*the last of the couture.

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Hi darlings,

Here's the last of my fave shows from Paris Fashion Week held two weeks ago....

...and naturally I saved the most blinged out and glamorous ones for last!

These absolutely breathtaking gowns are the creation of two amazingly talented coutouriers who ironically enough are neither Parisian, but Lebanese.

Any thoughts on who I could mean?

None other than Elie Saab and Zuhair Murad of course!...Kings of couture!

While I have had my eye on Elie Saab's designs for a while [his name becoming almost synonymous with red carpet], Zuhair Murad, who is somewhat of a recent discovery of mine, seems to be doing amazingly detailed work on par with that of Mr. Saab.

So, grab a bowl of popcorn, cosy up with your computer screen and open that savings account...cause I guarantee you'll want AT LEAST one of these jaw-droppers.

Enjoy the pretty kiddies!

Murad's "darkly sensual" embroidered creations.

Saab's "royally opulent gowns"...fashioned after crown jewels; emeralds, sapphires and rubies

...featuring simple, soft silhouettes to pull focus onto the embroidery and bead-work.

Oh and before I forget...

...Elie Saab's showstopping finale piece...

..couture bridal gown with bridesmaids in tow.

See the rest of the collections here.

...now you have something to work towards!

Be inspired! Be productive!

xx

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*dress you up [in my love]

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Morning lovelies!

After yesterday's mega-post about Paris,

a) I missed Paris
b) I decided to give you more couture!

Today's pretty comes from none other than Roman couturier Giambattista Valli's Fall/Winter 2013 showing last week in Paris.

Inspired by porcelain china, Valli is quoted as saying, "flowers and colors are what women want from me," and he certainly gave just that! It's a shame that the pictures do not aptly showcase the craftsmanship and delicate details that have gone into these dresses, each having layers upon layers of silk flowers and embroidery.

Nothing to describe this collection as except pretty...[or sweet...or beautiful], I wonder which celebrities will be lining up to snag a dress for an upcoming appearance.

Enjoy!

xx

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*throwback thursday_paris

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Grr...

You would not believe how long it has taken me to sit and construct this post...but with it being Thursday and with Paris Fashion Week recently concluding, I thought no time like the present, right?

So, let's get to it, shall we?

For those unaware, during the Fall 2012 semester, I did a study abroad in Wroxton, England, that afforded me the wonderful opportunity to travel and experience new and unseen things [which can only be a plus, right?]. I knew that, having such wondrous adventures, I would be changed; documenting that became the inspiration for this blog!

While the school provided many excursions within England itself, we were also given the chance to spend one weekend in Edinburgh and one in Paris...

...clearly, I put off writing about Paris...till now.

Paris was unique.

What I found was that, amongst my travel companions, the group preferred Edinburgh. However, I do think that this was for two main reasons.

1: the existence of a language barrier [but I'm sure that would be a turn off for most of you]
2: people had low expectations for Edinburgh [maybe not the first place that comes to mind, especially when you are at Europe's helm] and found themselves pleasantly surprised, but had high expectations for Paris and found themselves slightly disappointed.

I thought that it was different. While it wasn't what I expected, I [would like to hope that I] appreciated it for what it was. It was a gorgeous city, with beautiful architecture, lots of culture and there was creativity in the air. On the other hand, I guess to be expected of any metropolitan area, it wasn't the cleanest place I've been and the crowds were so massively unbearable.

Cute! A little cartoon replica of the city!
NB: La Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame, Le Louvre et L'Arc Triomphe

But enough of my experiences, we all know what you are here for; the fashion.

To be expected, there was lots of shopping...whatever you desired, from high-end to couture to thrift-shop goodies.

And with clothing options in abundance, the street style was out of this world. You could tell that Parisians live up to their reputation of being fashion forward. Everyone was so well put together, down to the little shop assistants! Everyone was stylish but still managed to be unique. Isn't that what fashion aims to impart?

I was fortunate enough to find this little online guide book created by the Paris Convention & Visitors Bureau which has a link to the different types of styles or personalities one may encounter in Paris and a large selection of boutiques where one might find clothing to suit.

The unique aesthetics, adapted from the guide, include;

*Les Sélects | The Selective Ones
      -You like French elegance and style, established brands and clothing that never goes out of style.
*Les Trendys | The Trendy Ones
      -You keep up with the latest trends by browsing through the newest glossy magazines; thus your wardrobe changes every season.
*Les Créatifs | The Creative Ones
      -You are a trendsetter, putting together your own style; you wear today what others will wear tomorrow.
*Les Bobos Chics  | The Bourgeois-Bohemian Chic Ones
      -You take care of your appearance but are not too concerned with your look. You mix timeless basics with designer pieces blending classic and modern.
*Les Ethic Ethnic | The Ethical-Ethnic Ones
      -You are a globetrotter with a conscience and your style reflects this. You wear ethnic mix-and-match prints and support organic and fair-trade associations.
*Les Astucieux | The Clever Ones
      -You are the smart shopper, always hunting for a bargain to find the next cute dress or designer accessory.

Hmmm.. I wouldn't exactly say I'm solely one of these; most probably fitting into Creative and Bobo Chic [and I would think most college students are naturally the 'Clever Ones'].

Which one do you relate to? While I can't tell from the collages which personality matches each image...maybe you can...

Isn't the style gorg?! I would love to return just to be inspired by the various street style exhibited.

Phew! Ok...I think I did Paris justice...

Have you been? What did you think of the city? If you haven't, would you like to go? Why?

Have a ponder kiddies.

xx

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*couture collections

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With the closing of Paris Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2013 last week, I thought that I, as a blogger [as many do many others], have a duty to cover, give my opinion on, or at least acknowledge the occurence of one of the 'Big Four' Fashion Weeks...

Of these major Fashion Weeks, Paris Fashion Week, with all it's haute couture shows, is especially looked forward to, as it is a major stage for Parisian couturiers to showcase their talent.

Dozens upon dozens of edgy, avant-garde, and just plain gorgeously detailed and meticulously handcrafted clothes glide down runways, depicting designers' visions and painting fashionable fantasies for those in attendance.

And, with gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces, lavishly hand-tailored by the best ateliers [workshops] in the business, it is no wonder why a number of celebrities attend these shows to scope out their next 'Award Season' looks.

I'm not really going to review the collections as much, cause I think that they're all beautifully made clothes and, even if a collection does not align with my aesthetic, one cannot deny the true skill and craftsmanship in designing true haute couture.

Instead, I'll post a few of my favorite looks, from a few of my favorite shows! Deal?

Starting with....

Dior!

Gorgeous clothes; gorgeous color story....and there's those stripes again!

A more modern take on couture, designer Raf Simons, who's inspiration was 'freedom' noted that, "if we don't adapt to what women in society are now about, couture might disappear..."

See the rest of the collection here!

A salute to modern freeness!

Enjoy the pretty kiddies...more to come!

xx

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*la vie en rose...

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Bonjour kiddies!

In a very French mood today, as I've the amazing opportunity to wake up in Paris!

A gorgeous city of culture and romance, and fashion capital of the world, I'm sure to find loads of inspiration here!

Hold on to your seats beautifuls, lots of posts to come...

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