Pritemps et Ete 2011 Haute Couture in Paris.

      Valentino

Beauty, Grace & Style.

       DIOR

            Worth

   CHANEL

Images by kind permission of Valentino (C)

            J-P Gaultier

Images by kind permission of Parfums Christian Dior (C)

Images by kind permission of Chanel (C)

Images by kind permission of Worth (C)

Valentino's Spring-Summer 2011 collection saw a lot of light graceful designs coming down the catwalk. These first two pieces caught my attention becasue I was very interested in the use of the circular moteif in the cut of the necklines of the dresses. 

Much of the collection moved through a neutral palette and these two dresses show the classic understated elegant design that gives this collection a cool striking look.

This is Haute Couture that pleases with it's uncomplicated aesthetic. There is a fluidity and movement in the cut and folds and whether pleated or straight cut. 

The defilles looked like Butterflys as they moved down the catwalk. A lot of the pieces in the collection seemed to move with an almost fluttering movement of their own.

These two looks either side are beautiful pieces for day time occassion wear but the piece to the left in particular could also be worn in the evening to a dinner or the Ballet or Theatre. It's a very elegant piece and I love the ribbon-style tie at the waist. It accentuates the waist and but also gives the outfit a playful delicacy alongside the modern, almost minimalist, collar detail.

               Elie Saab

The knee length theme runs through lots of the day wear looks in this collection and it's a style that will suit the vast majority of clients and Valentino faithful. The first piece below left follows the genre on knee length with pleats in a re-invention of the classic Tennis Dress.

Here the shimmering Mermaid like folds that Valentino love to use are not only empolyed in the skirt but also frame the decolette in sensuous folds around the breasts. A little is revealed but not too much. The suggestion is in the curves, in the folds.

The middle two dresses below show a clear more minimal style with detailed applique work.

This is Valentino looking a little more understated but still utilising the skills and Savoir Faire that are the pinnacle of Haute Couture's achievement in beauty and simplicity of line. To the far right the last dress is a pure Party Piece. This is spectaular and have wonderful movement on the wearer. The skirt has a transluscent shimmer and as the model moved the was an essance of Mother of Pearl about it. The beading and embroidary detail in the upper body of the dress catches the light wonderfully transforming the wearer into a star as she moves through the room.

This is the outfit that I would pick first from the collection without a doubt and this will live long in your wardrobe beyond Summer 2011. I think you could possibly sneak it out to one or two parties in the Winter time. It's perfect and I'm thinking about what bag I'd match with and what coat. 

Valentino are very strong in beautiful evening dreses much loved by stars and Private clients around the world. Below are four different evening looks that all show somthing wonderful from the House this coming season.

To the left is a Blush coloured dress inspired I think by the delicacy of Butterflies. The outfit begins with a Butterfly choker and moved down to bodice with many little delicate Butterflys gently sewn onto it. Beneath the sash waist the skirt in many layers gives the impression of many butterflies or moths crowing together and also resembles an inversed petticoat. This dress is alive as she walks and moves through the room.   

A light natural Green shift dress herealds Spring and Summer and fresh new life while the Nude dress that can only be described as a 'Goddess' dress will turn many heads wherever it appears. The next dress on the far right would be my next choice from this collction. It's beautiful and Edwardina-esque. That means for those of you outside the UK somthing resembling the period 1890-1910 but it's also crossed with an influence of the Gypsy. Light carefree layers of embroidered White Silk, Linen and Lace. This will work well for late afternoon into evening or just for the evening.

I have to include some pieces from the

collection in the famous Valentino Rosso/Red.

These two are my favourites from Pritemps et

Ete 2011. Again the theme of the knee length

skirt tied at the waist flowing from an upper

chemise or bodice with sleeves running to the

wrist. This skirt of this couture piece is again

very light and will keep you cool on warm

summer evenings as you go about town to a

Party or to a gathering by the Beach.

To contrast I've picked a dress of a more

traditional floor length with a simple this strap

bodice. This could be tramed up with a jacket

or worn as a standalone piece outfit. Again

this a very comfortable suit for relaxing in at

a social occassion and could just as easily be

worn in the day time or in the evening.

This was another strong collection from Maria

Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Picciolo. Who

are doing a great job leading Valentino design forward. 

Things rarely stay the same in life, let alone in the fashion World, but few could have know in weeks running up to Haute Couture week Spring - Summer 2011 that this collection would be the last for John Galliano and Christian Dior together.

The 1940s where a big inspiration for this collction. It opened with passion in Red and feathers with arched eyebrows, high cheekbones and cool steely glamour. No matter what may be going on Christian Dior will live on.

This Coat Dress sitting below the knee moves in degrede from vibrant Scarlet Red to the darkest of Russet-Brown. This piece was a very strong show opener and the collection takes it inspiration from the work of Rene Gruau. An illustrator who worked closly with Monsieur Dior. John Galliano was looking to capture the elegant simplicity of Gruau's lines in this collection and the use of degrede references the artists wash of colour as he created beautiful images following the genius of Dior's vision.

I see a double meaning in the use of feathers. They where used a lot in fashion in the 1940s and before but they also represent the artist and writers quill. The flow and communication of ideas. This was another incarnation of the classic New Look.

With this in mind from a purly from a fashion point of view it's a little frustrating that we will never see the Dior/Galliano combination again but lets carry on and look at this collection.

There's a lot to talk about.

These are massive Impact looks. They are stop and stare outfits. It's everyting, the colour, the cut and the sheer orchestrated complexity of the design of the outfits. Starting with the Red wash cocktail dress the colour degrede make the gloves different colours from one side of the outfit to the other. The skirt of the dress is a charcoal Red providing subtle colour contrast to the neckline and bodice area. The no nonsence coat in the second piece is broadly tied at the waist before billowing into ribbons of layered silk organza. The chalk outline of the Couturier's designs is hinted at in the under skirt and the generous lapel reaching from neck to waist also gives the impression of a Halter neck.

The next two looks are super sexy vamp icons. These day or evening Couture pieces could be worn to just about any occassion. The black veils just slightly covering the eyes hint at a seductive power that has not yet been fully unleashed on the audience. While the Black and Gold outfit looks like classic European-American style the fourth piece to the right hints of Malaysia to me I think it's the printed skirt and reed-tie effect of the belt. Christian Dior's woman is a worldly wise mistress and gathers her influences from all corners of the globe.

Among the faces that attended this Haute Couture gathering was Stella Tennant (below left) who has walked for Dior and John Galliano on numerous occassions. Surrounded by glamourous Euro celebs she's a walking advert for the best of traditional English Beauty.

This Soft Pink-Blush coloured dress to the left is the piece that would be top of my list to order from this collection. It's perfect. I'm Blonde and have the same colouring as the model and I think I'll perfect in it come the summer. A very gentle puff ball shape lends itself to the natural curve of the figure. I love the daring plunging neckline and the light embroidered flowers.

It's devine, this dress was made for me. This is pure organza tulle and silk heaven. In this piece and in the light to dusky Blue wash tulle I see an echo of the tied flower theme in the previous A-H 2010-2011 Haute Couture collection.

The look to the right has almost the shape of the upturned flowers from last season. The rise of the hem of the skirt above the knee emphasises the long line of the leg but also highlights the beauty of the dress in it's folds and movement. This is a piece that had a lot of life in it as it moved down the catwalk.

The next two looks involve the colour of the moment synching with A Blush of Rose, Magenta. While the Magazine teams it mostly with Black (Black and Magenta appearing all over the place now incidentally) Dior have matched it with Grey in this outfit with another wide belt tieing the jacket again echoing the plant ties of the last collection. I like the wraping style of this skirt as the cut across the leg is at such a good angle to the models figure. This is a wrap that works.

Across to the right is a bold Magenta degrede wash. This time the colours are much more defined through the piece. At the knee, collar and cuff you can see the silk over lay that gives this piece the impression of shimmering as the model walks.

As the collection moves on the pieces become even more ornate and more

spectacular. Le plume re-enters as the

dramatic fascinator serving to balance and

elongate the figure of the model in this extraordinary dress. The bodice masked

by a large bow is a clever ploy becasue it makes the wearer seem like present or a

gift.

You are bound to feel very special wearing this creation and the applique

details spanning almost the full length of

the skirt catch the light as the wearer

walks past you. The effect is dazzling. Capturing true 40s Silver screen elegance this outfit is complete with gloves above

the elbow.

The look to the right reminds me a lot of the costumes in the Ballet Movie Black Swan starring Natalie Portman, Spokesmodel for Christian Dior. The dress moves from deep Midnight Blue growing darker by degree until it is almost as Black as the Black Swan's dress.

The feathers that appear to almost fall down the dress from the Bodice to the degrede hem look like they are falling off a bird. Again the Black silk mask hints at danger and a hidden sexuality that the feathers disguise. Looking at this piece and thinking of the film I'm struck how this piece could represent the swan turing into the woman rather than the other way around as in the film.

The three dresses below are my higlight from the closing pieces of the collection with the full Organza Haute Couture that everyone associates with Christian Dior's shows.

All three are on my wish list. The colouring of the Pink dress is wonderful. It's really everything that I would want in a gown for a Black/White Tie occassion. The dress has a full skirt that has a very small train and pleasing bow details that trail to the side.

The Citron dress in the centre with many layers of petticoats has a spring and bounce captured in this image above. It's quite a Rock and Roll number and would be great to dance in. I can just imagine twirling in this!

The final dress that I've chosen to look at certainly has everything. It's a full bodies flowing Haute Couture dress that will announce your presence when you enter a room if you where not aleady announced. The jewelled applique embellishments and gold blend perfectly with the Ivory organza silk. The black feathers sitting whispily on the surface of the skirt give the impression of ermine as they fleck across the silk. I have a feeling this dress may be requested by clients as a wedding dress with a few alterations and perhaps in White rather than Ivory.

                        The models showing the collection at the Musee Rodin.

All little girls at some point dream of being Ballerina's or at least wearing their clothes and Ballet shoes. At the Franco-American Institute in Paris Giovani Bedin unveiled his latest collection for Worth. His inspiration was a dress from the Worth archive the Night and Day dress. Here four pieces represent the day in Pink, Gold and light Blue and four represent the night in Black, Gold and Magenta.

The Magenta theme is a bridge between the two halves of the collection. I like the Day pieces the best. To see these creations by Bedin close up is a real treat. The beading and applique work is incredibly detailed and something to marvel at.

My absolute favourite of the collection has to be the light Blue dress although I do also love the Blush coloured dress to the left. These dresses are very versatile as Bedin remids us the Tutu and Bodice are detachable so you can wear the bodice with jeans for example or the tutu skirt could be work separtaly with a camisole veste. Very Daphne Guinness I think.

The two dresses to the left with Blush coloured tutu show how by changing the bodice design of the outfits you can create a very different look. I love the fun idea of the kiss on the front of this dress actually incorporated into the structure of the Bodice itself.

The tutus are all light weight as Worth uses stretched silk. This is the secret to using many layers of fabric but retaining the lighter weighting of a garment that is comfortable to the wearer.

The 'Night' pieces of the collection particularly remind me of Black Swan. I really like the design of the first dress below left. Between the hips sits a creasent moon and above it the bodice is framed by the Zodiac hand stitched in Gold thread. This is quite a goddess piece. The ubiquitous Pink Rose returns lover down than on the day dresses and here it sits at the base of the Bodice above the tutu skirt.

The night pieces move on to take play with the Black and Magenta theme again. Above left the tutu on magenta is overlaid with Black stretched silk to shade the colours brightness for the night time.

Directly above Black and Gold provide the striking main elements that compose this dress this time with Lilac and Magenta flowers at it's base.

This final dress is a perfect party dress for somone heading to light hearted party. Completly in Black and with a silk Bat attached this will melt away into the dark if you don't wish to be seen or capture attention under the lights if you find yourself the centre of attention.

I'm looking forward to seeing what more comes from Worth in their next phase of rejuvinating this historic House.

Stella Tennant opened Spring & Summer 2011 Haute Couture in the Grand Palais. One thing that struck me quickly about this show was that the models had a very clear skinned minimalist make-up look and that with the simple Black chokers gave a real well groomed low key look.

Uniformity was present and this season's Chanel Girl has perhaps slipped out of the convent for the evening to go to a party with the smart crowd in Paris.

Thes two pieces leading this article show a diverstiy between the more modern look and the classical Chanel look which both sit perfectly within the collection. Black leggins plain and sequined are a feature of much of this collection and they give the looks a younger Rock Star style edge. The Black and White variation on the traditional Convent dress look for me was a winner. I love the deep pockets and high ribbon bow tied resting above the breast.

Jean-Paul Gaultier went back to the heyday of Punk in London, New York and Paris for his Pritemps-Ete 2011 Haute Couture collection.

With more than a touch of gothic thrown in this was a moody collection that retained un upbeat exuberance right the way through. This first piece that the show opened with has got to be the best Black Coat I've seen in a long time. With perfect attention to detail in the sculpting and finishing; the upper part of the jacket fits tightly almost restraining the wearer. The piece moves down into a 1950'S New Look-esque skirt supported from underneath by a generous petticoat.

The effect is like a kind of film-noir baby doll. But all grown up this JPG girl is heading out on the town tonight.

There is definatly a Baby-Doll meets Punk look in the hair and make up of the models in this show. Ultra straight mowhawks meet with rolled curles at the fringe like she's just stepped out from a boudior or Salon that has tried to tame this girl but not succeded. 

Chanel offered a very strong confection of formal wear. I love the suits I picked out below. The colours are in a neutral Baby Rose Pink and gentle metalic Grey. Again the Black leggins make an appearance and coordinate really well with just about everything in this collection that would be Day Wear or Day into Evening Wear.

Gabrielle Chanel's classic tweed jacket is reworked into a versatile coat dress that sits comfortably mid-thigh on the wearer giving a little protection from the cool Spring airs but also adaptable with or without further layers. I love the cut of the jackets sitting at either end of the five looks below.

There is a faint echo of the Military jacket or 19th Century English hunting jackets in the style and this cleverly links back to Chanel's links to English High Society who embrached her talent and her energy. The pockets cut on the diagonal are both practical and stylish and make a symetry with the lapels and neckline. It's this harmony of proportion that Lagerfeld understands so well that make is clothes appear so beautiful to us when we look at them. Like the bowed waist bands of the dresses these pockets give the impression of the dropped waist very reminiscent of the 1920s and 1930s and echo tha new style that Chanel wanted to pioneer and develop to allow women to feel more freedom in the clothes that they wear.

I would wear each of these five pieces, they're superb. The Pink dress with low sash tie is a darling outfit and one to wear to a formal occassion in the afternoon or evening or with a hat to the Races in the Summer Season. It's very versatile and as you can see from looking through A Blush of Rose website it's in my favourite shade of Pink.    

The Black shoes worn by the models through this collection are simple and perfect in their style. They blend quietly with the pieces and as Pink, Grey, White and Black run through this Season's Chanel offering. 

This extraordinary patterning on the dress to the right as with the piece that Stella Tennant wore above is, I believe symbolic of dawn and Aurora at first light. The emboirdery work strectches it's figures out across the fabric in a complex pattern. It's a really intersting turn for the simple well cut tunic dress.

To the right the Buccle Tweed suit shows a reworking of a staple of Chanel's armoury of looks. Note how the Jacket is in two layers and gives an off-the-shoulder look as well as the traditional fringing around both the tiers of the collars as well as the periphery.  

The flower corsage on the bodice of the jacket is, I believe, a Camelia and sits beautifully over the heart. It sits beautifully on the jacket to give the perfect finishing detail. The model is waering chanel earring and the Black choker seen through this collection and that I feel is enough extra adornment for such a beautiful piece. 

As day moves into evening the collection takes on a slightly more daring approach, still just as innocent as the earlier 'Princess Josephine' look but now she is ready to head out to a party or be infront of the camers. A Princess on duty.

The first look below right is a really fabulous dress. It is the dress Charlotte Casiraghi wore for the wedding of her uncle HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco in July 2011.

The dropped waist is very flattering. The tiered layers of silk of the skirt give the dress a formal look without being too rigid for the wearer. The Black bow peeping out from beneath the waist level adds a playful touch of girlish glamour. The buttons running up the centre of the bodice to the Ribbon-band (I think this is what they remind me of) sitting beneath the shoulders further defines this piece as a stand-out piece of formal wear.

Moving to a more grown-up look the White dress and Black dress at the centre above play with the idea of partially revealing the figure but leaving some of it a mystery still. I think both would be great dresses to wear at events on hot summer evenings. The embroidary work is captivating and these dresses will turn many heads. The mettalic mini dress and mesh detail trousers is another look chanelling youthful cuteness. I love the pink flower, a Rose I believe and the Black ribbon bow tied underneath it. The flower looks like a seal ontop of the ribbon to finish the outfit as you would finish a letter.

Shimmering into the evening wear part of the collection the Silver jacket-dress on the far right above is chic and will see you sparkling around the City of Light in the evenig. The Josephine inspired Empire line cut of the piece is very flattering and the long tunic gloves echo grand balls of the Napolionic era. The high tech material and the mathcing trousers worn underneath give this outfit a cool 21st Century look, borrowing from the past but not stuck in it.    

The collection continues to sparkle on with a Halter neck chemise sitting above a generous billowing free summer skirt. This, for me is Haute Couture meeting carefree Gypsey chic.

Again I chose this outfit to look at as I think it would be very comfortable and graceful on a warm Summer evening and where in the world. I love the gentle Blush tone colour used and and the generous sash bow tied at the waist.

The outfit to the right is a beautiful costume of near transparent material that reveals the confident perfect figure underneath and also directs the eye to appreciate the detail and structure of the outfit. By leaving these apparent seam lines exposed Karl Lagerfeld draws the viewers eye to the clear simplified form and literally strips this model down to the very basics of style. There doesn't need to be more. It doesn't need jewellery and Black ribbon at the neck is perfect.

At the Pavilion Cambon-Capucines more amazing dresses emerged to the strains of Baroque inspired music. Another full and flowing skirt that in the most delicate of fabrics will catch the air is teamed up with a traditional beaded chemise. It's an innocent Bohemian Princess look. I think if you wanted to change this look you could actually wear the top part with jeans instead of the skirt. The next look to the right again mixes hints of the past in the dropped waist with sash tied at the side and hints of the empire line in the upper part of the jacket.

To close my look at this collection I first want to talk about the floor length crystal and beaded Silver gown. Fitted at the top and slowly descending the figure hanging more and more losley this dress is a perfect Red Carpet number that really did seem to float down the catwalk. This is another piece that I would love to wear.

Finally the most striking Bridal image for quite some time came though in a chain-mail effect chemise and matching detached long sleeves. At first I though they where gloves but I think they are sleeves. The full skirt trimmed with feathers is pure fairy tale and this is a very contemporary Bridal look. This was a very strong collection of 66 pieces all of which caught the attention of the guests at the show.

Images by kind permission and under liscence from P.Stable of Jean Paul Gaultier (C).

The Bridal dress, above the the right, also has more than a touch of Moulin Rouge and Flamenco about it. In an echo of the Sailor dress this piece is also divided up into stripes in effect contrasting nude and sheer with White gauzey feathers and ruffles. The Bridal Mo-Hawk is naturally in White but the veil is in traditional gothic Vamp Black as are her Opera/White tie length gloves.

She's ready to give a great performance going up the aisle and inspire others to be more daring in their choice of Bridal Haute Couture.

In this last Picture Jean-Paul Gaultier is laughing with his great freind and Muse Farida, she along with Marie-Chantal of Greece, another former punk wild child of the 1980s helped inspire this collection. Catherine Deneuve played a central role in the show as narator and front row Icon showing naturally JPG has a very broad loyal following after more than 30 years at the top.

Exploring this sultry Vamp look further the first look below left this very beautiful Black dress is ruched below the breast down to the waist moving into a slinky shift skirt. Again this JPG lady is giving away nothing behind her dark glasses and in addition the her wide Black bracelettes, the ball-shaped mace-like handbag that she carried quietly intimates that this is not a lady to be trifled with, unless she invites you. Black fish-net tights complete this look and several more in this collection and I have to say that's certainly one aspect of the Punk era that has come into main stream fashion.

Look 6 is a great Jacket suit and I love the Tuxedo style lapel finish and the double layered pockets at both sides. This is a great look to wear in the City at night and is very versatile. Next to it Look 18 is more daring. The dress sits in the shoulders looking like ribbons or slash-effect in Silk. Again the Champagne-Blush Pink colour is back here and the dress fall over the model in a natural stylish flow. This is Punk going to the ball as the long fingerless gloves suggest.

The look furthest to the right is an Edwardiana inspired piece I feel. This Punk is corsetted and covered from neckline to the ground. This is a great play in the JPG Sailor theme with this girl setting sail for a Party somewhere that will take her late into the night. Skipping between the Punk and Baby Doll this model has more of the innocent Neo-Edwardian look about her, restrained and poised she surveyed the audience from the catwalk in a hauture that's the perfect attitude to show Haute Couture in all it's magnificence.

This look swings back to Vamp-Punk girl who opened the collecton. Bold and uninhibited this trailing whispy light boudoir gown covers a skin coloured Bodice working the look with neutral fishnet tights and some very spectacular shoes. Her Mo-Hawk is slightly off set as with most of the models as ever the best hair to go out in is slightly less than perfect. If you look closley beneath the belt you can see how the bodice has been sculpted to accentuate the hips. This made her walk look stronger and more powerful as she came down the catwalk towards the photographers.

More than a little touch of the Moulin Rouge inspired the next piece I think. The showgirlish bodice places emphasis on the breasts and pelvis whole the structure shoulder border give the touch of formaility to show that this is an evening dress to be worn out and about. The long Black gloves a pretty cool and I wouldn't mind a pair. The hair and make-up styling for this look go back to a more BabyDoll part of the Punk Spectrum and the best part of this outfit is the behind. I'll descibe how it looked as you can't see it but it actualy looked like a ripped open laced up Bodice in reverse, the open ends, as you can see behind the feet, trailing on the floor as a train. 

I included the next dress moving right as it's quite different to the others. It's more like a Punk-Fiesta dress of sorts. You can see a strong Flameco influence in the layering from the knee to the hemline. The vibrant Red that comes into the dress in layers of ruched lace

(I believe) also makes me think of Spain.

.

Images by kind permission of Elie Saab (C)

You probably knew the essance of the style of Elie Saab's gowns before you heard his name I'll wager as so many of his creations have graced Red Carperts at Premiers, The Oscar's and Cannes through the years; not to mention innumerable Public/Private Gala's and Balls. The Elie Saab dress has simply entered the mind of many women as one of the ultimate statements in Haute Couture.    

This first look came out as a very strong Blush coloured number covered in the most exquisite applique details that it really was a joy to behold. Many people commented that this collection had a lighter feel than previous ones and thoug I tens to agree I still found that there was a mesmerising amount of detail in these pieces.

The colour palette took a gentle gracful tour through Nude/Blush Pink, light Green, Deep Rose-Red, a washed Royal Blue and a Silver-Ivory colour that seemed to have an inbuilt luminessance of it's own.

I've picked out threee more of Elie Saab's creations for Pritemps-Ete 2011 in this colour as I really love it. It's between a callsic Nude and Baby Pink. I think of this set of dresses as real Goddess pieces. In fact I wonder if there is some influence of Classical Ancient Greek sculpture in them as I look at the folds and the proportions that drape down over the models figures.  The first dress below left while being fresh and au courant really look back to the Classical past for me. I'm all for women looking like goddesses, the more often they can, the better.

The centre dress is a profusion of blossoms running down the body of the dress like a waterfall. The use of the transparent shift covered in flowers moveing with the models figure over the closer fitting dress underneath gave the illusion of the flowers floating and dancing ontop of the gown. Like many of the pieces in this collection a simple ribbon like band defined the waist drawing attention to the well defined bodice and lengthen legs. Elie Saab dresses will nearly always make your legs look long and the key is the way he combines high waists with floor length hems that trail a little.

The dress to the right continues the theme of applique flowers sewn onto a shift layer of the gown. The bodice of this dress shows a daring plunging neckline running almost to the waist.

Colour then bursts into the collection moveing from Dusky washed Blues to a gentle play with florals. The centre piece below was a dress that I really loved. Split to the waist the voluminous fabric swirls around the legs to ensure that this dress isn't always too revealing. The flowers at the waist are repeated in the print of the fabric running down the skirt. It's very beautiful, poetic and Romantic I think.  

Either side there are two of my favourite Rose-Red dresses from the collection. I would wear them both to evening events this Summer. The knee length dress is teamed up with some very cool platform shoes that have an diamond shaped detail across the top of the foot to the neck. The free flowing fabric floats around the model in the amazing way all Elie Saab organza dresses do. I'm looking at it again wondering if this is a Cherry Red now but nevertheless I love this colour.

In this dress and the dress to the far right you can see the secret to the volume created by gathering the fabric in many, many folds over the model. This gives the movement as she walks lower down the dress. This is another piece that really appeared to float down the catwalk as it went past.

Moving on to a new colour theme the Silver-White sparkiling gowns made me think of warm nights under the stars with moon shining down. A little romantic indulgence perhaps but this collection was giving me very romantic thoughts. The beautiful one-shoulder dress is a perfect Gala dress and what many of Elie Saab's clients return to him for time and time again. It's pure Red-Carpet glamour. The second dress from the left is another variation on the theme of using flowers in applique over the main body of the dress. The time the dress isn't sheer and the elongated diamond theme returns running from the waist down below the knee to where the floral moteif picks up again. Another stella piece to grace the Red-Carpets and Galas the world over.

Taking a new look at the evening suit the third look is a great Black pencil skirt sitting just above the knee. With a sparkling Silver-White Bandeau top and jacket paired with some must-have shoes this is a good formal piece that could be worn to a wide variety of occassions both public and private. It's another Look for the wish list and one that would work for many people.

Looking at the jacket and knee length again, the last piece to the right is a beautiful dress with ribbon tie waist this time with a longer jacket. This dress has long sleeves that run to the wrist and the jacket sitting lightly over it extends to the elbow.

As delicate as moths wings the detail in the dresss and the jacket is extraordinary and you know when you see a piece like this that it is the very essence of Haute Couture, the craftsmanship and skill of the Atelier shines so brightly. The jacket is bordered with flowers and in the shape of flowers and makes this piece much more interesting than just a simple jacket. Haute Couture Heaven.

As the stars fade in the sky night takes over and we move to Black. Just about all women suit Black and Black is a colour that works for the evening and night time in the Summer.  

Sashaying down the catwalk the dresss above left was a glorious play on the theme of the flower covered shift dress. This carfully crafted understated look was completed by a dramtic V cut at the back of the dress which you can in the distance behind the next look. Light and effortless to wear like all the other peices this was a another ingenious piece from Mr Saab and his Atelier.

The last dress I chose from this collection is our Hollywood and with the Oscars on the Horizon in March I'm wondering if this will be chosen by anyone nominated for an Award. It's just so glam oure Silver Screen Queen. The heart shape cut of the Bodice works with the subtle curves of the woman's figure and suggests the beauty, feminity and strength of the wearer to whomever is looking at it.

The cut and the shape is perfect the skirt split open to the mid-thigh descends and trails after her creating a pleasing silhoutte and an elegant line. I really thought this collection was spectacular and will be checking out Elie Saab again soon in Paris.