Wednesday 30 January 2013

Elie Saab Spring 2013 Couture

High expectations for Elie Saab this year. He won my vote for best Fall 2012 couture but will 2013 be up to par with last years? Yes, would be the simple answer.

It's important to understand that it's doubtful Elie Saab will remarkably change the fashion industry or produce drastically different collections each Couture collection the way someone like Karl Lagerfeld can. Why? Elie Saab maintains the classic, timeless pieces of elegance that are red-carpet worthy gowns with shimmering embroidery, flowing trails and rich, handcrafted materials. Saab will deliver year after year and Hollywood will never tire of it. At least, I hope it won't. 

This collection was gorgeous and went above and beyond my expectations. The collection was cohesive and  fluent. Similar styles and cuts of dresses were produced for a few colours and it really worked. 

Print isn't really Saab's thing, as far as I've read and seen. I think designers like Saab and Valentino are needed to fill the glamour side of the industry. We have loads of designers who've mastered print and shockingly creative pieces, Kane, Kenzo, Proenza etc. 

Signature Saab. Sheer, lace and silver embroidery.


Simple in white. Long sleeves were expected. 

The first "wow" look of the collection. 3/4 length sleeves and a heavily detailed torso and  full-length skirt.

Beautiful steel blue with a satin torso and glittering, fully embroidered skirt. 

Glamour in gold,. Demure neckline with wider 3/4 sleeves this time. 

Can't get over this dress. Sheer lace and satin = win

The Oscar look.


This is one of my favourites. There's something about the tight fit and flare that just works. 

Here's the dress millions of celebrity stylists are probably dying for as we speak.


Nice use of the long sleeve, gothic look. This is reaaaally sheer. Saab always varies his levels of transparency . A twist to the girly side of florals. 

The bridal look everyone waits for at the end of Couture shows. Huge, unique and fit for a royal. 

Michael Kors Spring 2013 Ad Campaign

Michael Kors' ad campaign for Spring 2013 is beyond appealing. Bold and sleek with lots of focus on the stripes, as seen in their S/S 2013 runway collection. The brand is best for its watches and bags, in my opinion. The clothes are always understated and simple.

I think the studded totes are my favourites though. Wish I had one!








P.S. the cute studded tote is available in 3 different colours!




Monday 28 January 2013

Rihanna for River Island & New Face of Chanel?!

During London Fashion Week next month, Rihanna will be debuting her clothing range for River Island. Assisting with the designs is Adam Selman, the designer of her 777 & Loud tour outfits. Ooh.



I, for one, cannot wait to see what's put on the rails at River Island. I think Rihanna definitely chose the right high street chain to partner with. Her target market are exactly the type to walk through those doors. After all, weren't we all gobsmacked to hear the Kardashians partnering with Dorothy Perkins... I mean- I'll stop there, actually.

I hope I can find a thing or two I could wear and I sincerely hope it's limited enough so everyone won't be walking around with the same biker jacket. Although, I predict it will be.

Anyway, on to bigger things, so it seems. Rihanna appears to be the new face of Chanel! The brand division is not apparent yet but it's likely to be beauty or fragrance.


The singer uploaded sneak pics of her ad campaign with the caption "And that's a #wrap on my shoot for my new #topsecret add campaign!!! #2013 #phuckyobasic". Haha, love her. 


Although it's unconfirmed, we're pretty sure she's the new face. You can't have an ad campaign for another brand using Chanel's accessories, right? 

(Images courtesy of Instagram)

Chanel Couture S/S 2013

Karl Lagerfeld just doesn't stop. About a month ago, we saw his magnificent Pre-Fall 2013 collection and now we can enjoy the Couture.

This collection is definitely one to be watched, purely because of the amphitheater's mystical forest surroundings and the horror-like music.




Hauntingly beautiful. Breathtaking. Picturesque.

The dramatic eye makeup, feathers and all the minor details really made this collection the masterpiece it is.


Loved the Chanel tweed in this collection. Glitter was entwined in the threading  and it really sparkled to give a Couture edge.

Lots of pure white in the opening. Very institutional. Karl said he used "frame shoulders" throughout this collection which appeared to look like armor or protection. Strength and power to women. 


Chic navy dress with a simple black belt. The matching feathers and lace boots add the  glamour and richness to the look.

For some reason I love this dress. The ruching is stunning. Notice how the neckline is neither empire or straight across strapless. The extra material creates ambiguity and strangeness. 

Immediately, the contrast of such pure white with black is very gothic. It's unstable. 

Long, and straight. Very unusual style of dress. There's a lot of detailed work going on here with the lace and sparkly embroidery on the darker panels. 

Floral. Girly. Cute. 

The previous look has turned into something of a polar opposite. The black feathers  make this look appear volatile, explosive and distressing to the eye. 

Very nice take on the "ruined" style Miss Havisham dress. I think this is absolutely beautiful. The amount of work and handcraft that has gone into these pieces must not be forgotten. As Tim Blanks stated, "Anything that looked like a print was actually embroidery- the man-hours involved in such technical feats clearly involved rigors of another kind."

Gothic to its extreme. Sheer mesh and leather designed to appear worn out as the dress graduates. 

Genius end to the show. Great to see positive messages go out to the gay community - well deserved.  Love how a child is also holding the hand of his lesbian mother. Lagerfeld really did well with this whole collection. He pushed the boundaries to make a stand and show people that the times are changing. Anyone who is capable of love can now raise a child and that should be an easily accepted fact by now. Bravo. 
(Images courtesy of style.com)

Nene Leakes for ShoeDazzle

After watching my regular US livestream of RHOA last night, I couldn't help but fall in love with Nene Leakes' "Nethia" shoe for ShoeDazzle.



The shoe is gorgeous with its gold heel, lace cut out straps, gold zipper and velvet textures. 100% of all proceeds go to charity so be sure to purchase a pair at http://www.shoedazzle.com/products/NETHIA.

Shame Kenya Moore(lies) decided to ruin the night but some people just can't seem to respect other's successes. Oh well. She's "very rich bitch"!


Wednesday 23 January 2013

Atelier Versace Spring 2013 Couture

In no way did Donatella fail to exceed her legendary abilities with this Spring 2013 Couture collection. It. Was. Amazing. Perfect, perfect, perfect. No boundaries, no limits. Items you could immediately imagine being worn by Blake Lively down a busy 5th Avenue.

Usually, I'd pick 5 or 6 looks that stole the show, but that is clearly impossible for this collection.

24- karat gold on this pinstriped suit. Need I say more?

Gorgeous waist-cinching belt. Skirt looks very similar to that of the H&M/Versace collaboration.

OK, seriously, wow.  Black mink fur with gold on the shoulders, serious cleavage cut out and a bodycon fit. Donatella does not stop at anything for maximal glamour. 

Geometric glamour. Adore how the neckline leads up to a halter. The fabrics here are very much suit-like. Office turned  red carpet, anyone?

Cute pastel pink. Jacket with the side zipper is adorable. Embellishments everywhere!!!  My kind of collection!

Atelier Versace at its best. Excessive fur in a bright hot-pink colour..

Splits are huge right now so this is a winner. Pure white is going to be everywhere this season. Bursts of neon  colours add a Versace-esque spark. Diagonal cut out down the middle = daring, risky, sexy.

Gold sheaths of metal are used here to make a boyish blazer that acts as a dress. Seriously sexy.


You can really tell when something's couture with pieces like this. The black mink and gold shoulders compliment this gown perfectly. The sheer top and bottom add serious sex appeal but the highlight is that pattern on the torso! Cleopatra vibes!

Vogue said plastic would be a huge trend but I didn't really see it. How wrong I was. It's used magnificently here. Black and gold is a winning combination in almost any book and the gold used for the bodice couldn't be any better.

Something a bit more understated but the gold is still present. Love the squares.


Look at how gorg Donatella looks! This woman will never dress badly. 

Christian Dior Spring 2013 Couture

It's finally time for some Spring Couture, where dresses turn into grand displays of art and everything is exaggerated to the highest degree possible. It's fun, extravagant and something I love to look at.

Clearly, there are going to be mismatched opinions about Raf Simons and his ability to take over from Galliano but honestly, I think Simons is going in the right direction with this collection. Some would argue that wearability should not be an option in a couture show but I disagree. This collection presents a perfect combination of pieces that are clearly high-end couture looks, yet there are definitely pieces that can be worn by your average person... with a big wallet.

"Modern romanticism in a minimalist way".

Nature was certainly at the forefront of this collection. It reminded me of Dior's Fall 2012 Couture collection where the walls were covered in real flowers and those who sat in the audience commented on the gorgeous scents which accompanied the show. However, for Raf, that wasn't a great time. People slated the collection (the one with the black suits, to remind people) and pleaded for Galliano to return and uplift Dior again. I have to say, Simons should feel very proud of himself with this collection.

Although there were pieces which just seemed "ugly" in my eyes, especially when four or more different coloured fabrics were mixed together, the majority of the collection appeared to be well planned, coordinated and polished.

The red glitter lips on the models looked stunning and added a nice contrast to their looks, as well as romantic edge. The short hair represented "a woman who dares to be different". Think Psycho. Indeed, it reflected the collection well. It's not always about long hair with curls. Romance can stem within anyone.



The straight neckline was definitely big in this collection. The contrast between the black and the shimmering silver skirt works really nicely. Hint at this season's metallic trend?

Beyond gorgeous. Satin finish black suit. Perfect for party wear. 

Innocent and stripy. Think Oscar de la Renta stripes. 

Daring and bright. Look at that neckline!

Risky use of the shimmery powder blue against burgundy  In my opinion, that floral  corset underneath would have worked nicely by itself. 

Here, the florals start pouring in. Sheer, sensual fabric with glittering rose embellishments. Shimmers down the runway.

Bridal wear. Without the floral sleeves, this would have gotten my vote.

Unique as ever. The puffball is absolutely huge!
(Images courtesy of style.com)