Coutorture

Shopping: Sleek Leather Looks

coutorture — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:15:30 -0700

Clockwise from left: Kate Moss at the spring 2010 Miu Miu rtw show, Helmut Lang leather panel stretch dress $875 Net-a-Porter, Helmut Lang jersey and leather leggings $460 La Garconne, Givenchy chain link gladiator heels $1190 Barneys New York, Givenchy patent leather mini clutch $1256 MyTheresa, Givenchy cummberbund betl $630 Kirna Zabete, Elise Overland leather zip mini skirt $975 Kirna Zabete, Nina Peter short leather gloves $270 Kirna Zabete.

Kate Moss arrived at the spring 2010 Miu Miu fashion show in Paris earlier this month looking gorgeous in a killer Miuccia Prada-designed leather long sleeve mini dress. Inspired by her supermodel style, we picked our favorite new season leather pieces including a roundup of accessories that complete the tough girl look-chain heels, cropped gloves, a tiny clutch and a wide belt.

Shopping: The Little Black Leather Dress

coutorture — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Clockwise from top left: Helmut Lang $875 @ Net-a-Porter, Calvin Klein $2495 @ Bergdorf Goodman, Dress $210 @ Topshop, Henrik Vibskov $464 @ Farfetch, Miu Miu $2460 @ Net-a-Porter, Yves Saint Laurent $2790 @ Neiman Marcus

This fall you don't have to worry that your LBD will leave you in the cold--there are plenty of leather options on deck for the season. Perhaps best demonstrated in the Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2009 collection, this season's leather is sculptural and feminine. Choose from your favorite designers, or, for a more affordable price point, look to high street stores like Topshop for options.

Fall 2009 Trend Report: Leather Trouser Love

coutorture — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:17:57 -0700

This Fall 2009 fashion had a love affair with leather and trousers were one of the preferred ways to show it off... Designers like Matthew Williamson and Marc Jacobs experimented with color while gothic brands like Ohne Titel and Rad Hourani turned out classic black styles. Although they didn't have the same impact as leather over-the-knee boots did, leather trousers are a definite trend for Fall 2009. Check out a few pairs we find memorable in the gallery below.

Fashion In 50 Seconds 03/02/09 Leather Takes Over & More

coutorture — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 07:15:15 -0800

Mike & Chris is planning a well-timed expansion of their leather range with the debut of shoes this season and handbags this fall...

A Collab Mad gone wrong; the Raf Simons for Dr. Martins range is not fairing well with the fashion set.

Roberto Cavalli is being sued by his licensing company, Ittierre, for kicking them while they were down.

The photos from Ellen Von Unwerth's pop-up studio at the couture shows have been revealed.

Spring 2009 Trend Report: Summer Leather

coutorture — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 05:11:29 -0800

As midseason demand grows and the lines between summer and winter become even more blurred, so too do the boundaries of fabric. This Spring 09 leather cropped up by way of shorts, frocks, and skirts just as often as it did classic leather bombers. Although we can sympathize with the movement to get rid of this fabric all together, we can't deny that the results were interesting. In other words, there are only so many gauzy, maxi dresses a gal can look at before she feels like she needs a change. Check out our trend report from the Spring 2009 shows with designer information below each photo.

Lover: The Fall 08 Look Book

coutorture — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:36:25 -0700

In case you haven't noticed, we've been kind of obsessed with the Fall 08 look books this week--you see, after all of the Spring 09 shows, it's the only thing that has us excited about the current season again. A lot of people think look books are boring, and the Lover Fall 08 look book is certainly done in a style that can only be called "traditional", but we think it's a great chance to just see the clothing as it is--sometimes without even a runway to influence your opinion. Lover, this season, designed quite a few pieces that make it worth the extra money. A sweatshirt cum minidress, a gauzy black dress, a pair of leather just-perfect-for-hosiery shorts (left) were on our favorites list at first glance. Lover, to us, always does better with the warm weather clothing and although we really like this collection we don't think we'll ever get over their famed Spring 07 collection that showed all of that high waisted denim we'd never forget about.

Coutorture Community Must Reads 10/14/08

coutorture — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:35:00 -0700

There were three posts from our Network Partners this week that had us slobbering over pants--not an easy feat considering how downright unprepared we feel to slither into our skinnies again. This morning Style Bubble documented her DIY savvy by slashing a pair of jeans to bits. We're seeing this trend all over the place and it's not just the DIY fashionistas who indulge. Denimology also picked up on this trend by highlighting the top-notch denim offering by Balmain this Spring 09. The denim from the collection might not reveal too much skin but the idea is still there; it's all about jeans that are tight and frayed. Feeling a little overwhelmed with the prospect of denim, Fashion Nation gave it up to a pair of faux-leather leggings that touch on all the right trends. Namely, the ever-popular exposed zip look. Is it just us or is it time to head to the gym?

Wendy Nichol Goes Marc Jacobsy

coutorture — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 11:35:46 -0700

While checking up on local New York jewelry designer, Wendy Nichol, we discovered Nichol's daughter modeling in her newest look book. The shoot, a very pretty, very sweet, very Marc Jacobs-inspired gallery of images, shows the leather-covered hearts and pyramid shapes that are prominent in this most recent collection as worn by the youngest of the Nichol's clan. We know Nichol from our days in e-commerce and know that she and her family are more or less the perfect version of 'I'm never moving to the suburbs' and so we only saw it is as very sweet and quirky of the Nichols family. How will other people feel, we wonder? It's hard to say. If anything the shoot will bring some extra-jewelry shopping attention to her brand or, at worst, upset people who misconstrue it as inappropriate or damaging to put a young girl in mascara--it does, in a way, make us feel old and haggard even in our mid-twenties. Look book aside, Wendy Nichol is an amazing jewelry designer. Her rock and roll vibe and balance between costumery and fine jewelry has made her a prominant New York designer. In the end, our headline is 'cute daughter in tough-girl jewelry makes for Marc Jacobsy/quirky look book'. It's a winner.

Celine Leather Biker Jacket

coutorture — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:25:46 -0700

A classic Fall staple, reinvented by Celine. This four thousand dollar biker jacket is, depending on your perspective, a must-have for Fall. If your budget doesn't warrant such spending, there are always options. But let's talk about the Celine version for a second, shall we? Celine, the French fashion house owned by LVMH, is now headed by Ivana Omazic. Omazic has on her resume stints with Miu Miu, Jil Sander, and Prada which is probably why this brand keeps popping up on our radar. The jacket, with its wide lapel and scrunch-worthy sleeves, is modern enough to separate itself from the classic vintage versions without leaving 'classic' out of the equation entirely. In fact, this piece is something we're sure the owner would wear for seasons to come. So, if there ever were a time to spend such money, and we know the recession doesn't help matters, now would be it. No matter which leather bomber you opt for (some gals forego black all together) the trick, we think, is investing in one you know you'll wear for seasons to come. Staples like these deserve a bit of extra attention.