Today marked the end of SP13 Couture in Paris. There is something about Couture week which places it as my favourite of all fashion weeks, I think it is fashion being viewed more as art and admired rather than to be worn out everyday. This makes each piece more special and magical than the normal Spring Summer collections as the designers are allowed to push their ideas further and let creativity be he leading factor rather than practicality.
For me Karl Lagerfeld is the master of couture (recognise where I rephrased that cheeky line from?..think Hitchcock). But he forever manages to amaze with each and every collection and this season is no different. Starting with the classic Chanel tweed he reflects the loose knit across the collection with rough lace and feathers. The textures used across the collection with a range of fabrics from tweed to leather to feathers could seem overwhelming yet the simple black and white colour (except a few glimpses of pastels) scheme keeps it feel nothing but magical in the setting of an enchanted forest filled with fairies with a gothic touch and reminding me rather of the vampire fairies in Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty.
(I tried to cut down the collection to my favourite few, but it turned into more a favourite dozen or so.)
And what about the rest of the designers? In a rather more prim and proper garden Dior presented a rather more prim and proper collection with highly structured pieces, a few more bright colours and cut outs but kept the floral theme coming. (Again I didn't do the best job at cutting down the collection to my favourite pieces)
(All images from Style.com)
Elie Saab took us out of the gardens but kept the beautiful and delicate lace theme up. While much of the collection felt very similar it kept the entire collection delicate with subtle changes with colour and beading. The finale stands out from rest of the collection as most dramatic (but yes I do sort of want to be married in that dress.)
Finale
(All images from Style.com)
Valentino was a beautiful as ever and I was introduced to some new designers (at least for me) Ulyana Sergeenko a Russian fashion designer and photographer who took us back to the fairytale theme and Giambattista Valli. Here's my pick from all of these designers and more.
I was one of the fortunate few who stood sweating in the ridiculously hot London Aquarium last Saturday night to see Azealia Banks perform at her Mermaid Ball (costume not obligatory) and boy was she worth it.
Entering the aquarium greeted by free popcorn, drinks and candy floss to wonder through the almost empty aquarium felt like a sneaky experience, there after everybody else had gone home. Once the doors opened into the next room people rushed through into the small space to get ready to see Azealia Banks perform. While some people made no effort at all with costumes through out the night we found ourselves chatting with people in costumes made simply from cardboard fish stuck to them to the winner of the mermaid costume competition with a Brazilian festival style head dress, sequinned skirt and heels to match.
Our not quite so impressive outfits
Though we were left waiting (and sweating) for a few hours before Azealia come onto stage accompoined by the beautiful Cara Delevingne, we were kept entertained and our excitedment was built by a load of singers, DJ's and rappers. But Azealia was the best of all, she kept each song relatively short to keep up the pace of her set, the audience on their toes and dancing like mad. Her songs 1991 and Liquorice were amazing but her well known 212, which has been playing everywhere all summer, was the most exceptional closing song I've ever bore witness to. As the music start the entire room turned into an entire mosh pit and danced non stop! An amazing gig and I'll be jumping at the chance to ever see her again.
