Jean Paul Gaultiers cause they match with her persona...

One of my favourite songs off his newest album, A$AP references countless designers and it's really just a nice mellow song for chilling. I was lucky enough to see him perform live in London and this was my performance of the night (three days before my exams started by whatever) and he is so cute, even in person! So fine!

Today was a great day for couture: Gaultier, Elie Saab and Valentino in one day. I was so overwhelmed.
Normally I restrict posts to one designer, but f*ck it - lemme just run down all three collections in one.

First: Jean Paul Gaultier. Okay so while I've always had a healthy appreciation of Gaultier, I'm ashamed to say I've never really paid much attention to the brand despite knowing how its name is pretty much synonymous with haute couture. But this collection made me sit up and take notice. So the show opened with a leopard print shearling jacket paired with black culotte trousers. So I love leopard print - it is so sexy and fun! What followed was a series of black and leopard print outfits, including a sheer leopard print gown that was so reminiscent of a dress Olivia Palermo wore recently. Exaggerated pockets that emphasised a womans hips were a firm fixture in terms of design elements..mm the jury is still out for me on them but I can kind of see the angle. A really subtle take on the leopard print I think were the printed tights, which worked especially well in the look consisting of a stunning black structured coat with a bright red underlayer (immediate connection with Louboutins no?) paired with red sheer printed tights. This look was repeated with a black velvet dress which was equally as hot. 

 So about the evening dresses that are the bread and butter for essentially every couture collection. The silhouettes were very dramatic, as one would expect, consisting mainly of 3D curving fabric pieces that created undulating forms around the body. I wasn't really sure about this kind of aesthetic, it had a futuristic vibe but it did help to highlight the contours of the body beautifully, bringing attention to the female figure as Gaultier always does. There were a few red carpet worthy sequinned numbers, in particular the bronze sequinned cocktail dress with the fur trim. There's something about the colour that is so seductive, dark without be black yet still so enchanting. The model literally glowed. The headpiece was a little over the top but that's what couture is about I guess. My personal picks, not that I'll ever be able to afford them:

I can so imagine Florence Welch in the green flowing dress, and someone like Sarah Jessica Parker in the last dress pictured above, the nude sequinned short dress with the pink fur trim.

Next up Elie Saab: okay, so while I find Saab dresses undeniably beautiful with the sheer details and intricate beating and embellishment, I think there's very little difference from collection to collection and this was no different. He tends to present his collection according to colour which I think is a bit tired, but even if you can't applaud Saab on his ability to bring something new to collection, you have to praise him for his constant attention to detail and the fact that he is always able to bring about a beautiful collection. My picks of the collection are all pretty much the same dress in different colours and lengths, but hey I know what I like:

Like I said, they all resemble pretty much the same aesthetic but the feminine side of me cries out for a dress like this, and the finale dress was especially beautiful...what springs to mind when I think couture!So finally my favourite collection of today: VALENTINO. God I love Valentino, and had a new found respect for the brand since visiting the exhibition held at Somerset House this year. 

So there was a definitive Dolce and Gabbana AW12 feel to this collection, with its Baroque references but the designers at Valentino juxtaposed this with decidedly British Heritage looking fabrics such as tweed, creating a brand new aesthetic which I think worked really well in some places, where baroque prints were directly applied to simple sheath dresses, coats and separates crafted in bland neutral tones. One of my personal faves was the sheer grey sweatshirt with the golden embroidery all over - I thought it was so beautiful and would work equally well in a casual/formal sense. Another fave was the simple grey sheath dress with strategic cutouts at the shoulders - I thought it was a perfect balance of smart yet sexy There were a few all black outfits (which of course I love) with Baroque cutouts that resembled crochet dresses, bringing a relaxed yet sexy vibe to  the collection.

The collection seems to have global inspiration, seeing as there were oriental influences of the Japenese kimono with its oriental embroiderey, loose billowing sleeves, luxurious silk and swathes of material, as seen in a few pieces of this collection (my favourite was the nude dress with the oriental style embroidery and high - low hem, loved the printwork!):

As for the showstopper look of the show, without a doubt:

Sheer black with all over gold embroidery - need I say more? This was always going to win my heart, and the shoulder detailing was a real nice touch too!

Treasure, that is what you are...

This song has no relevance to this post to be honest, but I can't really get this song out of my head for some strange reason, so whatever...on to more important things

So I was going to refrain from posting anything else today but having just looked at Stephane Rolland's offering for Couture AW 2014, I couldn't resist. Genuinely my favourite collection by far up until now. If I could post up  every image of every look I would, but that's just unnecessary. There was a definite sculptural feel to the collection, creating drama through the use of extremely draped necklines, exaggerated shoulders and capes all coming together to produce a stunning collection!

The draping of light silks and sheer fabrics was exquisite, leaving  me slightly confused as to where the dresses began and ended, some of the dresses were like Mobius strips, never-ending swathes of fabric. I especially like the addition of the capes that were a firm design element, they helped to cut a really impressive and powerful silhouette, and the rich yet dark blue that permeated through the collection was vibrant enough to retain interest without being too overpowering (I have a tendency towards darker colours, boring I know). My top picks, though it's hard to pick really, have to be:

My favourite look has to be the blue evening dress with the floor length cape with the entirely sequinned inside. BEAUTIFUL. The cut was so  simple in some respects, clean curves that really allowed the slinky fabric/sequin contrast to shine. Dramatic and understated all at one instance, this was undoubtedly my look to describe the whole collection. Sculptural yet organic, dramatic yet casual....I could imagine myself wearing each and every piece of this collection! Though I hope someone like Gwenyth Paltrow or Cameron Diaz choose to wear something similar, I could really imagine Gwen in a few of these dresses...they seem right up her street.

My approach? Smoother than an Armani tux...

Lyrics come from Fabolous ft Trey Songz - Slow Down. Loso is one of THE most underrated rappers out there, his wordplay makes even the most emotional songs about girls/love etc sound so hard! Deep rapper.

So I've checked out all the AW 2014 Couture collections that have been shown so far, and I'll be honest I haven't been a fan of either Chanel or Dior, which is a rarity for me, normally I love anything even remotely associated with Lagerfeld. Well I guess you can't love everyone all the time. I just peeped the Giorgio Armani couture collection, and I was actually surprised by how much of it I liked. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it was breaking any boundaries but it was very pretty. Subtly sexy as Armani collection always are, the colour palette was mainly nude with a sprinkling of black at the beginning. Beading, sequins...I love all kinds of embellishment and Armani went all out on this collection! My top picks have to be:

My one criticism has to be that although I appreciate the relaxed fits on the separates and the flowing cuts on the dresses, a lot of the suits/tailored items looked like they were designed for a stylish grandmother, something from the 80s. I don't know what it is about the items, but the combination of neutral tones and a loose fit seems more appropriate to a fashion conscious 50/60 year old, though I think that if you separated the items they would become a lot more wearable.

For a couture show I always expect something outrageously unwearable, at least one piece that screams unapologetic indulgence and I don't think Armani really did that with this collection but I predict at least a couple of these dresses will make their way to the red carpet, probably on Anne Hathaway considering how much she loves Armani. Either way, overall not a ground breaking show or anything in my books, but pretty all the same. Just nothing that I'd wear myself...maybe a couple of the blazers?

Do I, to you, look like a lame, Who don't understand a broad with a mean shoe game..?

Jay and Pharrell are a guaranteed hit making combo, and this is just one of many examples of that fact. As well as falling in love with the song, the video had me hooked for the obvious reasons of including Pharrell (he's so handsome, does he EVER age) and Naomi Campbell taking to the stage. Aside from an atrocious hairline, the woman is outrageously beautiful, even to this day.

When I witnessed her comeback to the catwalk, opening for the Atelier Versace show recently my mind immediately jumped back to this video! Oh...and she STILL looks amazing, I'm in love with her figure:

The collection was actually alot more minimal than we normal expect from Versace, although all the traditional sexy silhouttes, plunging necklines etc. were still present. There was actually a very limited colour palette petrol blue, forest green and black, rich jewel tones which always lend themselves really well to an air of decadence and luxury. My favourites from the show: 

I think I'm right in saying that Versace is not to everyone's taste but I love it, and here the blue dress pictured above epitomises the best of Donatella's design - a classic cut that is undoubtedly sexy, with a strong edge reflected by the bondage style corset that just peeks through. The model looks amazing and I think this is definitely something I can see on the red carpet, just not quite sure on who....

Oh and it seems Versace is everywhere these days, I remember seeing this photo of Miley Cyrus in vintage Versace and i thought she looked sick! Whilst it's not a look I would necessarily rock myself, I can appreciate that she looks banging! I think her boyish frame and short hair prevents this looks from descending into trashy, and her body looks beaut:

Wood floors in the new apartment, Couture from the store's department

One of my favourite Yeezy songs ever, there is never a wrong time to play this! The way the model in the video just casually sets fire always inspires me for some reason, I love devil-may-care attitudes. So Couture Fashion Week's started and it's the highlight of my year, you always see the most amazing creations that realistically, very few will buy and wear, but hey they're works of art in their own right!.

I just peeped the Giambattista Valli show and normally I'm not a fan of saccharine sweet collections but this really caught my eye. It's probably because the catwalk included 6 porcelain sculptures dotted around, providing the perfect backdrop for the pieces that were inspired by fine china. My picks of the collection:

There's a definite drama about all the items in this collection, offset perfectly with the pretty floral appliqué. The dresses and separates are all definitively feminine, but they're prevented from becoming too sweet with the minimal colour palette and strategic embellishment. And the red dress pictured just above really reminds me of one of the pieces from the recent H&M Conscious Exclusive collection, as worn by Alicia Vikander: 

With the inclusion of the statues on the runway, the first thing that popped into my head for some reason was Bernini. Don't ask me why, my brain makes tenuous associations between things! But anyway I reaquainted myself with the sculptures, and was reminded why critics praise him so much. Cue The Rape of Proserpina:

 The level of skill and workmanship is crazy, especially when you consider that this was hand carved in marble. To achieve the realistic effect of Hades gripping at Prosperina's skin, or the way in which her curls are suspended in air like a still frame is extremely difficult, and I think this kind of art is a lost form these days,  but in my opinion this is the kinda sh*t that reminds people why Italians were masters of art. Maybe one day I'll find something that I can call my craft...

Tears on the mausoleum floor, Blood stains the colosseum doors

Don't ask why but this song just seemed fitting with what this post is about. It dark, gritty yet altogether glamorous at the same time, and f*ck me at the degree of anticipation Yeezy manages to build up with the introduction instrumental...and obviously Frank Ocean crooning over it just adds to the whole vibe. All in all, sick song...one of the best off the WTT album, and I love the anarchist vibe of the video. So anyway, back to what this post is really about, take a lot at this room interior: 

So the images above are 1:3 scale models of an entire room that will be entirely made by 3D printing! Apart from being f*cking crazily amazing, considering that a whole space will be constructed by way of a printer, the interior is also sick. It kind of reminds of the interiors of baroque/renaissance churches, especially the gilded model images, whilst the white interior images are reminiscent of melting wax forming its own organic patterns.

Architects Michael Hansmeyer and Benjamin Dillenburger claim that "Inspired by the natural process of cell division, we develop an algorithm that iteratively divides and transforms the initial geometry of a simple cube," ; they continue "Despite simple rules, a complex world of forms arises at multiple scales: between ornament and structure, between order and chaos, foreign and yet familiar: a digital grotesque."

All I know is that this is amazingly beautiful and yet ugly all in one, on the one hand it resembles an underwater cave covered in stalactite and stalagmites and on the other, it could be mistaken for baroque interior design. The architects definitely got it right when naming it Digital Grotesque. I need to visit this! 

Title lyrics are from No Church in the Wild - Jay Z and Kanye West