Fashback: Dior Couture A/W 2007

Problematic as Galliano may be, he is undeniably and unbelievably talented. There's true genius in his work. One particular moment of shining wonder was his A/W 2007 Dior Couture show. Now, the moment you enter the world of couture, the potential for genius is greater than any RTW collection might normally be. Couture is the freedom to create more as an artist would, rather than pandering to the satisfaction of buyers and customers alike. It's a celebration of the medium of dress.

It is probably apparent by now, especially if you follow me on tumblr (which you should, by the way), that I'm into the 18th century. My dissertation research is based in that period and though I'm a self-proclaimed modern minimalist, I have such a week spot for the fashions. Coppola's Marie Antoinette is one of my all-time favourite movies and I reblog any shoot inspired by her or the era. Ergo, the squeeing upon setting eyes on Galliano's collection.

I love the references to masquerade (the one night a year where tightly laced upper echelons of society let loose publicly - though masked - and got up to all kinds of debauchery), the elaborate hairstyles and headpieces of the era (fascinators, I raise you one better), the pastel shades, the bows, flounces and frills. Some looks were abstracted and modernised more obviously while others took silhouettes and ideas more directly and ran with them. And yes, some elements come from later and earlier periods but I doubt accuracy or limiting himself was a concern. Instead, spectacle was.

I remember seeing a video of poet Lily Myers talking about how women learn now to be untroublesome, to edit themselves and not take up too much space. These clothes recall a time before the Victorians and repression after repression when French women were welcome (to a degree) to contribute to intellectual debates among men and took up massive amounts of space shamelessly, without shame and men and women both dressed up elaborately without apology. I sometimes wonder how different the world would be if the good parts of the 18th century weren't later undermined? Where would we be, where would I be, now?

This has turned into somewhat of an ode to Galliano's collection but I feel it deserves it. He took a bunch of Supers (one profession where women consistently earn more than men) and celebrated women, celebrated a lost moment in history and being truly couture. But there's also bite and a sense of humour present. Something dark and perhaps referencing the past but wary of it at the same time. Not mindlessly nostalgic for something that may never have even existed.

Maybe I read more into/too much into clothes than most but they are literally part of the fabric of our lives. We carry them around with us, hold them against our bodies. Clothing is intimate, physical and sentimental. And fashion has been an expression of ourselves since before people actively talked about self-expression and the individual.

So, take a look-see, be awed and enjoy x

(Images via vogue.co.uk)

Looking Haute...but limited.

Couture is the high-point for most designers, the thing to aim for. It is closest to art in how it behaves in the market and in its very nature. It offers the opportunity to truly let creativity run free and to fully visualise a vision. Yet, it also has its limitations. These are not in what you can make but what you can do with it.

Couture finds its home on the runway, in archives, in the closets of the very rich, in editorials and in galleries. Even celebrities usually only have the items on loan. Dresses cost upwards of thousands into the hundreds of thousands - the audience is pretty limited. We can all appreciate them as things of beauty but I also think there is something sad about them. They can be seen as fuller artistic expression yet they live half-lives of being seen and rarely worn.

This couture season was somewhat staid which surprised me. I always thought that economic downturn brought out the most railing creativity...but it didn't.. While the collections were undeniably beautiful, I could not help but feel that they were safe and maybe that's what people do want these days, safety.

Still, I was somewhat disappointed. I'm a big believer in liking something and still being able to see its flaws so my criticism is not to say that I disliked collections. I just kept waiting for the moment to sit up in my seat or bounce with excitement. And it didn't really come. The closest was Viktor & Rolf's show. Vogue noted that half of the collection was bought in advance by and art collector and that the show was more performance art than traditional runway. The whole sense of questioning how shows should be conducted and the highly conceptual nature of the collection left me intrigued and refreshed.

Elie Saab was very Saab but beautiful none the less. His dresses will always be the kind women want to wear and I adore them. Gaultier did a lot of Gaultier and looked back instead of forward. I wish he'd found a more modern, surprising way to do his fantastic thang. Valentino, again, while beautiful, left something to be desired. The collection, for me, seemed too alike their ready-to-wear. Dior had concepts I really dig but stayed on the safe side of the fence. I just wish Simons had given it that kick of unexpected. Ulyana Sergeenko created the wardrobe of the Russian princess of my dreams but similarly needed a touch more of the never seen before. Maison Martin Margiela had that sense of new but not enough of it! Gimme more!

Solid design is here to stay, I just wish a new game-changing voice would emerge and shake things up good and proper. Perhaps we are in too diverse an age for such an all-encompassing voice. Who knows? I just hope people continue to question what they do and to push boundaries.

Some of my favourite fashion gifs.

Because pictures are clearly no longer enough....I kid. But when they move it can be pretty fun and pretty pretty. - Say that ten times fast.

(First three gifs - tumblr - final image vogue.com.au)

How are bags and people alike?

Well, they come in all shapes and sizes and all are equally beautiful, of course! 

I don't think I've ever focused on accessories in a post and I'm quite excited for all the bags of style, bags of bags this coming season! Rounding up the eclectic mix of bags which were highlights of the shows of the recent fashion weeks, we can see that there was a lot of choice and a lot of imagination on show. From furry clutches literally clutched against the chest like stuffed animals at Celine, to lego blocks at Chanel, to timeless bowling bags at Prada. So, here's my picks for the best bags of A/W 2013-4 - The bags I'm dreaming of and can't afford.

(All images from vogue.co.uk)

Gowns, gowns, gowns

Sigh. Such prance-worthy dresses. Couture is the best.

From the collections of Chanel, Dior, Elie Saab, Alexis Mabille, Ulyana Sergeenko and Valentino.

(All images from vogue.co.uk)