What Is Happening To Fashion?

Fashion Through The Years;

Where Is It Now?

"Fashion is forever changing" - that's the quote that we hear on an almost daily basis as a fashion student. But is it really true? From the 1900's to 2000's, fashion developed at such a rapid pace, that it was almost difficult to keep up with what was In and what was considered Out at any one time. Each decade had it's trends and faux pas and as a result, we now find ourselves looking at an outfit and thinking, "that is such a classic 20's look", or "feeling inspiration from the 80's today, love?".

That, however, is exactly the problem with fashion nowadays. It just recycles and repeats itself. Designers and street style are using trends from decades passed and integrating it with florals for Spring and dark colours for Fall. It's repetitive and quite frankly, boring me to tears. I used to look forward to Fashion Week (I still do, don't get me wrong), to see what sort of clothes would be on our high streets six months from then, but now I feel as though I couldn't care less. 

This might seem a little out of the blue and strange to randomly start talking about, but I was just catching up on all of the Couture fashion collections from last week (I was in Leeds for 5 days, so I didn't have time to keep on top of it all) and just did not find more than one collection that I felt that I could write about without falling asleep half way through. Even my idol Elie Saab had me thinking that I was suffering from a case of Deja Vu and had seen it all before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting designers to come up with something completely new every time they create a collection, but I just don't want to see similar things every time. No one does. Especially with Couture - it's supposed to be unique for crying out loud!

Perhaps it is this reason that I haven't been all that interested in blogging these past few months. I just haven't found something that makes me think 'Wow, I have to write about this'. And that's really disappointing. Maybe I should expand Vita di Moda into lifestyle and then I would have more to write about? Everyone loves a good sex and relationship blog, let's be honest...

What do you think about fashion nowadays? Do you think it's as repetitive as I do? Let me know what you think!

Photo Credit: www.mytights.com

A Display Fit For A Princess: Part II

A Display Fit For A Princess:

Part II

If you're a regular here at Vita di Moda, you'll know that I recently made a little post regarding the concept behind Harrods Christmas window displays down in London this year. Well, Part II here is going to show you what said displays look like and just exactly what I think of the displays as a whole - which may surprise you, as my opinion certainly surprised me once I laid eyes on the displays. Take a little look at the displays first of all.

Snow White by Oscar de la Renta

Tiana by Ralph & Russo

Mulan by Missoni

Ariel by Marchesa

Jasmin by Escada

Belle by Valentino

Sleeping Beauty by Elie Saab

Rapunzel by Jenny Packham

Pocahontas by Roberto Cavalli

Cinderella by Versace

Now, originally once I had seen sketches and heard about the concept for the Christmas displays, my favourite was Elie Saab's creation for Sleeping Beauty, followed by Versace's Cinderella as a close second. However, after seeing the displays, I can't help but feel that the dresses themselves are a little underwhelming and lackluster and if it weren't for the lavish displays surrounding them, I doubt I would even take a second glance at them at all. Cinderella's dress for example looks slightly cheap with that hologram fabric, and I can't help but feel that Marchesa's Ariel inspired dress looks - dare I say it - boring. In the sketches for both, you get the illusion of expense, luxurious fabrics and exquisite detailing, but in the actual dresses you don't really see much of those things going on. It's a darn shame really, especially if you, like me have been anticipating the big reveal.

From what I can see on Elie Saab's Aurora, the dress is lovely - I just wish we could have seen a little more, especially when the original sketch shows the dress to have a rather large detailed skirt. Tiana's dress is stunning, as is Rapunzel's - these three are probably my favourites now that I've seen the actual dresses in their displays. 

Overall I can't help but feel a little disappointed with the fashion aspect of the window displays, however they are still magical and amazing to look at and I still do want to take a trip down to London nearer Christmas and take a look for myself in person. 

What do you think of the displays? Were you as disappointed as I was? Or am I just being over the top?

Photo Credit: www.vogue.co.uk

A Display Fit For A Princess

Harrods Christmas Display;
Fit For A Princess

Nothing pleases me more than fashion and fairy tales  so when the two collide together to grace the window's of Harrods annual Christmas display, I can't help but get all giddy with delight. Everyone knows that when it comes to this festive time of year, retailers in London as well as other fashion capitols around the world start to reveal some of the most magnificent window displays we've ever seen. Harrods is one of said retailers and this year it's set to be magical by the help of some well known designers in the fashion industry.

The concept? For top designers - including Oscar de la Renta, Valentino & Versace - to redesign a dress for each Disney princess and have them displayed as of November 1st. It gets better: there's even a 7,000 sq ft Disney Princess pop-up store on the 4th floor which is open to the public as of now! I was actually thinking of taking a trip down to London for the Christmas markets this year, but now that i've heard about Harrods Disney Princess display, I definitely have to. 

There are ten designs to be put on show, however I've chosen my top five to show you here. If you want to see them all, just pop on over to Pinterest by clicking HERE.

Sleeping Beauty by Elie Saab - My Favourite

Ariel by Marchesa - Close favourite.

Cinderella by Versace - Again, a close favourite.

Rapunzel by Jenny Packham

Tiana by Ralph Russo

Photo Credit: www.vogue.co.uk

Paris Fashion Week SS'13: Days 8 & 9

Paris Fashion Week:
Days 8 & 9

We've eventually come to the end of SS'13 Fashion Month and it has done so with a bang: shows from the wonderful Sarah Burton/Alexander McQueen, my all time favourite and inspiration Elie Saab and of course: Chanel, Valentino, JCDC, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton and Paco Robanne all showed on the final two days this week of PFW. Oh and while I'm posting this on the night of the Cosmopolitan Blogger Awards, I'd just like to say congratulations to my category winner, Lulu Trixabelle and runner up It's A LDN Thing!

Day 8

 Chanel

Stripped down to one and only element: Karl Lagerfeld took the classic Chanel aesthetic and simplified it with large, gobstopper sized pearls, clean white cuts and a little decoration in the form of some cross-stitched-esque and applique florals. My favourite looks were the simple, clean cut pieces with oversized pearls on both the clothes and the bracelets/necklaces. Some silhouettes verged on clinical - look at the white dress with oversized pearls shown above - as though they were simply a piece of cloth wrapped around the body, but in a way I still liked them as they would make for a very interesting editorial shoot. The actual show set was extremely noteworthy, as the runway was lined on either side by giant wind turnbines which could make you think that Chanel was going to take a slightly more ecological route for Spring 2013. Karl mentioned the set after the show stating: "It's more about the mood of the times, not something you translate...It's all about the wind, it's in the air". Oh and there was even a bag which was basically a hula hoop with a large pocket. Anything goes when it comes to Karl Lagerfeld though. He likes to keep us on our toes.

 JCDC

JCDC is one of those designers whom I truly have an appreciation for, purely because of his raw, creative talent and ability to have me excited about how fun fashion can be after looking at any of his collections. Spring/Summer 2013 is no different. In fact, I think he managed to shock me, but in a way that I was completely unprepared for - he gave us garments that I could actually see myself wearing. Normally, a JCDC collection to me is all for a bit of fun. To appreciate but only from afar. At his show on Tuesday however, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of garments that I mentally wrote down on my SS'13 wishlist: the green palm tree print skirts, dresses and trouser suits, as well as the grey/beige coloured dress with large sleeves, leather side panels and belted waist. I could even see myself trying out his clear coats with almost bionic metallic detailing up the front. I don't know how I could have been more pleased if I'm honest.

Alexander McQueen

I don't think I have to tell you what the theme for SS'13 was in the mind of Sarah Burton: bee's, bee keepers and all things honeycomb. Personally I think it was a fantastic take on Spring/Summer, and definitely different from shows that we've seen this past month - which is a breath of fresh air to be quite frank. Peplum waists were back through coat tails and slightly strange framed pieces. Harness', leather and honeycomb patterns were a heavy feature in the collection, with florals taking on a brighter and quite obvious role in the finale gowns. The shoes were as ever, impeccable: the platforms were filled with tiny jewels in yellow/gold and red, with other designs taking on a netted look in black. The headgear, while undeniably interesting and amazing alongside the garments on the runway, is ultimately a show piece: Susie Bubble couldn't pull something like that off on the street. Although it would be interesting to see how someone might style that bad boy. 

Day 9

Elie Saab

My love: Elie Saab. The man who introduced me to fashion when I came across his collections on Fashion TV - you've heard this story before on here, so I won't bore you with it again. For Spring 2013, Elie Saab took on a rather minimalist approach, using bright pops of colour to make a statement. Colourful tailoring opened the show with trouser suits, nipped in blazers with a fanned peplum detailing on the front to help define the start and stop of each separate and some rather gorgeous bags to match. Then came the print: colourful ink-blot patterns mixed in with streaks of black to break things up a little and to define the waist, then flowed into lace-y pieces in black and white. The finale gowns were as ever the best part of the show. Amazingly intricate bead work with floating skirts and the odd thigh-high slit added some much needed sex appeal and red carpet sparkle. Although the collection didn't necessarily have the wow factor that we saw from the designer in February's A/W'12 shows, it was still one of beauty and I absolutely adored it.

Now that Fashion Month is over, which collection stole your heart across the four cities?

Photo Credit: www.vogue.co.uk - edited on polyvore

The Best Of: Haute Couture Fall 2012

The Best Of:

Haute Couture Fall 2012

Versace Haute Couture Fall 2012

When I first began to think about the Haute Couture collections for Fall 2012, I thought "do I write about each in turn? or do I just group them together and do a sort of, 'Best Of' post?", well as you may have realised by now, I opted for the latter. Pinterest proved itself as my main source for images today (until the day I'm personally invited to the shows! *wink*), as it is quick, easy and has every fashion source available these days - Vogue, Nina Garcia, Harper's Bazaar, WWD etc - all under one tab. Also, I then realised that the Elie Saab show wasn't to be found at Vogue, so I'm glad I opted to use Pinterest in the first place.

The elite few members of the Haute Couture club will have a rather dashing choice of attire this Fall, as the collections from Dior, Elie Saab, Chanel, Iris Van Herpen, Giambattista Valli, Versace, Valentino, Maison Martin Margiela, Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy are all beyond fabulous. Ok, so maybe there were one or two collections which I felt didn't really, entice me, shall we say. For me, when it comes to Couture, I want it to look and feel Avante-Garde. Costume-like, if you will. Fair enough, some say that fashion designers should make collections that are wearable and can relate to every day working life, however, with Couture, I see it as more of a 'look and don't touch' scenario. If you want something wearable, go for the RTW and Resort shows. Couture comes from only a handful of select designers. It should be different to anything we've seen from their RTW collections - almost like it should be displayed in a glass cabinet in a museum, or at the very least, worn to some elaborate Venetian masquerade ball.

Anyway, that's enough of my view on Haute Couture. Let's get back to the shows: After looking at each collection in detail, I have come up with my top three. First up we have the gorgeous and colourful collection by Versace. When you think back to Versace's SS'12 Couture collection, you just think "wow" (then start to swoon) so you might think that it could be difficult for Donatella to top what she gave us at the beginning of the year. Well, I didn't think it was possible, but when you look at the Fall collection, you almost start to forget what that SS collection even looked like. For Fall 2012, Versace gives us colour: shades of purple (a huge trend featured in the Fall RTW shows in February), blue, green, pink, yellow. It's a magical array of colour that is bound to help clear away any shadows that Autumn/Winter may bestow upon us. One main feature in the collection - as with many of Versace's recent designs - is the structured corset, with panel detailing that hugs the feminine silhouette in all the right places. It is absolutely beautifully designed, and a treat to lay your eyes upon. The entire Fall collection is beautifully intimidating to look at: actually, the three images below look like a modern day take on the costumes for the three fairies in Sleeping Beauty, don't you think? If I owned a piece of Versace couture, I don't think I would ever take it of!

Next up we have the amazing Jean Paul Gaultier. What can I say about the fall couture collection? Well, for starters, it gave me what I wanted to see in a Couture show: exactly that - a show. It was theatrical, comical and generally amazing. To me, it seemed like a mix of Alice's Through The Looking Glass and 1920's Gatsby/Fitzgerald. I don't know what I enjoyed more, the elaborate collection, or the fact that JPC took his bow with a black and white zigzag turban on. 

Last up is none other than Elie Saab. As you may already know, Mr Saab is my favourite designer. His shows inspired me to pursue a career in fashion and I will always love his collections. For his Fall Couture line though I felt that the collection - although undoubtedly awe-inspiring - gave me a dose of déjà vu. I was looking at the collection images thinking "Did he not do something similar in his AW'12 RTW collection?" Either way, I can't deny that the collection had me in tears over the fact that I may perhaps never own a piece - it is simply stunning as always.

CLICK TO SEE MORE IMAGES FROM THE FALL 2012 COUTURE SHOW!

What are your thoughts on the above Couture shows? Which was your favourite (mentioned or not)?

Elie Saab Fall 2012 - PFW

Elie Saab Fall 2012

As you probably won't know, Elie Saab was the very first designer that I had ever heard of. At the age of eleven, I discovered Fashion TV via flicking through channels one afternoon in my grans house; there was a Spring/Summer collection currently showing, and it happened to be Elie Saabs. I was instantly transfixed with the colours, fabrics, lights, sounds and fierce stares of the models strutting down the catwalk. I knew from that moment that fashion was the industry that I just had to work in, and I wasn't going to stop until I made it big one day.

My favourite look - Elie Saab Fall 2012

Due to this fact, naturally, I had to watch the AW12 show when it aired online in Paris yesterday (March 7th). I sat with my eyes glued to the pc screen, lusting after every single look that came onto the catwalk.
Karlie Kloss in a grey skirt suit with black panels and peplums kicked the show off, followed by skater skirts, long-fur coats, pencil skirts, halter neck tops and high waisted flare trousers all of which in black, grey and cream.
There was an emphasis on structured daywear for the most part of the show, until the designers signature embellished, floaty, floor-length gowns began to appear; Spider-web lace paneled dresses in black and gorgeous, deep green and teal sequined floor length gowns paved the way for the finale gowns; cream and gold, long sleeved, floor length gowns with semi-exposed backs were covered head to toe in sequins which sparkled with a red carpet glow that is oh so familiar in Elie Saab designs. 

CLICK FOR A FULL LOOK AT THE COLLECTION.

It was breath-taking and everything I expected to see from the label. It reminded me just why I loved Elie Saabs collections to begin with and gave me that little boost to keep my head in the game, so that one day, I will have the dream job that I have wanted for so long.

What did you all think of the collection? I'd love to hear your opinions!