Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Doll's Eye View: Paris Fall '15 Haute Couture





As a former fashion journalist, I can say that I have personally attended the couture shows of Mr. Hubert de Givenchy, Mr. Valentino Garavani,  Mr. Christian Lacroix,  the late Mr. Yves Saint Laurent,  the late Mme, Gres, and even the house of Dior designed by Marc Bohan, John Galliano and the late Mr. Gianfranco Ferre  where I was mesmerized by the genius construction of their clothes, the luxuriousness of imported fabrics and the mind blowing detailing of hand embroidery. I've loved the stories each of these legends told through their creations, marveled at how their love of art, exotic travel were woven into entire collections. But that what then and now is now, and sadly, recent seasons lack the richness of ideas, the cleverness of cut, the fantasy of color and fabric of yesteryear.



In essence, there are few "real" clients who shop this market, anymore. Pop stars order specially designed stage clothes. The houses lend their creations to Oscars celebrations. Even the super rich confine most of their purchases to wedding gowns. That Haute Couture week (barely five days now) continues to exist is thanks to invitations extended to young designers and non-French houses. And while there is nothing wrong with that, the very notion of couture--research of cut, fabric and color--seems to have been overlooked. Today, there is very little difference between Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear.






Outside of a few key couturiers, I wasn't inspired by much of what I saw. There is too much effort to design the types of styles likely to end up on someone's red carpet and not enough research into special cutting and fabric. Too many things were predictable. Been there, seen that! And then there were those items that left me wondering...."who wears that!" Be that as it may, I may a selection and in a couple cases, styled them differently so that it made sense to me. After all, that is the point to these reports....to see, to analyze and to reinterpret into a 1/6th scale suitable for my dolls.







There are too few couture houses from 20 years ago that still exist today. Karl Lagerfeld, the couturier behind the Chanel label, continues to be faithful to both the art of couture as well as the brand image. What makes this collection work is the fact that the Lagerfeld knows well the tastes and lifestyle of his affluent clientele. Chanel is one of the few houses to feature couture daywear--most notably the famed "Chanel suit."






Fabric research is a key element in both  of these Italian couture houses. Donatella, who took over Versace from her brother, caters to the entertainment industry. As such, her clothing is on the flamboyant side. I've not always liked her collections, but for the last few seasons, she has employed an interesting play of ribbon and strips that wrap around the body. The two dresses here remind me somewhat of the basis for one of the ribbon dresses we did last summer. Armani, on the other hand, is a favorite amongst professional women who like the classic lines and supremely luxury fabrics of his creations. The cut and fit of his clothes is flawless, only matched by the gorgeous fabrics he uses.






An interesting group of dresses that for me, is more ready to wear than couture. I kept asking myself if this is really couture. What I do like is the very modern feel to this collection. I'm not sure if today's woman really wants to walk around with points flapping in the wind. And my other reproach is his lack of fabric research. These are cut from velvet which is clearly a trend. But what a shame he didn't get creative with the fabric.






I was intrigued by the asymmetrical tunic. It is more complicated to drape than it appears, but my question is...who wears this and where? Though I used velvet, I chose an artsy print and teamed it with colorful leggings. The result--an interesting rendition of a bohemian-chic look lifted straight from Rosalind Russel's exuberant character in the movie "Auntie Mame"






On the left, an interesting take on the slip dress by Bouchra Jarrar. Again, this looks more ready-to-wear to my eyes. On the right, very pretty dresses that remind me more of prom dresses or bridesmaids dresses than couture.






The original dress reminds me of a prom dress with a corsage. With the simple addition of a silk organdy stole over Brie's shoulders makes it more dramatic.






No longer designed by Valentino, the master himself, there are some very pretty dresses here. Again, I wish Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, the two designers now in charge with the artistic direction, would research more interesting fabrics or consider embellishments...something, anything to make it more....special.






For my dolly version, Kate wears the classic look of a simple, floor length shift dress cut from panne velvet. Square panels hung diagonally from each shoulder serve as a shortened train.




Fresh, flattering and now right feminine, this is what couture should be. The floral prints are exquisite. The fit and flare dresses are full and lush. This is an absolutely beautiful collection that works well for the doll.






A beautiful collection of red-carpet dresses, there is lots of old school Hollywood glamour.







Carmela wears the dolly version which starts with the basic foundation. Around the bustline--a pleated panel tacked down at the side and around the arms. The skirt part (in two pieces joined at the back) is draped around the hips, allowing for an opening over one hip. The foundation allows you to control the "flow" of the drapes over the hips.






It would appear the foreign couturiers know a little more about couture than the French right now. Embroidered velvet, bejeweled tulle and chiffon, generously cut into sumptuous gowns..... Eveningwear for a princess! Now that's what Haute Couture is all about!




Jourdan wears a simple dress with a basic bodice and full skirt. Though the silhouette is simple, the dress is a stand-out thanks to the "bejeweled" organza fabric which was gathered over a layer of sparkle tulle.






At the end of the day, it's all about taking what you see then and making your own reinterpretation!







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12 comments:

  1. Hi April, I totally agree with your analysis, the fashions lack the magic one would expect from Paris Haute Couture.
    I really love the Aunt Mamie outfit and Carmela's dress!

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    1. You know, Billa, I really struggled with this season's dresses. The dress in the opening photo I nearly threw in the trash because it resembled a prom dress. (To my surprise, the photo came out very well so I kept it in.) The black gown with the sparkles resembled a black version of a princess fairy gown and even though I love Carmela's dress as well, while I was draping it, I felt I'd seen it all before. I'm not sure how much longer I'll continue to follow French couture unless or until the couturiers themselves can produce more inspiring clothes. In the meantime, I just decided to have more fun and be less literal with the interpretations.

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  2. Hello from Spain: fabulous fashion show. Your creations are awesome. I like your fabrics lot. Nice pics. We keep in touch

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    1. Thank you, Marta. Glad you enjoy the "fashion show." See you again, soon.

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  3. The black Elie Saab dress with the flowers on the skirt is my favorite of the human versions :-). Your outfits are awesome April! I do agree that haute couture isn't what it used to be apparently, but the dolls look fabulous!

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    1. Thank you. Linda, I totally agree about the Elie Saab floral gown. I considered doing this in 1/6 scale but didn't have fabric that came remotely close to that gown. And it is precisely the fabric that really makes this dress! Though I was disappointed in this season's couture, the one positive thing in all of this is that the dolls do tend to look better in the fashions than the humans do. So I have a whole bunch of little vinyl divas pushing me to make things I might not otherwise consider.

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  4. I love the Elie Saab dresses! The combination of flowers and shiny fabric is amazing. Makes me want to try something similar, maybe in a cotton quilting fabric, since I have so much of that. I might dress it up with some bead embroidery.

    Oh, I just had an idea. I don't know if it would work, but what about using iron-on interfacing on the flowers of quilting fabric, cutting them out, and doing an applique onto fancier fabric? Either with a sewing machine or by hand? I'd love to try that with butterfly fabric, too.

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    1. Hi Sarah. I was very tempted to make this. I had thought of cutting flowers out of another fabric then applying them to a satin. The two fabrics I had were not all that compatible and I didn't have much time so, I didn't make the attempt. They do sell a spray product which turns any fabric into iron-on. (I used that before on a sofa.) But since we are working with such a small surface, I think a textile glue might work as well. I really hope you do try this out because I'd love to see the results on your blog!!!

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  5. Awesome shots Valentino is my fave Designer, amazing the selection you made beautiful post
    have a nice week.
    xx

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    1. Thank you, M-C. I always have such a good time doing these types of posts. You have a great week as well! Big hugs.

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  6. "Who wears that?!" I can't tell you how many times I've looked at Haute Couture and had that very thought. I enjoyed your report and your 1/6 interpretations. Those floral print gowns are swoon worthy.

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    1. I am so fortunate to have seen Haute Couture shows where all of the clothes were both beautiful and wearable. The Couture shows are where the super wealthy once "shopped." So the clothes had to conform with their lifestyles. Worldwide, almost no one dresses like this anymore. But those shows, with or without veritable clients, continue on. So often what appears on the catwalk has nothing to do with "real clothes." And yes, at some point, I will make one of those floral gowns for my girls!!

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