Fall/Winter 2010 Haute Couture Review

I just finished previewing the Fall/Winter 2010/2011 Chanel, Christian Dior, Armani Prive`, Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Elie Saab, and Valentino haute couture lines. I am amazed at the brilliant use of color, the fantastic beadwork, and even the touches of fur that are showing up this year. All of these lines are absolutely phenomenal! Here are a few of my favorites:

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld

Use of themes from a sport. Footwear inspired by equestrian riding boots. Each model trotted around in a pair of, what appears to be, riding boots. Everything from knee-high blonde

leather to ankle-high sequins. Simply beautiful footwear!

Scenery. A regal golden lion, paw perched on a ball, stood at the center of the arena. The display was absolutely jaw-dropping.

Finale. The show closed with a model wearing a magni

ficently gold beaded, white, knee-length dress and a near 10-foot train, and her male escort, wearing a traditional tailed tuxedo and a lion's head. Following the initial walk, Karl Lagerfeld took the stage for his bows. After making a full run, Lagerfeld has every model take the stage together, entering right and exiting left after Lagerfeld. Magnificent chaos.

Christian Dior by John Galliano

Use of natural themes. The show was a literal walking garden. Each piece was inspired by a different flower that can be found in nature. The colors and patters were so eye-catching and the cuts just created a new dimension. Absolutely outstanding. Favorite line out of all of the ones discussed here.

Armani Prive` by Giorgio Armani

Use of neutrals. No color here; this line featured everything from egg shell to chocolate brown. The neutrals became the colors. A section of the brown family that passes through the upper-middle tones of brown became

almost pink. The highlighting was en pointe.

Use of layers. Some pieces had upwards of six and seven feature and accent colors. In everyday life, this would be impossible, but this show proved the impossible to be quite possible.

Jean Paul Gaultier by Jean Paul Gaultier

Throwback. One piece that caught my eye featured a cone-shaped brazier similar to the one that Madonna once wore. Such a classic!

Animal features. The line had leather overcoats and bags that were very tasteful. Clean lines, muted colors, and matte finishes. The pieces consisting of fur were very tasteful as well. Coats trimmed in coffee brown. Heather grey shrugs. Fur on the arms. The only piece that had a lowered taste was a coat that had several bands of black fur that wrapped all the way around. Aside from that, fabulous line.

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

Beading. The pieces in the collection featured a high concentration of marvelous beadwork. It added a whole new level to the already complex lines of the collection. If Tisci keeps this kind of forward momentum, he is sure to bring the Givenchy label back to the forefront of fashion from its fall during the years 0f 2001-2005.

Elie Saab by Elie Saab

Use of accent color. A majority of Saab's line used muted golds, tans, greens, and mauves, but he used the most blazing Crayola Red Crayon red for a few pieces. He placed these pieces throughout the show instead of overloading the color in a single segment. Much like Haydn's "Surprise Symphony," the red accent really woke up the show and added a nice flair.

Valentino by Maria Grazia Chiuri and

Pier Paolo Piccioli

Use of classic design. Though Valentino Garavani has moved on, his timeless bow design still remains as an integral part of the namesake's line. The classic bow was featured on almost every piece and was featured on every shoe. The original position of the bow has now changed from the top center of the shoe to the left or right side of the shoe. A modern take on a timeless classic.

Neckline. Each piece featured in the line had a beautiful top. Some were chokers, some were V's, some were scoops, some were squares. The one thing that remained the same, Valentino Garavani's beautiful visual ideas live on.


And there you have it-a review of seven fantastic fashion lines that will be hitting the award show scene this fall and winter, Though I've only featured seven labels, there are hundreds in the industry. These are only a handful of my favorite labels. I promise to highlight other labels in the future.