Paris Haute Couture 2012…

This is our favourite time of the year! Haute couture fashion houses brought their Spring-Summer lines down the runway in Paris and without further ado, here are our favourites…

GIVENCHY OFCOURSE! They have to be my favourite in terms of personal style. The 10 piece couture line-up was inspired by the 1927 Fritz Lang movie Metropolis and the theme music from a more obscure Russian film, 1924's Aelita: Queen of Mars. I am certainly a fan of the Art Deco embellishments and the meticulous work with crocodile skin. To understand some of the work that goes on behind the scenes of a couture show - the scales on the hide were individually cut and numbered. After it had been treated, the artisans had to restitch them one by one in order onto a tulle body stocking. It took 350 hours to make!

After an 8 year hiatus from couture, we were very excited about Versace. Their fabulous creations were made to emphasise the voluptuous curve of a woman's body and embellished from top to bottom in beads.  The curves were further highlighted with curving gold metal insets that raised up the shoulders or added to the curve of hips.

There were so many stunning frocks by Dior that are fantasy worthy. This show exhibited pure craftsmanship. We learnt through style.com that ‘On one dress, black crocodile scales were randomly picked out in patent. On another, ostrich had been dissected into paillettes of skin, like a body map. On yet another, sequins traced a grid, like a pattern-maker's directives’. The collection was perfectly unpolished, with the structure of the dresses showing through sheer fabrics. We loved every inch of this collection!

Giambattista Valli’s show was a visual and textural feast. Employing old school couture approaches, he showered the glamorous creations with flowers , embellished lace and sequins. The collection had a dramatic appeal and Valli did mention Ava Gardner to a guest who guessed that a little Hollywood glamour may be involved in his collection. 

                                  

                                  Karen and the KWH team x

Source: www.style.com