John Galliano put on a breathtaking show to end all shows, and even absolve him of the sins of his men's collection.  The dresses were firmly rooted classic couture tradition but also possessed an air of ground-breaking modernity.  The message of the show was clear: this was about a return to the elegance and glamour that defined the Christian Dior of yore.     There was a... Read More

Elegant, powerful and classic: all words that describe the 2009 Armani Privé collection, the couture label of the Armani Empire.  Almost entirely set in tones of black and white with shades of gray, the clothes evoked the timelessness and simplicity that have always charactized Armani.  The chic and body-lengthening pantsuits that are de rigeur at Armani are sure not to cau... Read More

While we might have suspected that the one of a kind gown designed by Karl Lagerfeld for Anna Wintour to wear at the Met Costume Gala might be a preview of the Chanel Couture collection, shown yesterday at the Grand Palais in Paris, little could we have known that Wintour's influence would pervade so deeply into the illustrious designer's mind.  Wintour's spirit was not-so-subtly seen in... Read More

Alessandra Facchinetti's début couture collection for the Valentino house was one that managed to both remain true to the maison's dignified history and style while infusing Facchinetti's own vision and and creativity. Facchinetti opened the collection with an eggshell jacket and bulbous skirt that vastly exagerated the body's contours.  It was a sign of things to come as the colle... Read More

Elie Saab stated that the inspiration for his Fall 2009 collection came from the Sistine Chapel.  To that effect, there was certainly a renaissance classicism in the flowing chiffon goddess gowns for which Saab is so celebrated.  Instead of Romanesque classicism, though, the collection had a very rococo feel with giant bows and bunched up fabric that had the appearance of delicate lil... Read More