Haute Couture Ete 07: Jean Paul Gaultier - Riotous Religious Regalia

Saints & Sinners, drapery & structure, lace & wool, long & short, simplicity & complication, matt & shine, light & dark for the faithful & faithless:

Images and complete collection here, at Style.com

Haute Couture Ete 07: Givenchy - Le métamorphose des marines àux sirènes

Deconstructed naval regalia, fishtail gowns, shells, driftwood & coral beading, mesh a là fishnet, rope, mille-feuille pleating, officer's whites, gloomy greys, darkest ocean blues & black, and a touch of the acid yellow light of the sun were all utilised to tell Riccardo Tisci's hometown folk story of how the Tarantoan sailors metamorphosise into mermaids - with a touch of futurism for good measure:

Images and complete collection here, at Style.com

That was then -This is now...

What with Galliano celebrating 10 years at Dior, a look into the archives seemed appropriate so here is a look at the growth of the master couturier - the pics to left are from Christian Dior Couture Spring 2003 - Galliano's first foray (at Christian Dior) into the Eastern aesthetic - the 2 pics to the right are from the latest collection (Spring 2007) - second time round the whole look is more refined and elegant:

Volume
Mille-feuillePrint Flounces
EmbroideryDecorationFabricationHeadwearPlatformsImages and complete collections here, at Style.com

Haute Couture Ete 07: Christian Dior - John’s Journey into Japonisme

Sheer silks and sumptuous satin,
embroidery and jewels,
Hokusai and butterflies,
obi and origami,
The result is pure perfection ...

Images and complete collection here, at Style.com

What they should have worn...

After looking at the choices that the following starlets made for their Golden Globe dress I thought I would have a go at choosing better options from their favoured designers repertoires:

Cameron Diaz
What is it with the frilly lampshade look - go with what you know Cameron - your body rocks so why hide it - my choices are two Valentino Couture dresses from the same season (as the lampshade) - on the left the safe option and closest match given its asymmetrical strap and fullness from waist to floor - on the right the perfect metallic dress for her body & my ideal choice of what she should have worn:


Beyonce
Your not still filming Dreamgirls Beyonce, but if you want metallic why not this liquid silver dress (which could be whipped up in gold surely) from Elie Saab's AW06 Couture collection or this beautiful gradiant hued (a warmer choice of colour would suit Beyonce more) strapless number from the same collection - I'm not sure why she chose a dress from his ready-to-wear collection anyway?:


Maggie Gyllenhaal
An amazingly boring choice Maggie, YSL has so much more to offer - on the right the safe option and a little Prada/Miu Miu-esque which we know she loves - however I think her choice was probably based on her post pregnancy body shape so on the left is my choice of what she should have worn and one of the most beautiful dresses shown for Spring 2007 - both dresses in shades of purple to set off her blue eyes:


Jennifer Garner
I get the choice of colour of this Gucci dress but the shape is horrible because Jennifer is quite skinny at the moment - she should have taken advantage of her lithe frame and worn either of these two dresses from the Spring 2007 collection - in white of course:


Heidi Klum
The general concensus on this dress is that it looks like Riccardo Tisci (one of my top 3 designers in the world) has wrapped Heidi in a sheet - if it was to hide post pregnancy weight then why not try the dress to the left minus the jacket of course - if it wasn't about weight then the dress to the right (also Givenchy AW06 Couture) would have looked amazing on Heidi - both options are from Givenchy's AW2006 Couture colection whereas the sheet was from couple of seasons back so not even vintage!:


Jennifer Lopez
Another draped sheet look this time from Marchesa - why, when they have so many beautiful dresses to choose from - like a dark coloured dress with a trim? well the dress to the right is way better option - although my choice would have been the silver gradiant hued dress to the left - both dresses from Marchesa Spring 07 collection:


Renee Zellweger
This green thing doesn't even look like a Christian Dior dress (update - its vintage Dior - smack my hand for being disrespectful to the original Mr Dior himself - it is a lovely dress for way back when but Renee still doesn't suit it) - either of these dresses from the Christian Dior Spring 2007 collection would have been better - preferably the short citrus one:


Evangeline Lilly
Extremely average is the only way to describe the mauve number that Donatella Versace designed for Evangeline, looking back into Versace archives it seemed to be based on the draped chiffon dresses from Spring 2006 - why, when she could have worn the ultra sexy purple corset dress - or my preferred choice the cyberesque yellow gown:


or how about going fresh and daring because with her body she can pull it off - the shorter corset base dress or one of the paillette covered dresses preferably the gold - now that would have been amazing on her - all options from the Versace Spring 2007 collection:

Images from Style.com & Eonline.com