“Fifty-five looks for fifty-five operas. The Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli were after something new for Couture this season, and they found it in the age-old tradition of opera. The show opened with a nod to La Traviata; Giuseppe Verdi’s score was embroidered in black on the long, full skirt of a parchment-colored tulle dress. By the end, they had called out all the greats: Puccini’s La Bohème inspired an elegant navy cashmere cape and silk crepe sheath. Bizet’sCarmen produced a pleated bronze tulle gown with silver-gray guipure lace embroideries”. And I loved the animals. Magnifique!
Couture
HC: MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA SS14
The Margiela team again made some magic for Haute Couture season. And this is a real black magic. Eyes, embroidery, fur, stripes, kimonos, canvas, sequins… art. The SS14 couture for Maison Martin Margiela meant recreating vintage “stuff” into a new, imaginery whole. The collection was about show girls- the tatoo looking like embroidered vest with these sexy pantalons. About illusion- eyes on the veils and handcuffs covered with fur. Brain activity and ancient cultures. So much different things simply touch them selves at Margiela. This is the world of artinasal fashion where nothing is impossible. That definitely was the most amazing couture of the season.
HC: VIONNET SS14
Goga Ashkenazi, the owner and “creative director” of the old Couture label Vionnet, just hired a new designer- Hussein Chalayan, the men who did LED gowns, table skirts and all other crazy fashion you can imagine from the 90’s. This SS14 collection for this Parisian house was about decision- new or old? Hussein made it of course futuristic. The runway was very industrial with car elements lying all around. While the forms of this pretty minimalistic collection were modest, but sharp, the detail nailed it. Aluminium plugs used as belts; chargers as necklaces; and huge, hand embroidered keys on the gowns. I really like this move of Vionnet- taking new into old and another way round. What do you think of this “unexpected” collaboration?
HC: Ulyana Sergeenko SS14
Ulyana Sergeenko, the Russian designer in Paris that thinks she will bit the world (unfortunately) already bit it up badly. The wife of a millionaire once thought, that she wants to be a fashion designer. A COUTURE designer. So her dream come true. And here is her forth collection. First of all, I don’t have anything to Kazachstan- indeed, I think their culture is beautiful just like their country. But… a collection that was inspired with traditional Kazachstan clothes and Parisian boudoir is a big mistake. Reminding cheaper looking Anna Karenina, Ulyana made her ideas come to life with a shiny collection full of hand-made Russian fabrics, ugly colours and red satin. AND THAT WEDDING CAKE GOWN. That’s too much. The model looked like a meringue! However, good news are here: male funs of Sergeenko can feel priviledged. Ulyana Sergeenko designs menswear… without footwear. If you feel brave, just have a peek how the collection looked like.
HC: CHANEL SS14
Karl Lagerfeld again cleared it all straight away- he is the innovator of Couture as every season. The SS14 was so… Feminine. Soft. Girlie. Innoncent. There are hundreds of words that may describe this amazing collection. First of all- no more heels on couture. ONLY SNEAKERS now count. Just like at Dior, but in more cooler way. Cara Delevigne was a beautiful bride in a white wedding gown (that was unexpectly very modest and comfortable!), hands-to-hands with a small boy who looked cute in a tiny Chanel suite. The collection was inspired with sporty chic (that’s why the embroidered trainers and knee defenders) and the simplicity of beautiful dresses- forget long gowns. Now it’s time for mini-dresses and sheer bodysuits. That was a really lovely collection.
Design & Culture by Ed 