Paris Haute Couture Week 2016

It's Paris Haute Couture Week this week and you can believe it is as spectacular as ever before. If you aren't familiar, 'Haute Couture' is defined as 'high sewing' which is basically the idea of hand making beautiful, extravagant garments in small ateliers in Paris, with no more than 20 staff. Each piece is delicately hand-crafted with only one made of each design, making each garment even more special. So far this week, we have seen stunning designs from Chanel, Dior, Ralph and Russo, Versace, and much more. Today, we have shows from Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier and Valentino to name a few, so look out for those looks. Paris Haute Couture Week has been running for 90 years so before I go through the highlights of this weeks shows, let's look back at some signature looks from the past 90 years.

 1988 Yves Saint Laurent

Balmain Couture 1992

Chanel Haute Couture 1994

1956 - Barbara Balmain wearing Pierre Balmain

Now let's take a look at some of the highlights from this week's show so far. First up, the stunning designs from Chanel Haute Couture. 

Some of the key features in the Chanel set were very Blair Waldorf inspired, with the Alice bands, high buns, gloves and embroidered jackets. The pieces were a lot more structured than most other designs we will see during Paris Couture Week. For the makeup, every model wore a smudged eyeliner look which added a grunge edge to the put together, haute designs.  

The next designer that I really loved was Dior. Here are some of the highlights from their show. 

 
A key feature in the Dior looks were the flip flops, which are a first for a Haute Couture show. The sandals added a more laid back feel to the otherwise smart monochromatic looks.

The third collection that I really loved was Atelier Versace Haute Couture AW16. They designed some incredible pieces that looked stunning on the runway.

   
Donatella Versace had some beautiful concepts, with the use of ruffles and metallic fabrics being at the forefront of her designs.

I thought I would give a quick mention to Giambattista Valli whose stunning ball gowns looked incredible on the runway. Truly encompassing what it means by Haute Couture.

Ralph and Russo also featured some incredible designs which I have loved, their gowns are the perfect blend of princess vibes and smart couture. Here are some highlights from their show.

Their main spectacle however was from this years Spring/Summer show, where they closed with this incredible wedding gown. It was made from 826 meters of tulle, 46 meters of organza and millions of beads, crystals and pearls. It truly was haute couture at its finest. 

Hopefully, we will continue to see some incredible examples of skilled craftsmanship and design in the form of these stunning garments in the week ahead.

Seda x