Big Volumes Couture Trend AW2019

Big volumes have always been a big theme in couture land. Highly accentuated shoulder, rounded hips, balloon sleeves and skirts made out of endless layers of tulle. Check out the latest collections from the likes of Iris van Herpen, Giambattista Valli (the absolute tulle title holder and volume victor) and Schiaparelli. With couture minded coupes and make-up to match. Go big or go home is the message (yet again).

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Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Paris SS2020

Last season’s collection was all over the internet and went endlessly viral on IG. Even till today, when Christina Aguilera arrived in that “Fuck this Im going to Paris”-dress, it’s a megahit. So how to follow up on a hyped up collection like that? A moody but later on light hearted collection entitled Spiritual Glamour shown at the Westin Hotel was the answer. “Our spell is to transform the feeling of doom about our environment into positive action,” said Horsting. And so the designers collaborated with textile artist Claudy Jongstra. A specific shade of Burgundian black made from botanical pigments turned up on coats and dresses. As the collection slowly became a little more cheerful towards the end when the sun, stars, flowers, butterflies and the usual bows brought some extra optimism. Architectonical shapes, patchwork details, funky hairdos (with little waves) and dramatic eye make-up turned each look into a showstopper. It might turn out as less of a hype perhaps, but with a stronger sustainability message this time. “Our models are like modern witches looking for a spell to make people look at fashion production and consumption differently”, Rolf said. Let’s hope the fashion system is not cursed.

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Iris van Herpen Haute Couture show SS2020

On Monday Dutch designer Iris van Herpen presented her latest couture collection ´hypnosis´. Nineteen laser-printed, heat-bonded and laser cut dresses inspired by the kinetic sculptures of American artist Anthony Howe. As Céline Dion, wearing one of the dresses, watched from the front row the designs gracefully moved (with duchesse-satin cut into thousands of 0.8 mm exquisite waves that each are interlinked, designed to move faster than the eye can follow) with every step of the (run)way. Yet explaining the way these dresses were constructed or made with technology can be as dazzling as watching the designs come down the runway. ´The ‘hypnosis’ collection is a hypnotic visualization of nature’s tapestry, the symbiotic cycles of our biosphere that interweave the air, land, and oceans. It also reflects the ongoing dissection of the rhythms of life and resonates with the fragility within these interwoven worlds´, Iris told the press. Best let the designer explain the process and simply be amazed.

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Streetwear Haute Couture Week SS2020 Day 2

Nicole and Céline turned heads on the second day of this haute couture week. See what other show-goers (celebs, influencers and fashion professionals) made jaws drop and eyes pop with their impressive appearances.

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Streetwear Haute Couture Week SS2020 Day 1

See who´s wearing who (Céline Dion wearing a dress by Dutch designer Iris van Herpen) on the first day of the SS2020 haute couture week in Paris in our gallery below.

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Haute Couture Trend SS2019: Sweet like candy

Sugar sweet and fit for a queen. That’s one way to sum up these haute couture dresses. Turns out bright pink was the color of choice at many of the fashion houses. Givenchy, Valentino and Giambattista Valli all went for the brightest of pinks. While Chanel, Dior and Balmain opted for powdery pink. Anyway, the message was sweet, girly and loud. With statement skirts and shoulders, dramatic bows, tons of tule, lots of layers and the most gorgeous and detailed embroideries. Now we just need enough special occasions to wear these kinds of dresses to.

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Short ‘n Sassy Haute Couture trend SS2019

When you think couture you might automatically picture romantic, floor sweeping gowns. Fact is short and voluminous couture dresses are becoming more and more popular. Just take a look at the examples below, short ‘n sassy couture dresses by the likes of Balmain, Givenchy and Dutch designer Iris van Herpen. Shorter but with the same impact as most of the long gowns. Lots of volume, so no bold sexiness (accentuated waists and deep cleavages) here. But there’s elegancy and seductiveness in the details; the bare shoulders or those killer legs for example.

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Viktor & Rolf Haute Couture Paris SS2019

On Wednesday Viktor & Rolf surprised us with their latest couture collection titled “Fashion Statements”. A collection filled with statements, fashion wise, but literally too, as all gowns had large quotes/memes added to them. Classic quotes and statements that turned a smile on everyone’s faces. “I’m not shy I just don’t like you”, “F*ck this I’m going to Paris” or “Sorry I’m late I didn’t want to come”. Things we say on a usually base and things we’d love to say out loud more often. They were the extra touch to the 18 statement makers of couture gowns. Bright colored and voluminous (which seems like a big understatement as the dresses really were larger than life) with layers and layers (and layers) of tulle). The good old “NO” we’ve seen pop up in many more collections was present too. And the show concluded with a black gown reading “I want a better world”. Bold, bright, artistic, fun, refreshing, impressive and very Viktor & Rolf. The “Less is more” that could be read a pink tulle gown just doesn’t apply to their own collections.

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Dior Haute Couture Paris SS2019

It was a circus both outside and inside the Dior show. Inspired by circus depictions in Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Cindy Sherman, and Richard Avedon’s Dovima with Elephants, which he shot in Paris’s Cirque d’Hiver circa 1955 Maria Grazia Chiuri turned her show venue into a circus tent. She even named the designs of circus costume maker Gérard Vicaire as the haute couture that led to this collection. The checked floor matched the theme as well as the collection’s color palette. Even female acrobats were hired to do some of their stunts. It’s showtime! And with all that “distraction” the couture designs still spoke loudly. Harlequin checks, clowneske collars, lots of tulle, lots of glitters, lots of stars. Looks were either black and white or pastel colored. Eithr short and above the knee or long and floor sweeping. Either masculine or extremely feminine (showing skin, showing curves). All models wore sparkling classic caps with a little lace in front or their faces. When all else fails, join the (Dior) circus!

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Iris van Herpen Haute Couture Paris SS2019

With Iris van Herpen showing her new collection you know you’re in for a treat. And this Dutch designer keeps on amazing us, season after season. This week she litteraly lit up her Paris runway with her latest collection Shift Souls. While many designers look back to former decades Iris looks into the future as early images of galaxies and stars, like Harmonica Macrocosmica by a German-Dutch cartographer published in 1600, representations of mythological and astrological animals and the evolution of the human form and the possibility of engineered human Cybrids were her inspiration. A beyond interesting source of inspiration which led to a breathtakingly beautiful collection of dazzling, voluminous, 3D lasercut, futuristic dresses. Completed with 3-D printed face jewelry and glow-in-the-dark plexiglass, carved by hand, heels infused with two colors of ink this collection was literally out of this world. What else can we say. This show was “otherworldly” and “lit” in more than one way.

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