I must admit that I tend to bypass the Haute Couture shows in favour of the ready-to-wear collections. I think it's because these collections are so far removed from the realms of ordinary life, my life anyway, that I don't feel a connection with the frippery on show.
However I decided to take a look at the SS11 collections & was pleasantly surprised by the wearability of some of the ranges. Here are my top picks from the catwalk.
These are my two favourite looks that Alexis Mabille sent down the runway. It's all about simplicity, fluidity, clean lines & colour.
Giorgio Armani offered a very modern collection, which I'm not sure the usual Armani prive customer will understand, but I liked it nonetheless. Each piece was amazingly sculpted & I loved the liquidity along with the colour combination of inky blue combined with flashes of red.
The Bouchra Jarrar collection was all about the linear. Tailored looks don't really tickle my fancy but I can appreciate a beautifully cut trouser suit. Aside from the tailoring, the collection offered some great dresses, reminding me of the Martine Sitbon collections which inspired me whilst at university in the mid 90's.
The Chanel couture show didn't wow me. Don't get me wrong, I admired the beautiful beading & embroidery, but I din't particularly covet any of the collection.
I viewed the Dior show with wonderment. You can always count on John Galliano to offer up a spectacle of grand proportions. The sheer amount of fabric involved in a single dress made me think back to my days of designing & the restrictions applied when creating High Street ranges.
As different as they are, I loved the Elie Saab collection as much as Dior. The range was neither too sweetly feminine nor overtly sexy. I thought the balance was perfect.The Grecian draping & slight Edwardian shaping looked stunning & I loved the long blush tulle & organza dresses adorned with flowers.
The final collection that I'm going to mention is Valentino. I liked this collection, but it didn't blow me away. It was delicate, pretty & demure but I wasn't eager with anticipation to click onto the next look. There was a gentle nod to the iconic Valentino red, but not enough for my liking.
