The dramatic Dr Suess-esque collection that was Christian Dior Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2010/2011

Round of applause for Galliano everyone!
His new haute couture collection for Dior is incredible. Inspired by Christian Dior’s childhood garden he created a bouquet of fashion delights with gigantic corsages in Alice in Wonderland evoking scale, topped off with exotic colours, prints, dyes and textures.

The beauty aspects of the collection were even more breathtaking with neon bright stripes of colour which come the grey and bleak winter (sorry, I know I don’t want summer to end) will truly inspire as the eye makeup was injected with an array of bold colours. I predict the darker plum shaded lips will be a big hit and how could I forget the cellophane veils, reminiscent of the collages I would piece together in primary school, which make the models look even more like a bunch of flowers. Truly inspired.

Then there was the Dr Seuss-esque hair styling with gravity defying hair designs, echoing the stems of flowers.

It was just spectacular. Just looking at the collection on Style.com (the source for all the photos) gave me a marvellous colour induced headache.
Everything was so dramatic- but then what else would you expect from the man who created the ‘les incroyables’ collection?- that I can easily imagine a hyperactive Galliano raiding the Dior archive of prints and colours, similarly to a child in a colouring box who snatches every single Crayola crayon.

Check out the collages I have made of my favourite looks:

Dr Suess hair styling. I wish I could try this one out myself.

I am definitely going to try out my own verision of this bold blue look. I', a sucker for "cat flick" eyes anyway but this makeup look is fabulous.

Gorgeous use of colour. Loving the complete disregard for the "lips or eyes" rule.

Fairytale shoes

Queen of the flowers. These models look like they could have lept out of a fairy tale book with their fantastically flamboyant dresses and haughty expressions.

Does anyone know who this model is?!

I love that she is sitting backstage at the Christian Dior Haute Couture show reading Oscar Wilde "The Picture of Dorian Gray" proving that she is a girl of my own heart (I would do the exact same thing) and also that it's not true when people say that all models are stupid.

Beth Ruby xoxo

Kate Moss Spring Summer 2010 collection

As usual I love some of the Kate Moss for Topshop designs (those gorgeous maxi dresses and that fab Kimono) and loathe some of the others (a multicoloured feathered cape springs to mind...)
But for once I think I have found a dress that I could actually wear (see below)

Obviously the whole appeal of the Kate Moss for Topshop collection is that the supermodel herself played some part in coming up with the collection- however the sceptical side of me says that this was not very much- and this is the aspect which shoppers are attracted to.

Many bloggers and magazines critical of the collaboration say that the poor and deluded Topshop customers shop the range because they think that this will make them look like Kate Moss.
But no one is stupid enough to think that one perchase of an embellished shift dress is enough to make them look like the famous multimillionaire supermodel, pouting in the adverts.
Instead they buy the clothes because they look good and they want to emmulate her unique and celebrated sense of style. Sure they want to buy into her brand as well, like any other well established designer or label. I mean I love that little 'Kate Moss' logo as much as the next girl, but people who are interested in fashion can think for themselves too. They are not going to buy just anything with Kate Moss' supposed seal of approval.

But I do have approval for this printed swing dress, from her new collection. So tempting...

At least it's out in the open now: Christopher Kane took inspiration from my primary school uniform.

Fashion moves so fast, it's hard to keep up seeing as the world is always a season ahead.

But now it's finally Spring, I feel like I can appreciate the Spring Summer 2010 collections a lot more; I need inspiration for a new season wardrobe and as the sun is shining it no longer seems ridiculous to be looking at summer dresses when it snowing outside, in the middle of winter.

Especially the Christopher Kane collection. He is my favourite designer, so I was always going to fall in love with it, but I mean really, it's beautiful isn't it?

Vogue called his collection "pretty yet perverted" and you only need to take one look at the collection to realise this is spot on.
The checkered picnic table style pastel dresses conjured up an image of a sickly sweet school girl, like Anne of Green Gables, striding across the fields. But then you notice the flashes of bare flesh through the panelling and the thigh high slits and realise that this Anne may have a sexy side.

My favourite look was this yellow checkered dress with the navy cardigan (above)
It conjures up images of my childhood, as these were the colours of my school uniform at primary school.
It's actually pretty similar to the little gingham summer dresses and the navy woolly jumpers we used to wear- except of course I didn't have the lovely strappy heels.
So take that Kane, I was one step ahead of you!
Just call me your new fashion muse and I won't sue you for copyright.
Deal?

Beth Ruby xoxo

Miu Miu SS 2010 collection

Ah the Miu Miu 2010 Spring Sumer collecion.

I will just begin by saying I loved it; it was without a doubt one of my favourite SS looks.

Miuccia Prada managed to combine innocence and raunchiness seamlessly as little cats, dogs and swallows leapt across her designs alongside nude female prints.
It was a creative mix of the sweet and the sexy with cut out panelling used against high neck lines with areoplane pointed collars. The long school girl plaits and playful chunky heels were perfect too and I love the ad campaign for the collection.

Keira Knightley looking stunning in one of the Miu Miu looks, complete with Miu Miu shoes and a Chanel bag. God, I would love to raid her wardrobe.

Beth Ruby xoxo

Current Style Obsession- The Mad Hatter

I was slightly disappointed by the new Tim Burton film Alice in Wonderland.
Looking back I hyped it up so much in my head that the stakes for the film were unbearably high and could never really be met.

It had my favourite director, Tim Burton. It had my favourite actor, Johnny Depp. It had the amazing Danny Elfman creating the soundtrack. It is based on one of the best and the most imaginative children's books ever written. It had Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry and ALAN RICKMAN- Severus Snape is irresistible. And of course the magnificent Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway playing the two Queens.
So yeah basically an amazing cast. But it was also in 3D and a collaboration with Disney!

The possibilities for the films greatness were endless!

But it just didn't quite deliver, for me.

Sure on one hand it was a snapshot into Tim Burton's undeniably brilliant mind and a directorial wonder with some great performances. On the other the plot was lacking and not as engaging as it should have been seeing that Burton declared "he never felt a connection emotionally" with the book.

Good job then that the costumes were fantastic, they kept me distracted from the not-quite-right plot of Alice revisiting Wonderland.
Colleen Atwood is a genius. I found out through a quick IMDB search that she also did the costumes for Chicago and Nine (remember me raving about the costumes here?) and has won 2 Oscars, so there is no denying she is one talented lady!

I LOVED:
-Alice's little (or big depending on how much of the "drink me" potion she had taken) blue dresses
-The breathtaking corseted gowns in the wedding scene in the beginning, which looked as if they had just stepped out of a period drama

-The heart motif which was on every Queen of Hearts piece (Helena BC was of course, amazing in the role)

But above all else there was the Mad Hatter with his amazing liquorice allsorts bow tie, pocket watch, crazy hat and old beaten up patchwork suit. He look incredible.

Just don't mention that ridiculous Jaberwocky dance...

Beth Ruby xoxo

Winner of my favourite NYFW AW2010 collection goes to....

ANNA SUI!
Everybody give her a big round of applause:

Bless her. Anyway, yes out of all the collections I have been trawling through on Style.com since I got back from Spain (more on that in a post soon...) this one really stood out for me. Yes, it is the usual Sui use of clashing prints and textures put together to give a wonderfully bohemian look but if it is a formula which works so well, why change it?

Evidence of her amazingness here on Aggy Deyn and Abbey Lee Kershaw:

Finally I could not resist posting these killer Nicholas Kirkwood for Rodarte heels which I saw on Style Bubble...

These melted candle wax lace ups are simply inspired:

And is it weird that they remind me of this scene in the Wizard Of Oz when the Wicked Witch Of The West is melting?

Beth Ruby xoxo

ps) What was your favourite collection from last weeks NYFW?

pps) After Anna Sui in 1st place I would have to put Alexander Wang in 2nd and Oscar De La Renta in 3rd :D

Christian Dior Spring 2010 Haute Couture

This Christian Dior couture collection could have stepped right off the set for an avant guarde costume drama (obviously if costumes dramas had budgets big enough to buy couture with)

Exaggerated eye make up, huge show-off jewels drippping off every part of the models bodies, massive trailing gowns and of course lots and lots of sequins were the main aspects of the collection just showing that you don't buy Dior couture to blend into the background.

It was all about the drama.
Oh and these shoes which I am in love with. The heels are so fairy-tale like:

Source here on Style.com

Beth Ruby xoxo

Armani Privé Spring 2010 Haute Couture

Sleek and sculptural are two words which sum up the Armani Prive Couture Collection for Spring Summer 2010.

It was all about tailored fit dresses and skirt suits which were inspired by the moon. Little crescents popped up on suits and dresses and of course there were massive gowns imitating the glow of the moon itself on a midnight blue silk background.
These are my favourite looks from the collection:

Click here for more photos.

Beth Ruby xoxo

Elie Saab Spring 2010 Haute Couture

Long flowing gowns + neutral tones + pastel shades + a handful of glitter for good measure= perfect red carpet dress.

These Elie Saab couture gowns just scream "Oscars Frocks" for me and I know that if I got the chance to wear a dream dress to a red carpet event that one in the photo above would be the one.

They are practically perfect in everyway. Photo source here at Style.com

Beth Ruby xoxo

"I don't believe in avant-garde clothes for a future that will never happen. Fashion is always now"- Karl Lagerfeld on the new Chanel Couture

Of course it goes without saying that the clothes were absolutely amazing but at the Chanel Paris Haute Couture Show 2010 entitled the "Neon Baroque Collection" but what really stood out for me was the beauty side and in particular the wonderful heart shaped hair.
I am in love with the over the top, sickly sweet styling which is part Barbie princess and part cartoonish Flintstones wigs.
Photo Sources Here:

Finally I wanted to share the details I read here on how much work is put into these Haute Couture Collections:
-500 people worked on the project.
-Certain dresses are adorned with 80 buttons and there were 13,000 satin flowers used in the collection.
-One cape took 800 hours of work and bearing in mind that 65 looks were sent down the runway it is a massive understatement to say that there is alot of time put into these clothes.

By golly I love Couture week.

Beth Ruby xoxo

Giles invades the ceramics factory for his pre-fall collection

Giles Deacon always pulls out all the stops and this pre-fall collection was no exception, setting it in a porcelain factory with models posing in amongst an abundance of broken plates and floating cups and saucers.
Just when I thought he couldn't beat the crazy spider prints, giant sunglasses, bright colours, metallics (and not forgetting those dinosaur bags which blew my mind!) Giles brings along florescent wigs, mechanical style paper clip prints and simplistic shapes show to show his new aesthetics for autumn winter.

Source

Hope everyone is having a fab Tuesday!
Beth Ruby xoxo