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· July 6, 2007 3:02 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· July 6, 2007 3:19 AM by
Dain
· July 6, 2007 8:58 AM by
cmm
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Posted by Dain, Friday, July 06, 2007 2:23 AM (Eastern)
A final summary of the eyeshadow shades...
I wanted to offer shades that were above all wearable. It's easy to offer shades that delight the eyes but that doesn't mean that most women makes much use out of a quint of blues, which is why I only offer two. But nothing boring, even the plainest shades are suitably complex to make them stand out. I think these six sets are enough for anyone to recreate any look but the most colorful, and the shades are such that they can be mixed and matched even outside of the sets. Because of the flower illustrations on the covers, there won't be any confusion between them.
The swatches aren't quite what I have in my mind, but you get the idea. They are six pale shades, all a little sheer to make for ethereal highlights: one satiny, milky nude without any detectable shimmer on application (just a little to keep it from being flat), two champagnes (one pale, cool, like candlelight, an all-purpose highlight, the other warm, slightly deeper and richer), gold and silver (not harsh but very soft), and a lilac (a universal pastel). There are six medium shades, rich and complex, for soft depth as a crease and suchlike: two neutrals with much complexity (grey and brown), and four colors (pink, purple, green, and blue). And finally, six liner shades, highly pigmented for the most impact: black matte, dark brown, purple, bronze, dark green, and navy.
Couture Collections this fall were mostly disappointing...
And I'm sure they've long ago been profiled in depth, but I'm not interested in picking these apart. Couture is to fashion what architecture is to art, and in that it is intended to a monument in some form. In any case, here are a few of the highlights:
Now, am I the only one who finds Chanel horrendeously overrated? Two dozen upholstered tee shirts layered over matching tights (the fabrics were nice, but they were boxy and very flat, like paper doll clothes), a handful of soigné suits and some truly hideous dresses, and the proportions all wrong, wrong, wrong. A couple of things were almost, but I only really liked the dress above, and it is so resolutely plain. Boo. The same goes for Lacroix, equally a mess, and he usually thrives in a couture environment. I liked, but did not love, the exaggerated pearls with the cape-coat.
As much as couture is intended to push the limits of tailoring, I thought the constructions offered by Givenchy were kind of gross—I've never really been much of a fan of beige anyway. I did however marvel at this one dress: it really does resemble plumage, yet is entirely conceptual at the same time.
I had difficulty seeing much differentiation between Armani's couture and the ready-to-wear (sorry to say); I expect small miracles in couture. Still, I thought these two were stand-outs. What an unbelieveable coat!—bold yet sumptuous. If I could pick one of these to have, it would be this coat without question. As for the LBD (though it is perhaps not so little), I liked its unexpected combination of elements: the rich, meticulous beading on inky black, applied with discretion, and the way the bodice floats away from her body; the overall effect is like she is wearing two dresses layered over each other, so strange and beautiful.
These are all Elie Saab, and I'm grateful to see that he has not decided to be ridiculous like Lagerfeld and Lacroix, and opted for the beautiful. But, one walks a fine line... is this couture? Or merely pretty clothes? I love the nacreous palette, but I don't find these particularly couture-like.
And then I saw this. Perfect for the Oscars, I think, for a woman who has the guts to wear it.
Now these would be fun suits to wear, though perhaps not to work (though presumably if you can afford couture, you don't really work). The burnt orange and the navy and teal velvets, now this is how one does monochromatic couture, Karl Lagerfeld. It's just a touch militaristic, if you notice, but at first glance it's all femme. I don't have anything against austere couture, so long as it has a sense of humour. I like to see that there is thought behind the tailoring, rather than an ostentation of piled-up-frills.
Now this is couture! Breathtaking, one-of-a-kind, sartorial magic, requires no description whatsoever. Thank you, Galliano, for giving us the real stuff! Is not the white satin sheath with its rose to die for, even if it is somewhat uteral? (Is that a word?)
Labels: alchemist's apprentice, beauty notes, couture, fashion notes
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July 6, 2007 3:02 AM,
I like your warm eyeshadow shades. They look wearable, yet not dull...that's a feat.
Couture generally puts me to sleep but I like those Galliano pics. :)
July 6, 2007 3:19 AM,
It's not the best best couture, admittedly. It's pretty derivative, but at least it's not ugly or boring like the other lines.
July 6, 2007 8:58 AM,
I like that last set of dress pics. I especially like the first 3 white dresses. That sheath is beautiful and the first big white dress reminds me of the beautful dresses Lucille Ball wears on "I Love Lucy".Oh, I love 1950's styles, all that post World War 2 glamour. Maybe it will make a comeback? I would love that!
I like the pink drawn-on dress. It kinda reminds me of the t-shirts that have the tuxedos printed on them! LOL! Fun!
Oh the hats! HATS! I love hats! I love to wear hats. They are so hard to find and sooooo expensive. I love to go places and be wearing a hat. I'll be the only lady w/in miles and miles in a hat. Makes for a great conversation starter!
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