Haute Couture

[Petra]

I'm too poor to be fashionable, but I love looking at catwalk pics of fashion masters. While much of the high fashion catwalk attire is hardly practical for pretty much any social event in the real world, I love how the designers strut their art in high society fashion shows. And yes, it is art. (Hmmm, perhaps this thread should be in the Arts & Literature forum).


Anyway, who are your favourite designers and show us some pics of great dresses. Modern or vintage. Shoes, clothes, jewellery. Bring it on. :girl:


Quick fashion trivia question: Who "invented" the mini skirt?

Mary Quant


http://www.designmuseum.org/designersimg/7_10Lg.jpg

[viscousmemories]

I can never remember his name, but the only fashion designer whose work I'm really at all familiar with is Alexander McQueen. I typed "fashion crazy guy" in Google and found his name within 10 hits. Here's his site: Alexander McQueen (http://www.alexandermcqueen.net/flash.html).

From his bio:

Since leaving St. Martins and in less than 10 years McQueen has become one of the most famous and respected international fashion designers in the world. He was named British designer of the Year four times in 1996, 1997, 2001 and 2003. In October 1996 he was appointed Chief Designer at the French Haute Couture House Givenchy where he worked until March 2001.

In June 2003 he was awarded international Designer of the Year by The Council of Fashion Designer's of America (CFDA) and in the same month honoured with A Most Excellent Commander of The British Empire (CBE) by her Majesty the Queen.

His site is all in Flash and I don't think a tiny sample of his work is adequate anyway, so I recommend that you browse his site and look at all the crazy clothes. Definitely out of the ordinary.

[livius drusus]

Valentino. Hands down. He's my main man. If I were a rich girl (cue Fiddler on the Roof music) I'd have a 100% Valentino wardrobe. His atelier in Rome has exhibits of his vintage work sometimes. The one I remember the best was dedicated to his classic explorations of the color red. Valentino red is almost a brand in itself, like Ferrari red.

I also adore his men's tuxedos, particularly when accesorized by his trademark cape. You don't see men wearing capes much these days. Damn shame cause they damn sexy.

I actually bumped into him once in downtown Rome. I was buying my school uniform for the year (not at Valentino, needless to say; in a little boutique near his atelier) and he and his two superfine, megatall bodyguards swept past me. For weeks after that I fantasized that I had approached him and said something so devastatingly clever he couldn't help but lavish me with designer clothes.

Ah, the princess days... :princess:

[Petra]

Ahh, those darned flash sites! I've been trying to nab some great pics for posting in this thread, but with so many of the designers using flash, it's virtually impossible to bring their artful treats across to here.

/me heads off to check out McQueen


Retro-wise, I love the elegance of Dior, and the whole flapper era dresses and hats make me wanna cha-cha. :cincin:


About 8(?) years ago, I went to a fashion history exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery - 'twas spectacular. I can't find any darned images about that, either - but then I'm kinda busy right now - perhaps later this evening I'll have more success.


Oh, to dance and twirl in fine silks, gentle cashmere and soft suedes. Sì, liv - the princess days. :princess:

[viscousmemories]

Actually I'm way behind the times. The Alexander McQueen stuff that I thought was really cool, crazy and flashy was from when he was the head of the Haute Couture at Givenchy (1996-2001). I can't even find many examples of his work from then, but he seems to have become much more tame and bland since then. The closest I can find is his stuff in the archive on his site from '01 and '02, but even that stuff is fairly conservative.

[Petra]

Actually I'm way behind the times.

You're way behind the times? Crikey, vm, I'm still talking flapper dresses here! :chuckle:

[Lauri D]

I like Versace for pure freaky-deaky-ness.

[Crumb]

I'm all over Sam Walton.

[Shake]

Puh-lease!

The fashion industry is so full of itself. Although I have to admit that I never thought about the haute couture scene as being art. I was always aghast at how horribly impractical the stuff was -- not to mention in some cases just looking downright hideous.

There's a cheesy Disney channel cartoon called Brandy and Mr. Whiskers that recently did a bit about fashion. Though they were trying to be funny, I thought they couldn't have been more right. There was a nice segment where Mr. Whiskers accidentally gets a beehive stuck on his head and all the other animals, thinking him a fashion guru, purposely do the same despite the fact that they all get stung fairly often by the irate bees.

I'm more about comfortability and practicality in my clothes. This might have something to do with why I loved wearing BDUs (battle dress uniform, i.e. camoflage) when I was in the military.

This is not to say that I don't like to look good, but it's not my highest priority all the time. I'm an Old Navy kind of guy, myself.

[Dingfod]

My fashion sense comes entirely from:
... Sam Walton.

[RevDahlia]

Couture? I like the really loony-tunes stuff. McQueen for Givenchy, Walter von Bierendonck, Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, Thierry Mugler, Gaultier. That insane person who designed Bjork's swan dress. (http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2001/03/26/bjork.gif) Viktor and Rolf -- check out the f'n coffin dress! (http://www.style.com/slideshows/fashionshows/F2005RTW/VIKROLF/RUNWAY/00020f.jpg) I even get a kick out of Imitation of Christ, who everyone else says are a couple of gimmicky wankers. (They are, but they make some cool clothes.)

I like my ready-to-wear much more normal and carefully-tailored, with a touch of hella weird. I'd wear nothing but Hussein Chalayan's stuff (http://www.widemedia.com/fashionuk/fashion/catwalk-archive/lfw-ss01/hc.html) if I could.

All that cheapjack Paris Hilton, Bedazzled, lo-rise, midriffy, porny, slogan T-shirt, spandy-wear bullshit needs to go away. Except for the new Pucci. And enough with the Vuitton already!

There's some great stuff out for spring, though, so maybe there is hope. Although I can't afford any of it.

[Crumb]

We are so much alike it is scarey sometimes warrenly. :wink:

[Dingfod]

You're young enough to be my long lost son. You weren't born in Texas, somewhere near Lubbock, were you?

[Crumb]

Nope.

[Dingfod]

Whew!

/me wipes brow

[Crumb]

Of course, I could be lying. :wink:

[Shake]

I like my ready-to-wear much more normal and carefully-tailored, with a touch of hella weird. I'd wear nothing but Hussein Chalayan's stuff (http://www.widemedia.com/fashionuk/fashion/catwalk-archive/lfw-ss01/hc.html) if I could.
Well, it was hard to focus on the clothes with that crazy-ass hair, but once I got passed that, I see that those clothes are pretty nice. Good looking and not impractical.

All that cheapjack Paris Hilton, Bedazzled, lo-rise, midriffy, porny, slogan T-shirt, spandy-wear bullshit needs to go away.
That stuff that less than 1% of women can get away with wearing, yet probably upwards of 25% make an attempt to anyway? Yup. :yup:

I'll address how I got watching and critiquing fashion in a later post.

[RevDahlia]

This thread inspired me to take a look at the Fall '05 collections. There are some really, really great clothes out there (although Dolce and Gabbana need to be bricked into a wall and left there for a couple years.) For the first time in recent memory I actually like most of it.

Perhaps I can arrange to be nominated for an Oscar next year. It'd be worth it just so I could wear this dress. (http://www.newyorkmetro.com/images/fashion/fashionshows/05/fall/runway/richardtyler/4.jpg) Richard Tyler is a frigging genius. Back view. (http://www.newyorkmetro.com/images/fashion/fashionshows/05/fall/runway/richardtyler/5.jpg)

[viscousmemories]

I'll address how I got watching and critiquing fashion in a later post.
Lemme guess: 'Cause models are hot? :P

[Shake]

Perhaps I can arrange to be nominated for an Oscar next year. It'd be worth it just so I could wear this dress. (http://www.newyorkmetro.com/images/fashion/fashionshows/05/fall/runway/richardtyler/4.jpg) Richard Tyler is a frigging genius. Back view. (http://www.newyorkmetro.com/images/fashion/fashionshows/05/fall/runway/richardtyler/5.jpg)
I hereby nominate RevD for an Oscar! Who cares for what? Now let's see you in that dress! :lecher:

vm, :yup: how'd you guess? :P