Coutorture

Shopping: Feminine Frills With A Hard Edge

coutorture — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:29:15 -0800

Clockwise from left: Marc Jacobs silk sequin skirt $1400 Net-a-Porter, Fendi silk chiffon ruffle top $1280 Net-a-Porter, Giambattista Valli bow belt $390 Kirna Zabete, Chloe bow-embellished suede pumps $1290 Net-a-Porter, Lanvin metal ribbon choker $1175 Kirna Zabete, Lanvin mini satin shoulder bag $1238, Fendi bow-printed tee shirt $305 Net-a-Porter.

Who says ladylike ruffles and bows have to be sweet? We prefer a slight edge with our frothy looks and gravitate towards ready-to-wear and accessories that mix innocence with a heavy dose of tough chic-think pearls paired with gold hardware, trompe l'oeil bows, and raw-edged chiffon.

Paris Fashion Week: Giambattista Valli Spring 2010

coutorture — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:10:56 -0700

Paris 10/05/09. Getty Images

Giambattista Valli Resort 2010

coutorture — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Image Source

Some criticized Giambattista Valli's Fall 2009 collection for being "leaden" and "overdone" so it's no surprise that the designer has lightened things up a bit for resort. This time around Valli, who is known for his talent with silhouette, kept dress shapes interesting but uncomplicated. As for separates the designer showed monochrome day suits with cropped, ladylike sleeves.

Paris Fashion Week: Giambattista Valli Fall 2009

coutorture — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:46:49 -0700

Paris 03/09/09. Photos by Francois Guillot/Getty Images & Karl Prouse/Catwalking/Getty Images.

Fashion In 50 Seconds 01/16/09 Pre-Fall 2009 Collections & More

coutorture — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:42:44 -0800

First up, the Pre-Fall 2009 collections of Giambattista Valli, Christian Dior, and Pucci have dropped--this close to the Fall 09 shows, there's no way these looks weren't cut from the same cloth...

Samples from the Spring 2009 Obedient Sons & Daughters collection which will not be produced will be sold at a sample sale next week.

Blackbook offers their take on recession lingo adopted by the glossies and yes, "crisis chic" is among them.

Thom Browne staged his powerful dystopia-themed show in Florence yesterday which consisted of two outfits and a choreographed office scene.

The Unofficial Wedding Dress: Spring 09

coutorture — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:42:10 -0700

We're gearing up for some bridal happenings in New York this weekend and it occurred to us that there might be some unofficial wedding dresses lurking in the Spring 09 collections. It was, in fact, Jasper Conran, Giambattista Valli, and Dolce & Gabbana who really crossed those boundaries and perhaps not accidentally. A woman, after all, is likely to spend more on her wedding dress than any garment she'll buy for the rest of her life. It's only safe to assume that some designers might think to make a few white frocks in order to nab those one-time consumers. Or maybe we're just paranoid. To see the February Bridal Shows, click here. Below, our gallery of Spring 09's unofficial wedding dresses. Some requiring little imagination at all.

Giambattista Valli Plays With Silhouette

coutorture — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:38:04 -0700

Who needs to have the perfect body when you're wearing garments that have a silhouette all their own--it would, in fact, be a blessing, the more we think about it. This Spring 2009, Valli showed, for example, those beautiful cocoon and traditional bell shapes that encourage you to put a warm meal and a good night's sleep above going to the gym at eleven o'clock at night. This kind of designer, however, would never put something "baggy" down the runway--these clothes can stand up just fine without having to be as tight as Herve Leger frocks. Valli's clothing is always the right mix of high fashion and classic feminine and with an aesthetic that is more democratic than, say, Balmain or Alexander Wang (tight and baggy respectively), we're guessing there will be many fans of his collection.

Paris Fashion Week: Giambattista Valli Spring 2009

coutorture — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:15:17 -0700

Paris Fashion Week Spring Summer 2009. Photos by Francois Guillot and Nathalie Lagneau