Couture – Front Row Fashion & Street Style
For me, a big part of the fun of a week of runway shows – like the Fall 2012 Couture collections – is seeing the street style looks that the lucky attendees put together for the shows, dinners, and parties. Seeing how the various designer collections translate to “real life” is inspiring, motivational, and downright fun.
Fabulous! I love the whole two-toned look and how she picked materials and silhouettes that keep it from being too casual. J’adore!
The volume of this mini takes it up a level so she’s right at home sitting front row at the Dior Couture show.
A pretty printed dress is the perfect look for a Dior show and I think that this beautiful flocked knee-length frock is ideal for Couture.
A lipstick red suit it cute enough but when you turn a suit top into a chic little tee with a contrasting black pocket I’m all yours!!!
Little Black Dress + Sequined Clutch + Saddle Shoes = the understated French je ne sais quoi.
Parisian street style chic at its finest – Whether they’re wearing ripped jeans, chic black & white, or a midi, these ladies know how to mix & match their separates for maximum impact.
Bright, flirty florals, a demure silhouette, and a too chic peplum. What a fabulous frock, I’m in awe.
The Russian fashion ladies are stylish and their looks vary dramatically between them. Such great contrasts!
I love a short-suit and this is a stylish example, I really like the chic cut of the jacket and the subtle ruffle along the hem of the shorts. And those shoes… Wow.
Elizabeth von Guttman, Alexia Niedzielski, Shala Monroque, Elena Perminova and Ulyana Sergeenko – All distinctly different looks for Giambattista Valli, but all very chic, well put together, and appropriate. From solid colored separates and midriff-baring tops, to printed suits and floor length florals, the front row is almost as fun as the runway!
The ladies spiced things up for the Versace show and chose edgier outfits, from lace cut outs, to leather, to dramatic stitching. Donatella would approve!
In addition to seeing the looks that celebrities, editors, and other fashion insiders put together for their front row appearances, I love to take a look at the (often heavily made-up) models as they run between runways shows or head out to parties. Model street style is always a great combination of pieces & styles, since they have the opportunity to see so many collections and have exposure to so many designers. Jealous!
I love a colorful maxi skirt and this combination – the basic white tee paired with the metallic pink oversized clutch – is flirty, fun, and perfect for Summer.
Only Hanneli could make a couture Valentino gown look so low-key and street-appropriate.
AMAZING coat + killer heels, what more does a girl need?
I adore the layering here! Cut-off white shorts, a blue & white button-up PJ top, a tan leather motorcycle jacket, ankle booties, retro round sunglasses & a killer two-toned clutch. Such an unexpected combination of pieces, but it works!
And finally, a fashion favorite of mine, hit it girl!
She’s going to couture shows in Paris. French designers. In Paris. I mean, could she have picked a more adorably over-the-top French look?
Sources: Harper’s Bazaar, Tom & Lorenzo, Cristina’s Blog & Mr. Blasberg
What’s your favorite look here?
Links You’ll Love
Happy Monday everyone!
Here are some fun links to get your week started right. Enjoy!
Fashion:
When I saw this shot I was pretty intrigued. This is quite the vampy, sexy manicure! DIY Nail Art: A French Manicure That Fades To Black.
How you style a look is nearly as important as the pieces itself. Want some new ideas and tips on how to mix the pieces in your closet? WhoWhatWear to the rescue – June Styling Tips.
Does the ethics of a brand affect how much you like it? Vogue – Style Ethics: Olivia Wilde’s Bag for Alternative Apparel + Our Favorite Eco-Friendly Picks.
Did you enjoy all of the 2013 Resort Collections? Well Eat, Sleep, Denim has a must have a list from the shows for you – Denim Trends: A Wishlist.
Health/Fitness:
I don’t know about you, but I’m at a loss without music. Can’t work out. Can’t run. The right playlist not only gets you amped up for your exercise routine, it can keep you going when you’re ready to quit! These gym-regulars have just the play list for you – Victoria’s Secret Angel Erin Heatherton, Dutch model & Organice Your Life founder Lonneke Engel, and model slash DJ Harley Viera-Newton.
I don’t know about you, but fresh veggies and colorful salads are always a highlight of the summer for me. I love crisp, bright, refreshing recipes full of farmer’s market fare. If you agree check this out – Sweet and Savory: 3 Ways to Enjoy Summer Carrots.
A raw diet is something that I tried when I first went gluten-free and vegan a few years ago, after reading Carol Alt’s Eating in the Raw: A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Slimmer, Feeling Healthier, and Looking Younger the Raw-Food Way. While I don’t follow a 100% raw diet 100% of the time, I definitely appreciate the health benefits and continue to eat a high raw diet – usually I eat raw until dinner. Well, luckily for us Miss Alt is back with a new book called Easy Sexy Raw: 130 Raw Food Recipes, Tools, and Tips to Make You Feel Gorgeous and Satisfied. Check out the review on Amazon or the piece on her new book in the NY Daily News.
It might not be news to you, but studies show that Sleepy Brains Are Drawn To Junk Food. Which means that in addition to introducing major health problems, reducing concentration, and causing forgetfulness, sleep deprivation can cause weight gain. Are you getting enough sleep? Check out my post on sleeping – Confessions of a Former Insomniac.
Just as I love braids for summer, there are certain makeup looks that just scream Summertime to me. From dewy skin to bronzed perfection, find the perfect look for warm weather days. The Zoe Report’s 10 Summer Beauty Wants – Hot Topic and Gala Darling’s beauty obsessions on Beauty Bender.
Summary Saturday
I’m going to take a page out of the fabulous Fashion On Top‘s book blog and make today’s post a summary of what’s happened over the last week on the blog and the other various social media outlets that I post on.
New Blog Posts:
- MCLV Style: Pleats & Peplums
- 2013 Resort Collections
- Sasha Maks Vintage Jewelry Trunk Show
- Looks of the Week
- Links You’ll Love
- Chanel’s Little Black Jacket
- May Round-Up
Are you subscribed to the blog and receiving an email when a new post is published? If not, click the SUBSCRIBE ME button on the right hand side of the screen.
Instagram:
Food – While I don’t photograph all of my food or even all of the new recipes that I try, sometimes a meal is just too tasty or too fun to pass up a photo-op. Here are a couple shots that passed the test this week.
SERIOUS munching over here! #Shakti #indianfood #vegan #glutenfree
Snacking. #rawrevolution #synergy #healthysnacks
#cantstopeating #vegan #glutenfree
Fashion – When I can remember I’ll snap a picture of my accessories, handbag, or even my outfit for the day. Most of my Instagram updates are my jewelry though, since its the easiest to capture solo.
Wearing a new dress always makes my day! #sanfrancisco @Zara
Hello lover! @ninewest #fashion #sanfrancisco
Time to switch wallets! @CHANEL @Longchamp_US @HenriBendel #Fendi #Goyard @veneta_bottega
Misc – What I’m best at capturing are all of the random things that happen throughout the day. The frustrations that everyone can relate to as well as the little “I love my life” moments. From outing in San Francisco & weekends away to shopping adventures & meals out on the town to my crazy cats & amazing friends, family, and boyfriend.
“@project_zen SO glad that I moved a block from this spa!!! #massage #spoilingmyself
I ❤ crazy busy days & To Do lists! #stayorganized #busyday #ilovemylife
You can follow me on instagram @moicontrelavie.
- Love this – I say yes to manners!!! Ladies First—Still Relevant or Hopelessly Outdated?
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Absolutely MAD for the Jason Wu Resort 2013 collection. Don’t think I can live without this! Jason Wu Resort 2013 Look
- Wise words to start the day. “Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.” – Edna Woolman
- Do you love lingerie? Me too! The Art of Lingerie
- BCBG Summer Sale – My go-to for work dresses and great accessories. Check it out!
- Man Repeller, Rebecca Minkoff & Hilary Rhoda – I’ve officially lost track of how many times I’ve watched this! Call Us, Maybe?
- Check out my Asos Fashion Finder look! Parks & Recreation – You can shop the pieces on Asos.com
- Sex vs Sensuality. Men vs Women. Check out supermodel Anja Rubik for 25 Magazine (Formerly Viva) Anja Rubik: Lets Talk About Sex
- Need more Cannes? Watch the Cannes Film Festival edition of Garance Dore’s Pardon My French or read The French Riviera – The 2012 Cannes Film Festival
- “Life is short…buy the shoes.” Words of wisdom
Lookbook – You can see my Lookbook looks here, you can FAN me to get an email update when I post a new look, or you can HYPE my looks if you like them!
2012 amfAR’s Cinema Against AIDS
One of the brilliant events at the Cannes Film Festival each year is the amFAR Gala. This is a great fashion event and many Hollywood stars, models, fashion insiders, designers, bloggers, and photographers who don’t attend the Film Festival itself will make the trip to Cannes for this party alone.
This Elie Saab gown is about glitz and glamour rather than dreamy romance as with many of his creations that we see on the red carpet. And Nina couldn’t have chosen a more dramatic or eye-catching gown, it suited her to perfection. Definitely one of my favorite gowns of the evening.
This space-age inspired gown from the Versace Spring 2012 Couture Collection is absolutely amazing. When else would you be able to pull off a gown like this other than the MET Ball?
You can see the original gown here on Style.com worn by model Ros Georgiou on the Milan runway last year.
Interesting backs are my favorite part of a dress and this Emilio Pucci gown did not disappoint. The beading and sheer detailing on the front, high boatneck neckline, and draped back made this a gorgeous gorgeous look.
I loved the delicate fabric, square neckline and buttoned-up back on Kylie’s red siren gown. These details made it really unique and memorable.
Karolina’s gold Roberto Cavalli gown was intricate and beautiful, featuring sheer fabric, sequins, and an adorable matching jacket.
Drama Drama Drama. If you watch the video below you’ll see how amazing, and scandalous, this gown looks in motion. GIven her public persona and her function at the event, I couldn’t have picked a better gown for her.
Diane “the Queen of Cannes” Kruger wore another gorgeous Chanel creation, this time choosing a knee-length retro style number. Not my favorite look of hers from the Festival but eye-catching without a doubt.
Louis Vuitton seemed to be Kirsten’s go-to designer for all of the Cannes events this year, and this was another triumph. The covered up neckline, dramatic floral belt, and sweet tiers kept things interesting.
This white Versace column gown is anything but minimalist with the buckled straps across the back and shimmering silver detailing.
This year was even more special than in the past because Miss Carine Roitfeld hosted the “Perfect Black Wardrobe” Fashion Show where 25 top models walked the runway in black gowns, dresses, and suits submitted by the world’s top designers and design houses – from Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel to Ralph Lauren and Mr. Giambattista Valli. You can even watch some clips from this amazing runway show here from FashionTV.
Curious how it might be to be an invitee to the Cannes Film Festival attending all of the amazing events and parties? Read Erin Wasson’s Cannes Style Diary over at Harper’s Bazaar for party pictures, outfit details, invitations, and much much more.
Cruising In Versailles
During the late Spring and early Summer there’s a bit of a lull in the fashion industry. Well, no, that’s not exactly right, but between cleaning up after the Fall shows, preparing the Spring lines, and attending the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute Gala and the Cannes Film Festival, fashion insiders can always look forward to the smaller, more intimate Resort shows. Like the Couture and Pre-Fall shows, Resort collections usually have fewer looks, more intimate presentations, and aren’t shown in one of the four fashion capitals – New York, London, Milan, or Paris.
This year Mr. Karl Lagerfeld presented the always glamorous, always stunning, Chanel Resort Collection in the historic, fairytale city of Versailles. He even wore a slightly different variation of his standard uniform to the show – blue & black plaid.
Cara Delevingne opened the low-key runway show in a powder blue knee-length flared dress with capsleeves, matching court shoe-inspired booties, and a bobbed blue wig. This look was indicative of the entire show, which could be almost be summed up as Marie Antoinette meets Nicki Minaj for a girls night out.
Severely cropped bobs in blues, purples, pinks, noir, and blonde were worn by the models as they walked through the fountain strewn gardens in wide-leg shorts and flowing pants, heavy, thick maxi skirts, bathing suits, and sweet knee-length dresses.
And the accessories de jour for this season’s show? Platform sneakers and oh-so-cute Chanel double C tattoos.
I really enjoyed this show, the clothes all had a dramatic quality to them, which was enticing, though not necessarily something you’d plan to wear. The heavy fabrics, brocades, and intricate detailing evoked a movie set with filled with period costumes. And somehow Karl’s (can I call you Karl?) showmanship continues to improve season after season. He’s not selling clothes here, he’s selling an idea. He’s offering up a fantasy lifestyle that brings to mind the decadence of a period long past. He’s giving us an escape. And for a few blissful minutes as we watch this show, we forget about our world of alarm clocks and deadlines and 9-5 jobs. For a few minutes we’re lost in the gorgeous fabrics, stunning colors, and dream-like scene he’s created for our entertainment.
Source, Source, Source & Source
Never to be outdone by the models the front row of a Chanel show is always just as fashionable as the runway. Last year we got the pleasure of seeing Blake Lively, Rachel Bilson, and – another one of my girl crushes – Clemence Posey. This year the attendees included Vanessa Paradis, Cecile Cassel, Laura Bailey, Alice Dellal, Ines de la Fressange, Joana Preiss, and Caroline Seiber. They wore a gorgeous collection of Chanel separates and dresses from this and previous seasons. I especially liked the heavy-looking florals and tweeds in darker shades of blue, purple, and dusty pink.
This is a great dress for such an occasion. It’s a beautiful, interesting pattern with some shine to it so she really stands out. The neckline looks really unique and pretty though, which makes me wish she’d worn her hair up so we could see it better.
A bright pink tweed shirtdress with puffy sleeves? Yes please!
French actress and singer Cécile Cassel looked phenomenal in boxy, cropped royal blue tweed jacket and flowy midi skirt. She topped her look off with wind-swept platinum locks and a modified bowler hat.
Tres chic, as they say. I like that she didn’t go for a matchy matchy blue sandal.
And fabulous was served up by the one in a million Tilda Swinton. She has a truly amazing style, its partially due to her coloring and fashion choices, and partially her confidence and that Blue Steel stare! She can wear things that no one else can. When you see something on a runway and think to yourself “no one could make that work”, she’s the one who can make it work.
Sleek, dramatic, and androgynous, but still mesmerizing and sexy.
Fierce!
Are you interested in seeing Karl Lagerfeld’s previous sartorial accomplishments? Check out his Paris Fashion Week Fall 2012, Pre-Fall 2012, Paris Fashion Week Spring 2012, and Spring 2012 Couture collections.
I’ll be back soon with more Resort 2013 collections and the fabulous Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Au revoir for now!
Moi Contre La Vie 