Balenciaga vs. Givenchy: Battle of the Dogs

 Which dog do you like best? Either way, I can't afford these two pets.

The Givenchy  Rottweiler prints are huge and almost soldout this season but Balenciaga did not come late to release this canine sweater.  I want both of them and now praying it will rain money tomorrow... and snow here in Abu Dhabi. :D


Balenciaga


available at LN-CC.com at 550 pounds(that is 440 pounds minus 20% VAT)





Givenchy


available at SSENSE.com - 960 USD
and Luisaviaroma.com- 611 Euros
Givenchy store Dubai Mall at 350 USD
(let's talk about overpricing, shall we?:))

Chanel Haute Couture Fall 2011

When last season was all about the pinks, lightness, and youth, this collection for fall is the opposite-heavy tweeds in black,white and gray that even the color fuchsia failed to give it a sense of air. The looks are too vintage for my liking but pictures no. 5 and 11 are my favorite looks of the season.

Azzedine Alaia Haute Couture Fall 2011

This is my first time to see a full collection of Azzedine Alaia's work. I only know him through books and some The Sartorialist pictures of Carine Roitfeld wearing his creations(though I'm not really sure if he still makes them). Nonetheless, I happened to see some of the label's clothes when I entered the Saks Fifth Ave. styling  competition about 5 months ago in Dubai. The clothes were ultraluxurious and so well constructed that it puts a Philip Lim and Alexander Wang to shame,lol. Didn't use them in my styling though but a pair of shoes.

What I love most about the collection is the clean and pure design of the clothes that crystals and beadwork are practically absent, but focused on cut and sharp tailoring. The hour-glass figure on the coat dress, the combination of hard and soft materials such as the croc-leather and the feathery "thing", the layers and layers of ruffles on skirts that we wish pictures could let us see it move: proofs masters are always masters.

Givenchy Haute Couture Fall 2011

Now what I like about what Riccardo Tisci has been doing for the house is he is pushing his creativity at a level impossible to top. For the fourth time, a ten look presentation of craftmanship at its best. I would have love other designers to have done such, focusing more on the construction of the clothes because after all, this is haute couture; and clothes at this level is now art. The last thing we'd like to see are pieces that we could just see in RTW.

The lightness of the clothes here plus the impeccable detailing again proves these pieces are museum worthy.

















photos: style.com

Giambattista Valli Haute Couture Fall 2011

Ok. We have long waited for this moment when Giambatista finally goes couture. He certainly has the "it" to do so. After his departure from Ungaro I have been a faithful fan of his work since. This is a very good collection and certainly speaks of his work but I kind of notice, since his pret-a-porter has gone to commercial looks, this outing was Giambatista Valli years back when he then creates editorial pieces for his ready-to-wear.

Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal Fall 2011

The Margiela Artisanal line isn't considered haute couture but the label's answer to it. Clothes from this line are made from sourced materials, reworked and given new life.

A see-through suit, coats in plastic, leather jackets that criss cross each other, socks as shoes, and bag handles as breast covering: like the label's previous artisanal collections- unwearable but such eye candies.
I love it.:)

Christian Dior Fall 2011 Haute Couture

I think by now LVMH regreted the decision to fire John Galliano. This was also the case of Alessandra Fachinetti when she replaced Valentino Garavani after retirement. The very bad press this couture collection received could only mean Bill Gaytten, the new head, on the chopping block after next season. And if Dior and Galliano pret-a-porter collections come next month won't save him from this mess, he is for sure going to lose this job.

Of course this is going to be  shaky begining for him, after all, it's a very big shoe he has to fill. For an assistant, a couture, 2 pret-a-porter , and menswear collections in roughly 4 months isn't an easy thing to do, especially for such a label that is on the top of luxury.

The looks were not at all high fashion and the Galliano drama absent. It's too experimental, boring, no direction, and the clothes as if made by underpaid children. lol.














photos: style.com