Valentino

Dark-hued luxury in rich brocade and midnight-navy silks dominated Valentino's Couture collection for Fall 2012. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli revisited the ethereal silhouettes and deep palette present in Fall's ready-to-wear, but explored new shapes in evening wear too, this time topping their gowns with capes and raising the hemlines and necklines of slim-cut brocade sheaths. We get both a sense of the regal — most obviously from the capes sweeping the runway — but also in the intricacy of embellishments and the sheer weight of the brocade fabrics. Necklines cited more sophistication than sensuality, though there's certainly a fair share of skin to be seen in the sheer insets and cutouts of the more fluid gowns. The designers married their influences, French painter Gustave Moreau mixed in with the elegance of a modern woman, calling to mind stylish ladies like front-row attendee Olivia Palermo or Charlize Theron. Like their own appeal, the beauty of this collection was all about nuances that came together to frame a larger, richer, big picture.

• Trends: Brocade, sheer, florals, capes, embellishments
• Colors: Navy, red, black, soft yellow, and pink
• Key piece: The brocade pastel yellow sheath and the sheer and lace-inset navy gown with cape
• Accessories: Lace-up heels, ballet-slipper inspired pumps
• Who would wear it: Red-carpet beauties like Charlize Theron

On their way to Valentino's Couture show, Olivia Palermo and beau Johannes Huebl set off a photo frenzy in their wake — and rightfully so. The fashion darlings proved once again that their couple style is next-level chic. Johannes showed off his own style prowess in a dapper blazer and blue suede loafers alongside a glowing Olivia, who may have stolen the show in a petal pink lace Valentino dress. As always, Olivia furthered interest with her accessory selection, adding a touch of glamour with sparkly ankle-strap Giuseppe Zanotti heels and her cat-eye shades; we are in Paris after all. See Olivia stun in pink when you step inside.

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli kept up the dark streak from their Fall ready-to-wear line when they created their evening-focused Fall 2012 Couture collection. The show was partly inspired by the painter Gustave Moreau, who, according to the house, was "a lover of dark colors but never painted with black." The resulting assortment traveled to visual extremes: at times it relied on heavy brocades, painted floral patterns, and intricate beadwork for a sense of richness and luxury, and at others the simplicity of long-sleeved dresses in dark, solid colors made for stark contrast. But even the dresses in basic black carried more than meets the eye — the first dress that came down the runway, a sheer, pleated number in black chiffon and crepe de chine, took 500 hours to create. Offering both forms of high-concept design seems an effective strategy: Valentino CEO Stefano Sassi said couture orders are now back to the volume they enjoyed in 2008, when Valentino Garavani was still designing.

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli looked to the swinging silhouettes of the '60s and Andy Warhol's iconic portrait series for Resort 2013. "We imagined a playful and optimistic collection, using color as a structural, rather than decorative, element," Chiuri explained. To that end, there were tulle gowns in princess silhouettes — high necks, long sleeves, flared skirts, nipped waists — embroidered with cotton-candy-hued florals for night, and for day, lounge-ready pantsuits in vivid lace and hyper-colored leopard prints.

Maybe it's because we're used to seeing Keira Knightley in period-piece dramas, but when the actress hit the red carpet for her latest film, we couldn't help but draw a likeness between the beauty in Valentino and a character in an Austen novel. Sure, this project, Seeking a Friend For the End of the World, is far from the world of Jane Austen, but the ladylike elegance and intricacy of her nude-hued, floral-appliquéd gown had all the makings of an amazing costume. The difference was that Keira wore the gown effortlessly — making even her red floral headpiece look easy to pull off. She was also careful not to overdo the accessories, finishing the look with an understated pair of patent, nude pumps and avoiding any other jewels — save for her sparkly engagement ring. This is just the kind of lovely gown we hope Keira wears down the aisle. Click on to see every gorgeous angle.

First there was the little black dress, then the little white dress, and now celebs are painting the town in red-hot frocks. From Christa B. Allen in a cutout style by Contrarian New York ($380) to Jessica Alba in a form-fitting sheath to Miranda Kerr in a flirty, lacy Lover number ($1,050), trendsetting A-listers have have been working their red-hued numbers around the globe. Check out what other starlets have been rocking the LRD, how they styled them, and where you can buy a similar dress to get in on the Hollywood trend.