Haute couture heat has finally chilled a little bit. Models were booked. Front rows were sat. Dresses were presented. Reviews were written. Careers were destroyed. Other careers were speeded up. New photo shoots were ordered by editors-in-chief. Dresses were chosen. Dresses were delivered to studios and hopefully none of drivers was seriously injured. At a shooting, I did witness a fight between PR people from two esteemed fashion houses whose argument about the schedule of photographing the dresses got totally wild. However, I did not notice any marks of blood, from which I draw a conclusion that they didn't resort to using their nails or teeth.
Since the haute craziness slightly slowed down, yet its memory is still vivid, we can finally look at the couture from a healthy distance.
Versace - tiny&sexy. As always. But this is the thing we love about Versace. The dresses are meant to send a clear message."I'm more powerful than Putin, but you can undress me". And they never fail to fullfill this task.
For Dior you surprisingly need boobs. Or two pins on the back and two elbows very close to your waist in order to prevent it from falling down. Fabrics are absolutely fabulous.
I don't remember in which dress exactly I was photographed recently, but I do remember one great thing about the fabrics. They bend the light in a fantastic way that makes the rays fall on your skin and brighten your face as if it was glowing with happiness and relax. Perfect red carpet solution. You can move, you can take even big steps, you look great and you feel marvellous. Irrespective of the fact that this colection might be considered a little bit conservative, it was just great as it was tailored for the women who will wear it.
And it's not only my personal opinion. Ieva, who is in the picture and with whom I shared a room in July, said right after the show that she just felt fantastic. Sometimes you look fantastic, but fantastic you definitely feel not.
Stephane Rollande. "Don't move, don't speak, don't think, look fabulous". Holy Jesus. The fabric is great and you get a divine shape in this dress, but this rubber decoration on the sleeves is freaking heavy! And these stripes are a truly worth Araki. Haute bondage.
I just adore this Alexis Mabille's dress. Full stop.
Chanel. I cannot help expressing my personal opinion again. This is one of my two favorite collections, all the designs were extremely beautiful, feminine and respectful of women's different shapes and attitudes. Moreover, Chanel haute couture is one of the most comfortable things I have ever imagined wearing because of the silk linings of truly luxurious quality.
Jean Paul Gautier. It felt awkward to wear this dress as it implied that Andriej Pejic has more breasts than me. I must be as flat as a table...
Iris van Herpen is freaking genious! I don't know what it is and how she made it, but wearing this insane dresses feels so great! So great! It's more a sculpture than a garment. But is fantastic!
And here comes creme de la creme:
Valentino
Givenchy
For me, this is the essence of post-feminism in fashion, although each fahion house understands it slightly different. When it comes to Valentino, the dresses are like a breath of fresh air, they set free a women that wears them instead of catching her in a golden cage. Thei prove that beauty does not necesarily need a sacrifice. You can look astounding withouth suffering from a physical discomfort. In Valentino, you can lauugh, dance, walk, you can even jump and run, the dress is not a limit. On the other hand, Givenchy's post-feministis attitude is not about freedom, is about the link with primal strenght. The dress that is in the picture is made from leather that nearly melts with the skin of a women who wears it. It interacts with her and evokes animal instincts, sharpens intuition and lifts confidence. It has never happened to me in any dress to feel as a fighter. As if I could do anything, reach anything and was intestructable. As if nobody could stop me and the Great Mother's blood was flowing in my veins. In this gown, I was not fragile at all. I was full of power.
And talking about couture and feminism, Pier Paolo Piccioli, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Riccardo Tisci are not the only ones to fight for women's rights with a thread and a needle.
Ghada Amer has a lot to say about this with couture too.
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