Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Paris Haute Couture Collections: The Past In Full Blossom


 
Outside it does not seem like the weather is going to heat up soon enough for us to shed the layers of clothing we've been wearing all winter. However, in Paris things are getting Haute! The Spring-Summer 2011 Paris Haute Couture week has commenced and the fashion world is ready to blossom for the nearing warmer seasons.

With varying color palettes, fresh and flowy silhouettes, and designs much resembling those of the past, particularly those of the fifties, this week's shows, in my opinion, have seemingly reflected on fashion magazine covers of the past. I noticed that certain looks reminded me of  illustrations that have graced the vintage covers of Vogue. Therefore, I chose my favorite looks from the shows currently posted on Style.com and paired them with images of covers that could have easily inspired what is coming down the runway this week.
The mastermind behind his namesake label came up with a clever concept this season by creating gowns in both white and in color. With the white version coming out first and then followed by the colored version, there is a sense of the yin and yang being displayed with each look. I was drawn to this red gown, a colorway of the same silhouette in white. With its vibrant red hue against a white background, the look became reminiscent of this January 1950 cover.

















Mr. Armani will always be one of the greatest designers of our time and he never seems to fail each season, producing such great designs for women of the world. With the warmer months approaching,  he has a created a collection that speaks of fluidity displayed like liquid mercury swimming over the female form. Bold blues, rich turquoise, and ruby reds walked the runway showing an elegant edge of style. I loved this luminous jacket complemented with the metallic necklace, and topped off with a hat right out of the fifties, just like this cover from June 1950. 


















Lord Lagerfeld can never disappoint. He IS the master of fashion! With a palette of pale pinks and soft greys, Lagerfeld has yet again created another beautiful, wondrous collection of elegance and tasteful  style. With models walking in ballet flats, the garments felt light and effortless, with each model looking as if each step she took was soft and gentle. He managed to embody the idea of feeling playfully, pretty in pink (say that five times fast)! This look from the collection caught my attention as it helped to portray the essence of the show, luxury and richness with ease, like this cover from April 1952.

















John Galliano knows romance and he knows how to create it well! For this season he seems to have taken inspiration from the 1940s, which is apparent in everything from the make-up and accessories to the garments themselves. For Galliano the collection, as Tim Blanks writes on Style.com, was a:

"salute to René Gruau, the illustrator whose work for Christian Dior in the forties and fifties created the house's most iconic imagery, felt like it had been a long time coming, not just because of the designer's own early aspirations, but because it gave him another opportunity to indulge his passion for an era when couture was truly haute."

With its feather accents and dramatic gathers of fabric, I found one gown in particular to be reminiscent of the elegance of the twenties like this cover from January 1925.

















The creativity of Riccardo Tisci always seems to venture into an amazing world of fantasy. The edgy construction paired with contrasting romantic silhouettes, creates a mood both hard and soft, all at the same time. One element that inspired this visionary designer were the performing arts of Japan, as Tim Blanks detailed on Style.com. In addition, it seems as though, the garments also became inspired by the simple, structural modernity the Japanese display in everything from their architecturally clean lines to their disciplined way of life. I found this look to possess a chic elegance with a very structured top surrounding the bodice and then flowing into a very soft, weightless floor length petticoat-type skirting. It reminded me of this cover from November 1953.

















(Images: Courtesy of Style.com and Google Images)
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