Today in Fashion Week:October 1st

OK, hey! There is a whole lot to go through once again!

Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld's main line reminded me a little of Chanel's most recent couture show. I have to say, nothing really stuck out like it did last season, except for a bag emblazoned with his face that reminded me of fake Karl's cafepress collection.

To see the rest, including Givenchy and Costume National, click

Andrew Gn

Andrew Gn looked very outdated this season. Everything looked like something I'd seen before.

Akris

Akris is like a dark horse vying for attention in the midst of the craziness that is Paris fashion week. But with another solid collection, hopefully it'll get the recognition it deserves.

Emanuel Ungaro

Last season Esteban Cortazar was criticized for relaunching Emanuel Ungaro without establishing a clear brand identity. This season should hush those critics. It was very Parisian it girl, possibly another one of my favorites!

Costume National

The crinkled fabric debuted at Prada is already showing up again! This time it's at Costume National. Although I favor Prada's take, Ennio Capasa did a pretty good job with it himself.

Dries Van Noten

Last season Dries Van Noten established itself as an it brand with a truly unique collection. This season is sure to expand upon that success. It's becoming cliche from me, but this is yet another favorite!

Christian Lacroix

Christian Lacroix was artfully over-embellished this season, in a time when extravagance is so rare. What recession?

Givenchy

Givenchy is another one of the it shows. While it lacked the stunning graphic appeal of last season, there were some serious heavy hitters in there, and the dress above? Perfect!

Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan is always so stunningly modern. You can't tell from the picture above, but the clothes all had the impression of being blown by wind from the side view.

That's it niños! Tomorrow brings Stella McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent, Giambattista Valli, and more! Watching Pushing Daisies because it's amazing!
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What Is Couture?

The word couture is one that's been overused to a point that it's become associated with a clothing company that makes most of its profit selling terry cloth sweatsuits. Thankfully that's a trend that seems to be dying out but unfortunately it seems that its association with the word couture is here to stay, at least for now. But the point of this post is to educate and hopefully do its part to rid of all the misconceptions about couture.The word couture itself translates to sewing or dressmaking in French. Thus the phrase "haute couture" translates to "high sewing," or "high dressmaking." According to wikipedia, to be defined as a couture house, you must meet certain specifications

• Design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings.

• Have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time.

• Each season (i.e., twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.

These shows happen between the Fall and Spring ready-to-wear shows, and just so happen to be going on right now. Potential clients sit in the audience and pick their favorite designs, then come in for a fitting with the design team. It is during this time that alterations and modifications are made to the design, and eventually the client receives their perfect garment, along with a hefty bill.
Alright, now that you understand couture a little bit more, it's time for the fun part! I've picked some of my favorites from the Haute Couture shows so far.


Chanel

To see the rest,
Christian Dior

Christian Lacroix

Givenchy


To see all the looks so far, go to http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/F2008CTR/runwayshows/index.html

All pictures from Style.com
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