to admit, these trainers looked very comfy...And it’s not just because they're Chanel! I loved this collection. From the messy hair to the sweet page boy who carried Delevingne's veil at the end of the show, this was a Chanel Couture show like no other, with myself practically drooling over every single look. And as for the price for these eye watering creations? Lets’ just not go there.....

Scarves, feathers, sequins and applique...Only Chanel.

Lagerfeld updated the Chanel suit by tightening the waist and cropping the tweed jacket, to give a more sexy

silhouette

. 

 Giambattista Valli Couture Spring 2014

Giambattista Valli was also another collection which mixed fairytale romance and beautiful tailoring into one. From the sweeping mini-skirts to the flowery dresses, the pastel shifts to the killer heels. This was another magical show...Onwards and upwards we say!

Simply amazing!

Christian Dior Couture Spring 2014

Raf Simons brought a touch of elegance to Couture week, after high the highly glamorous Versace show yesterday. Focusing on a more monochromatic pallete, Simons played with proportions and fabrics with a show that literally had the front row ooing and ahhing!

Minimalist, Tailored and Graceful - Dior

Atelier Versace Spring 2014

Couture Fashion Week has begun in Paris, with Donatella Versace kicking things off with her beautiful Atelier Versace collection. Inspired by Grace Jones and the glamour surrounding the icon, this was a show full of sparkle, sumptuous fur, body-con dresses and... Lady Gaga. Donatella sent down pastel coloured gowns adorned with jewels and sparkle, focusing on the draping of the fabric across the womans body and the sexy silhouettes which have defined the Versace name for the past decades. Donatella said of Jones, her inspiration, before the show, 'She left a sign as a strong, powerful woman, a power goddess...I wanted to embody that.' And she certainly did. The last creations sent down the catwalk were red carpet stunners, quite fitting seeing as we are in the middle of awards season. Sexy elegance, with thigh high splits and a-symmetric cuts, these were classic Versace dresses in the most divine jewel colours.

 

Sleek, straight hair, dark eye make-up light lips. Hair and make-up matched the clothes with just as much sex appeal and style. Hoods were also an unusual concept Donatella played with in this collection as she sent out a number of looks on models such as Karlie Kloss and Lindsay Wixon with loose hoods; acting like a kind of glamorous veil. Very reminiscent of Grace Jones and the iconic pictures of her with fashion designer Azzedine Allia back in the 70's. I also loved the fact some more masculine looks were thrown in to break up the never ending procession of beautiful dresses. Sleek and tailored, these Versace suits would be sure to fit like a glove.

Coming up this Couture week, we have Giorgio Armani, Dior, Ralph and Russo, Giambattista Valli, Elsa Schiaparelli and of course, the big one - Chanel. Not to forget Elie Saab which will be sure to wow us as will Jean Paul Gaultier, in quite a different way. Stay tuned...

 

Karlie prowls the catwalk in a violet coat.

http://uk.versace.com/

Burberry: A Very British Affair

One of my favourite shows for spring/summer 2014 was Burberry. Pretty pastels, delicate lace creations, knitted jackets and flowery motifs... This was a perfect collection and reminded the fashion world how beautiful British fashion and the English countryside is. For the spring 2014 campaign, Christopher Bailey has brought in world renowned photographer Mario Testino as well as a couple of new model faces. Malaika Firth, the current favorite of fashion, and Jean Campbell are both new editions to the burberry family as they pose alongside models Leo Dobson, Matilda Lowther and Neelam Johan.

A beautiful collection to accompany wonderful pictures! We can't wait till Spring...

Golden Globes 2014: BEST DRESSED!

Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams and Cate Blanchett all picked up awards at last nights Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, with 70's comedy American Hustle taking home 3 awards too! There were plenty of surprises including 12 Years a Slave picking up Best Drama instead of hotly nominated Gravity, with Sandra Bullock missing out to Cate Blanchett in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture category. The night was full of fun and laughter, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosting the awards for a second year running, in which they pointed very crude jokes to Leonardo diCaprio and George Clooney... Very awkward!!

And as for the fashion!! The red carpet popped with colour, with actresses wearing literally every colour of the rainbow. J-Law went for a striking white Dior dress, Julia Roberts wowed in Dolce and Gabbana, Reece Witherspoon went for a mint green Calvin Klien number and Amber Heard stunned in Versace, baring her legs. My favourite dress had to be Helen Mirren in Jenny Packham, Jessica Chastain in Givenchy, Kate Beckinsale in Zuhair Murad and of course, Mila Cunis in a sexy Gucci halter neck.

And for the fashion failures...Lena Dunham went for eye popping yellow (bit garish) which was a little in your face and pregnant Drew Barrymore wore a pink floral Monique Lhuillier gown which completely swamped her figure and made her look HUGE! Taylor Swift also had a rare fashion mishap in her unflattering Carolina Herrara gown, which was a surprise as Taylor is usually quite fashionable. Heidi Klum also had a bad fashion night, wearing a hideous Marchesa gown and a new fringe which didn't exactly suit her small face. And as for Emma Thompson, I thought she looked hot in a gold a Lanvin gown which showed off her small ankles.

And for the hot dressers: Emma Watson in Dior, Uma Thurman in Versace and Sophia Vergara in a dramatic Zac Posen dress which showed off her huge cleavage.

My overall winner, had to be Amber Heard. She looked absolutly stunning and showed off her wonderful figure to the full. And my runners up.. Amy Adams and Helen Mirren, proving that the older woman can look amazing too!! So well done to all the winners and to all the beautiful dresses, it was quite a night!

Ladies and Gentleman: The Golden Globes Best Dressed 2013

Roll out the red carpet, polish those glistening awards and paparazzi get those cameras ready! Yes, it's awards season once again, with the Golden Globes kicking off business tomorrow evening in Hollywood! Over the next two months, we will see the winners of stage, screen and music be accoladed to the highest degree with prestigious ceremonies such as the BAFTA's, The Brits, The Guild Awards and of course... The Oscars handing out the awards for the greatest achievements in entertainment over the past year. Exciting times indeed, and I'm not just talking about the amazing red carpet fashion we will be sure to see! 

With Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway and Ben Affleck being the big winners of last year, who will take the award for best actress, actor and movie for 2014? My bet is on Sandra Bullock for the incredible movie Gravity for best actress and Idris Elba for his fantastic portrayal of Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long walk to Freedom for best actor. Gravity is definitely the front runner followed by American Hustle, The Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years a Slave with several nominations each. It will surely be quite a night and you can be certain that theFASHIONbox will feature all the red carpet looks on Monday 13th, so remember to check back.  

As for last year, we saw some gorgeous gowns. Jennifer Lawrence in Dior, Emily Blunt in Michael Kors, Halley Berry in Versace, Anne Hathaway in Chanel, Adele in Burberry... The list goes on and on. As Jennifer Lopez sparkled in head to toe glitter, Naomi Watts kept it simple in a beautiful burgundy number while Eva longoria spiced things up in Pucci. Who will wow us this year? Ahh I cannot wait! So here are some of the best looks from last year to get you into the mood for the Golden Globe Awards 2014...

Feeling Fresh and Looking Cool with Topshop Unqiue

This week has been pretty miserable. I don't know about you, but in London we have had nothing but rain, wind and thunder storms for the past month and things don't seem to be improving at all. Its crazy that in only 5 short WEEKS, New York Fashion Week will be kicking off with the latest autumn/winter 2014 collections, when it feels like the last set of fashion weeks haven't even sunk into the fashion brain properly. Anyway, seeing as the weather is so terribly gloomy and we all need cheering up, I want to cast your mind back to the Topshop Unique show last September at London Fashion Week. It was by far the most lively, fresh, super cute collection shown and completely sums up spring dressing. Think cool yet glamourous, sexy but sweet, Topshop yet Unique...

Topshop know what women want to wear, and for Spring/Summer 2014 they didn't disappoint, presenting us with womenswear that had us longing for spring to hurry up. With supermodels Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn strutting their stuff down the catwalk, this was indeed a collection aimed at the everyday young woman, strolling around with the sun on her back and a savvy sense of style. Dresses were A-line and loose, with some very daring necklines in midnight blue and crisp, clean white. Blue's and green were the main colour of choice for this collection, with an array of jackets, denim shorts, jumpsuits and skirts complementing each other in both light and dark blue hues. White was also a key colour, as it is almost every spring. A beautiful jumpsuit in head to toe white looked absolutely stunning and reminiscent of Diane von Furstenburg's cool, New York style of dress.

The mix of prints on coats, jackets and shorts was also interesting too. Printed cut-out brown circles layered over each other appeared alongside dark, olive peplum tops as well as on summary dresses and large handbags. This whole show was very relaxed yet oozed glamour, which was highly evident towards the end of the show, when models came out wearing floor length maxis, which skimmed the floor and captured summer completely. Yellow, cream, blue... these wonderful dresses flattered the models figure and due to the cut and fine tailoring, would be flattering to normal women like you and me too. I especially loved Jourdan Dunn's navy maxi. Classy and sophisticated, yet cool and very Topshop.

Silhouettes were very loose and baggy with jackets casually layered over crop tops and teeny-tiny shorts. Whats more, most models were wearing flat pumps or sandals...not heels! See ladies, it is okay to wear flats to the office, so do not be dictated to by stiletto heels! Hair and make up was also kept simple, with loose locks billowing out behind the girls as they walked, looking slightly un-kept and natural. Curly but not frizzy, the models hair looked as though they had just finished a long walk along a sunny beach, so for spring don't be afraid to go for the whole natural look. Topshop have proved that it works.

This was one of my favourite collections at London Fashion Week, mainly because it captured the essence of spring so beautifully and of course, I like many girls just love Topshop! So, don't be put off by the terrible weather which has been literally sweeping our nation, and take a leaf out of Topshop's book: Summer is just around the corner, so get shopping for those shorts and the perfect pair of sandals and prepare to strut your stuff in 2014!

An Enchanted Mulberry Tea Party

Walking through an enchanted forest, deep in the heart of the glorious English countryside, a young girl stumbles across a beautiful, Victorian manor house. Inquisitively, she pushes her way along a path covered by fallen branches, flowery wreaths and large leaves, making her way to the large oak door. She steps inside. An owl turns its head slowly, a rabbit hops over to her and a white pony softly neighs while standing next to a white table, laden with sugary sweets. It's an enchanted tea party, with the guests being the animals themselves.

When put into words, this delicate description perfectly fits the beautiful Mulberry Spring 2014 campaign, featuring Cara Delevingne. Set in the Oxfordshire countryside, Cara poses alongside her furry friends including a pack of friendly dogs, a pony and even a heron. Sweet, pretty and inviting, this Mulberry campaign sums up the new life found in the spring months and emphasises the beauty of the current Mulberry collection. Gentle, white tea dresses are paired alongside printed blazers and pastel jackets while the iconic Mulberry bags are simple and structured this season, featuring in a range of bright colours, from deep tan to a bold red. Another beautiful collection, summing up the beauty of the English countryside and of course, the beauty of Mulberry's womenswear.

 

2014: A year of change, fun and FASHION!

Happy New Year!!! 2014 holds so much prosperity and for many a fresh start. In the world of fashion, well it's another year of beautiful clothes, new designers and scandals, of course. We have a new creative director at Louis Vuitton (exciting stuff!) someone who will take over womenswear design at Mulberry and the awards season is just around the corner! The Golden Globes, BAFTAS, Academy Awards and many other prestige ceremonies will surely offer up only the best red carpet glamour, with dazzling dresses, sweeping hairstyles and elegant creations from the likes of Dior, Valentino and Elie Saab.

We also have the new spring 2014 campaigns out now! Cara Delevingne for Yves Saint Laurent, Rihanna for Balmain, Rita Ora for DKNY, Kristen Stewart for Chanel and perhaps the biggest surprise... Lady Gaga for Italian fashion house, Versace. Donatella and Gaga have been close friends for the past couple of years, with the Lady herself frequently donning a Versace gown for award evenings and premieres. In the Versace campaign, Gaga looks like a Donatella clone. Long, straight blonde hair, strong gaze and a skin tight purple Versace dress - very Versace.

Dolce and Gabbana have also just released their spring 2014 campaign, featuring Catherine McNeil and Eva Herzigova. We can expect a campaign full of Italian sensuality and culture, because that's what Dolce and Gabbana do. They capture the essence of Italy, the country which inspires and loves them. Bellisima!

2014 is going to be a good year, I hope. So celebrate in style by checking back at theFASHIONbox all year around for the best fashions, celebrity news and style advice  24/7. All the best for the new year!!!