2009 Spring Couture

Riccardo Tisci always brings raw sexuality to the runway. But I'm not talking Victoria's Secret sexy, I'm talking S&M sexy. For Spring couture, the designer continued to play with bold cuts, but he also incorporated sweet fabrics; that contradictory fusion is sure to fly off the racks. I smell some Oscar-worthy red carpet looks for the risk-takers too! Anne Hathaway, if you're listening, the asymmetrical floral gown is all you.
There are many parts to this Givenchy tale — asymmetry is one of them. Long and short dresses came in one-shoulder styles, as well as with crazy asymmetrical details. Cocoon shapes also dominated on frocks and skirt suits. Sheer fabrics managed to balance sexy and sweet, and puff shoulders continued their run. Tisci loves black, white, and beige, but he also threw in neon yellow, lavender, and icy blue for contrast. Let's just put it this way . . . don't dare wear these clothes if you're in a silly mood. These are serious.

To see more hotness from Givenchy, read more

The Spring couture shows continued today in Paris with a few celebs on hand to take in the fashion fun. Keira Knightley looked a bit fancier than last week in her tweed pencil skirt as she showed off a new style of bangs alongside Karl Lagerfeld at the Chanel presentation — here's a look at what he sent down the runways. Kanye West also chatted with Karl before moving on to see Christian Lacroix's offerings. They kept things a little more tame than Mischa did during her time in the city, but Kanye does have business to attend to while he's in France.

To see more photos of the fashion fun, including Catherine Deneuve, Daphne Guiness, and Olga Kurylenko, just read more

Karl was on a strict diet of black, white, and paper when designing Spring couture. I'm predicting white is about to be the color du jour, thanks to Michelle Obama's dreamy Jason Wu gown. As always, Karl was psychic. His designs may have been scaled down, but they were anything but streamlined. Cuts were sharp or voluminous, shoulders and waists were punctuated, and details were both in-your-face and obscure.Varied beading techniques were used, exhibiting the keen craftsmanship of couture. Flower appliques were whimsical, black and white floral motifs were flirtatious. Elaborate head pieces added drama. Separates were aplenty for those watching their wallets. There was no high drama here, but there was plenty to keep couture costumers quenched.

To see loads of Chanel Spring couture, read more

The crème de la crème are showing up for Paris couture shows and that includes Keira Knightley at Chanel. Stay tuned for the glorious garb, but here's the Chanel devotee — with freshly blunted bangs — in a slim tweed skirt with red velvet trim, a sheer black top with brass buttons, and stacked black platform pumps. And, of course, Keira wore her black quilted Chanel bag. It's all in the details with this one, but it's easy to replicate — actual Chanel items encouraged, but optional.

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Mischa Barton turned 23 over the weekend and celebrated the special occasion last night at Caviar Kaspia Restaurant in Paris. The evening looked pretty wild with dancing, kisses from her back on the catwalk model pal Irina Lazareanu and, of course, headbands. The rehabbed starlet looked like she had quite the night after an exciting couture filled afternoon. Earlier yesterday Mischa looked pretty great in a bright short yellow mini when she checked out the Dior Haute Couture Spring 2009 with Dita Von Teese and more.

For lots more of Mischa's wild night and various other outfits throughout the day just read more

Take Asian-inspired gear, give it a good tug and a shake, and you get Giorgio Armani Privé Spring couture. But it's far more complicated than it sounds. Let's break it down. If you're into shoulder love, then this collection will speak to you. Whether on gowns or suits, prominent shoulders took center stage and added a theatrical edge. Another standout: flipping. Suit jackets, skirts, and pants all featured whimsical flips, whether on cuffs or hemlines.

Armani splashed in certain bold-colored items to spice things up. Vivid purples, yellows, and reds all demanded attention, especially next to the rest of the blacks and neutrals. A few moody florals crept in, as did sequins and ruffles. All in all, yet another stellar collection, one that transports you to an exotic world . . .

To see more from Giorgio Armani Privé's couture collection, read more

John Galliano continues to turn talisman with his 2009 Spring Couture collection for Christian Dior. Tending to a fully packed house, the designer showed a collection filled with whimsy and Victorian influences. Billowing layers of silk taffeta were curled, ruched, and swirled to create a decadent collection of frocks. I like how Galliano played with hemlines, cutting some short at the knee and leaving some long enough to grace the floor. My favorites were the dresses that incorporated both sides of the spectrum.

Another recurring theme was the abundance of shoulder pouf. Here, he embellished with sheer, puffy organza and intricate floral designs — some of them looked like wallpaper Marie Antoinette herself would have chosen. For accessories, the designer adorned his models in equally gregarious silk hats worn over pouffy hair and dramatic makeup. Amazing, simply amazing.

To see more pictures from the Christian Dior show, read more