A gorgeous gaggle of fashionistas assembled for the Chloe store opening in Los Angeles. The gorgeous party was hosted by Kate Bosworth and Chloe Sevigny who were dressed to seriously impress.

After Phoebe Philo’s departure Chloe fell into dissaray as it seemed to lose its way, but Hannah MacGibbon has steered the brand back to the girly loveliness we know and love.

It attracted the most fashionable ladies, guests included Camilla Belle, Leighton Meester, January Jones, Agyness Deyn, Estelle, Zoe Saldana and Maria Sharapova amongst many many more.

There were some surprise outfits on the night, Maria Sharapova looked amazing, as did January Jones and Zoe Saldana. But Agyness Deyn really let the side down, everyone else turned up in girly style and she looked like she’d dropped by after a spot of food shopping. Poor effort Agyness poor effort.

I have to say that Leighton Meester’s outfit was my personal favourite, check out those shoes! Yum! But Kate Bosworth really did look stunning that vanilla chiffon was offset beautifully with her heavy handbag.

Chloe is definitely back with a bang!

[SourceImages]

0 comment(s)

You can always rely on John Galliano to bring some eccentricity to Fashion Week and Autumn/Winter 09 was no exception. One can only imagine his inspiration behind this show; I like to think a babushka crossed with a Russian Tsarina. Yes this was a very strange show indeed.

Galliano is a great designer, his work at Dior is the stuff of dreams and his couture collections steal the show every year. But this show just missed the mark. Perhaps McQueen’s delicious equally bizarre offering spoilt me, but this couture/ready to wear crossover did not seem as refined or slick.

There were some very dramatic gorgeous elements, the chiffon dresses were stunning, and the coats were the perfect balance of quirky and glamorous. The evening gowns really were flawless.

So why was I not totally sold on this collection? To be honest I’m not sure, when you see a show there is a spark of recognition that tells you yes or no. And for this Galliano offering that spark was strangely absent. Yes the hoop skirts were nice, and the injection of colour superb but it didn’t flow, I didn’t feel that little voice screaming, “everyone will want that. With the other AW09 shows there has been this slick playfulness throughout and whilst this was playful it wasn’t entirely slick.

This was a strange show to report on, because the individual elements work, the chiffons, silks, cashmere wools, soft greys and silvers. You see it all works on paper but together it just failed to grab me. I am sure many will disagree, but I hasten to add this was not a No-show and neither was it a Wow, it was perhaps a hmmm.

Yes I feel most perplexed, trust Galliano to baffle.

2 comment(s)

This is only the second show for Chloe’s head of design Hannah MacGibbon. And she has taken it back to its dreamier days of Phoebe Philo. To when Chloe was girly, chic and had a grown up cuteness.

This is a good beginning for the designer, and is a good sign for all those who loved old Chloe. This is not so say it is a repeat of earlier lines, it just has the same feel. There was a real laidback look to this show. The oversized trousers with turn ups were right on trend, as were the velvet ensembles. The jumpsuits and shorts were particularly charming. The leather shorts looked surprisingly wearable and the one shouldered velvet jumpsuit was incredibly glamorous.

It was a deliciously soft palette, ochres alongside creams and charcoals looked very autumn friendly. There is something about khaki that always looks chic, and this was no exception. The peach pleats looked so beautifully feminine, and I would recommend this collection to anyone who spends their winters abroad.

Excluding the coats, this was quite a summery collection, I doubt there are many of you planning on going out in the winter in a pair of shorts and no tights. But the shapes were very pretty and the cuts were flattering. It is a show likely to restore faith in the Chloe brand from die-hard fans. For everyone else there were certainly elements to be excited about, particularly the giant handbags, but it wasn’t a show to stop you in your tracks.

0 comment(s)

Wow, in perfect contrast to Valentino’s dull display, this was a wow show. I never knew it was possible to experience fright and awe at the same time.

If you thought Viktor & Rolf’s models were spooky look away now, McQueen had his model’s faces painted like deranged clowns. Paled down, with giant oversized lips, some also sported rather bandage like head gear. So this was either a critique of the circus or plastic surgery, or perhaps they are the same thing.

Whatever the underlying inspiration, this was a beautiful, exciting and flamboyant show. The bird prints were just incredible. The couture gowns remind us what a real evening dress should look like. Crazy hats shaped like umbrellas added to the surrealist quality, Dali would be proud.

Circus like prints and tent shaped gowns, OTT dogtooth check, glamorous tweeds, dresses to turn a model into a swan and another, is that crow or an ugly duckling? There was even a bondage element seen best in the leather part of the show that used buckles and straps. There was of course a hair coat, can anyone remember when there was a show without one?!

The bird prints and a floor length black sequin number were my personal favourites. What I loved the most was this sense of extravagance and drama, yet you could wear most, perhaps not all, these outfits. Surely that is the mark of a great designer? To create the unthinkable and make it wearable?

Truly staggering, it’ll be interesting to see what the other critics feel about it, I sense that it may divide them. But for me this was a show to remember, and there are many designers who could learn a few lessons from Mr McQueen. But watch the ‘It’ make up, that’s to scary and should never be copied, freaky stuff.

Congratulations McQueen, you’ve given optimism back to fashion.

1 comment(s)

This was a lovely collection, nice lines, a good palette and pretty pieces. It was nice, inoffensive, wearable and classic. There wasn’t really a wow factor. It was just all very nice.

Since Valentino retired the design house has been having a few issues, with a designer revolving door, the latest designer in charge is in fact a duo. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, they had their first outing with the couture collection, so this is only their second.

Well, you can certainly tell that they are verging on the edge of caution. Clearly, not wishing to rock the boat they produced a very safe collection.

There were no bad outfits, and there were a few very nice ones indeed. I liked the tiered blue coat and I thought the colour scheme of jade, aqua, lemon, burgundy and camel worked nicely. The silk prints were perhaps the highlight of the show.

Valentino is all about glamour and elegance and these outfits were elegant, and they had a 1950s charm to them. But they failed to captivate and were easily forgotten. They will certainly please those looking for a sleek evening gown or seasonless coat or suit. But it wasn’t a collection to get the pulse racing.

0 comment(s)

I feel terrible to say this, even thinking it has got me all hot and bothered. But I was really not taken with this show. It is a shame because I adore Yves Saint Laurent and I do believe Stefano Pilati to be a design genius. But I was left feeling a little underwhelmed after this collection.

Perhaps after the incredible Edition Unisex collection and stunner of a Spring/Summer show, I expected a little more from the legendary design house. There were of course beautiful pieces, how could there not be?! The tux jacket style dress was amazing, the suiting as flawless as ever and I really liked the details (note the exaggerated shoulders and circular necks).

The leather leotard and jumpsuit are meant to create a talking point, but I didn’t really see how they fitted with the rest of the line. I felt that other pieces were, I can hardly bear to say it, a little dull. Pinstripe skirts with white shirts, simple shifts, and loose fit trousers were staples in this collection, and whilst nice, they were not mind-blowing.

Yves Saint Laurent is a design house based on attitude and style. It is renowned for its minimalism and offers high fashion for serious fashionistas. But AW09 did not feel particularly new or fresh, yes the cuts are perfection and the shoes had my head spinning with glee. But it just lacked a certain spark that has been present at other shows this season.

0 comment(s)

One of the highlights of last year was the Viktor and Rolf exhibition. It was a magical walk through the story of their designs and told rather wonderfully through giant dolls. Well this Autumn/Winter 09 show continued their flair for the creative and sent down models painted as white as porcelain dolls in clothes that were startlingly beautiful.

It was a beautifully soft colour scheme, dove greys, delicate charcoals, pale pinks and sumptuous tans. Structured almost prism like shapes sat lovingly alongside softer fabrics. There was a simplicity not often seen in a Viktor & Rolf show. The design duo tend to lean towards the theatrical, and although there were dramatic features this was in truth a very wearable collection.

The thigh high white boots, really shouldn’t work but they really did. The floor length gowns were heavily structured and incredibly glamorous. There were a pair of swirl sequin trousers that didn’t quite work or flow. They not so magically managed to make a stunningly beautiful model look rather chunky, so it’s unlikely they’ll be catching on. But the vast majority of outfits worked perfectly, particularly the coats and skirts.

This is such a strong collection for Viktor & Rolf, although I do miss their almost couture creations. This was quite tame in comparison, but still very very beautiful, and extremely slick.

0 comment(s)