Today has marked the start of the spring/summer couture 2012 shows in Paris! The incredibly expensive, incredibly detailed outfits that are showcased in the bi-annual couture shows may be beyond any attainable sense of reality (unless you're fantastically rich, of course), yet there remains something highly appealing about these other-worldly displays of glamour.
Atelier Versace was the first showing of the day, and expectations were high - their first public presentation since 2004, and after the hugely successful collaboration with high-street brand H&M, Versace seems to be heading back to the top. The couture outfits today were a mixture of bold metallics and high-gloss fabrics, to achieve a some-what "space age" effect. Whilst not incredibly exciting, the attention to detail was obvious, although i've never been Donatella's biggest fan and won't be converting any time soon.
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| Atelier Versace |
Next was Bouchra Jarrar, with a rang of soft, ultra-feminine gowns, accentuated with sculptural elements around the neck and waistline.
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| Bouchra Jarrar |
Likewise Christopher Josse paints an ethereal image of grace and serenity with a beautiful palette of feather and silk
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| Christopher Josse |
Alexis Mabille presented a somewhat surreal affair, mixing sumptuous gowns with overly-large headwear and dramatic makeup. I love this collection as it managed to be fun as well as lovely to look at.
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| Alexis Mabille |
The next big show was Christian Dior, and notable in his absence was John Galliano, who has been temporarily replaced by Bill Gayten. I have very mixed feelings on this collection, as there is obviously a sad lacking of Galliano's trademark dramatic flair; in its place is a selection of looks evidently inspired by the 1950's Dior heyday and whilst there is nothing wrong with this collection, it still feels like i've seen it all before.
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| Christian Dior |
Maurizio Galante aimed for the complete opposite of Dior's vintage high-society feel, instead creating a series of deconstructed "outfits", complete with webbing, loose trails of fabric and some positively avant-garde headwear. I really want to like this collection, yet it feels far too messy to sit well in a couture show.
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| Maurizio Galante |
Giambattista Valli focused on a selectively monochrome palette of blacks, whites, and deep purples, occaisonally shot through with flashes of hot pink. Particularly love the diverse range of multi-layered textures on show here.
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Giambattista Valli
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Iris Van Herpen finished the day off with a futuristic collection of sculptured angles and intricate patterns.
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Iris Van Herpen
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All images from NowFashion
