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Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2010 – BK blog fashion report

The Best Of and the Worst Of… My Picks

Looks – Stéphane Rolland, Chanel, Armani Privé

21 collections were presented to the press:

  • from 10 Official Members (Adeline André, Anne Valérie Hash, Chanel, Christian Dior, Dominique Sirop, Franck Sorbier, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Maurizio Galante, Stéphane Rolland missing Christian Lacroix this season)
  • from 4 Correspondents Members (Head Quarters based somewhere else than Paris: Elie Saab, Giorgio Armani, Maison Martin Margiela, Valentino)
  • from 7 Guest Members (Adam Jones, Alexis Mabille, Atelier Gustavo Lins, Christophe Josse, Josephus Thimister, Lefrant.Ferrant, Maison Rabih Kayrouz, missing Alexandre Matthieu, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Jean-Paul Knott, Josep Font, Marc Le Bihan this season)
Spring-Summer collections are generally less interesting in terms of creativity because of the nature of the season there is less layering to play with and less choice of materials.

The economic malaise resulting in a less than flamboyant, more conservative and less risqué collections:
Josephus Thimister inspired by the First World War and Anne Valérie Hash who created a hybrid mix of vintage clothing offered by celebrities and her own materials, stated “I had this idea to do something about personal clothing, memory, and identity, so I started writing to people I admire and asking them to send me something of theirs to transform”.
The resulting depopulation of the designers who used to be present for the Haute Couture shows, has affected the competitive spirit. The older generation has all but nearly disappeared with the likes of Emanuel Ungaro, Valentino, YSL. The new wave of Designers have yet to reach the talent and the notoriety of their peers.
Many presented scant limited looks collections: with only 22 at Givenchy, 14 at Anne Valérie Hash, 11 at Martin Margiela, 34 at Dior. Others like Elie Saab played with only 2 to 3 different patterns and cuts for their complete collection, with only slight variation in prints and embroideries.

For the Spring-Summer 2010, I am under the impression that Designers were not as committed to their Couture Collection. Perhaps they have reached their creative point of saturation, as wearing too many hats often dilutes what a single hat could have accomplished.
I really missed Yves Saint Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro, Christian Lacroix this season and Valentino Garavani!

There were some excellent shows though with wonderfully refined cuts and details from: Givenchy and Dior for their daywear collection as well as Armani Privé and the Stéphane Rolland collection featured below.

I can’t wait to see the prêt-à-porter commencing next week in New York to see what the fall-winter 2011 season will bring…

Back to the drawing board!

My best for this season

Looks – Givenchy, Armani Privé, Stéphane Rolland, Chanel, Stéphane Rolland
Shoes – Dior, Dior, Givenchy
Beauty looks – Armani, Chanel and Dior

My worst for this season

Looks – Maison Martin Margiela, Zuhair Murad, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Anne Valérie Hash, Chanel
Shoes – Chanel, Gaultier Paris, Chanel
Beauty looks – Givenchy, Gaultier Paris, Givenchy

My favourite pick from the Spring-Summer Couture 2010 Collections

Stéphane Rolland has put together a complete collection to wear for all occasions: from daywear, to cocktail, to red carpet gowns. He has come out with fluid, fitted and nicely proportioned silhouettes with overlapping blade like laser-cut Plexiglass keystone patterns framing the shoulder-line, pockets, hem and neckline. It is as if he accessorized much of his collection with finely cut, wafer sized sheets of opaque quartz crystal and used these varieties of shapes and sizes to frame and enhance the femininity of them. He also playfully used high gloss painted patterns to give a canvas like worthiness to his “Art Pieces”.

A nice mix that shows that Couture can rhyme with modernity.

Details from Stéphane Rolland Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2010

Photos credits: Monica Feudi@gorunaway, Reuters,
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