Givenchy Haute Couture S/S 2011 Paris

[almudena]

I agree completely. I can appreciate each piece as a work of extreme craftsmanship...and I can only imagine what it would be like to see these garments up close. However...while these elements can make a garment incredibly beautiful, if the overall design itself is inherently flawed, even thousands of hours of handwork cannot save it.

The obvious similarities between this Haute Couture collection and Tisci's previous one give me reasons to believe you'd most likely be in for a disappointment.

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^What do you mean?

 

[almudena]

That the gowns look much better in pictures than in reality.

Combined with their un-wearability, the conclusion is they are mainly made for photographs.

OK I guess, if this sells cosmetics and Nightingales...

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^So you've seen them in person, I take it? Care to elaborate a little further? This is very interesting to me...

 

[afterrhours]

As a collection it's pretty repetitive...although the dresses and the details are absolutely gorgeous. And the hats are really ugly.

 

[almudena]

Sure, it was no insider hard task or anything, as three gowns from the previous collection are on display in the Givenchy flagship store here in Paris.

They are extremely delicate (goes without saying with the fabric used), the embroidery is superbe craftsmanship-wise (the feathers are also good) - I' give all credit to the Givenchy seamstresses for this - but the dresses are mainly generic. And all three of them with identical cut.

But the worst of it all for me is that they lack the quintessential Haute Couture element: from up close they do not look luxurious. Or covetable for that matter. But in pictures... WOW! You want to fall down on your knees and worship them!

A big let down.

I'm therefore not sold on this collection.

 

[Littleathquakes]

I guess this is fascinating for the Western culture, but if you're Asian and grew up around lacquered wood furniture embellished with mother of pearl crane and swan and phoenix motifs, this comes off as cliched and borders on costumey (although that top honor goes to Maison Martin Margiela HC so far...).

I mean I know HC can be changed and tailored to suit the client, but even then you got an evening gown with some birds on it.

 

[StoneSkipper]

The hats are the only thing I don't like. They're just cheesy and stereotypical, and I could live without them.

 

[almudena]

Yeah, I guess these are the prototypes, I doubt any of them was re-made at all anyway.

 

[daoudmac]

From the photos I saw on Style.com the collection looks stunning. The hats are over the top though and make it tragically costume. This was a fail on the styling but the pieces look incredible and both Dior and Givenchy are breathtaking but I am still holding my breath for Gaultier.

 

[ParisFashionMuse]

oh this is beautiful. beautiful

 

[Meg2109]

The detail in this collection makes my heart hurt in a glorious way. Breathtaking.

 

[FashionFollower]

I don't think the pleated gowns differ from anything say Elie Saab, or Basil Soda could churn out. No denying they're gorgeous individual pieces, and the tiresome hours allocated to each gown were lanky, but if more attention was paid towards innovativty as a whole collection, the statement would've been much more assertive. Hats taken aside, the Japanese theme wouldn't have been at all apparent.

 

[teacakes]

Back view/group shot HQ




Style.com

There's so much love. Only Riccardo could produce something like this.

 

[ForChicSake]

^thank you

 

[xPedro]

This and Dior HC S/S 07 were the best oriental inspired couture collections ever, IMO!

 

[mackos]

Thanks for those!

All these sequin details are so delicious

 

[FND74]

I think the collection is beautiful, costumey or not. I'm also not feeling the hats, but it's part of the presentation, not that they're planning to see people walking down the streets in it. I think Tisci is sticking by his guns of what worked for Givenchy last year, couture wise, because apparently their couture business went up a significant percentage last year. In the end, it's commerce.

 

[ebe_sp]

the back detail in neon colors is totally a modern twist to couture

 

[fantastical]

love love love. especially the 5th and 6th, and 7th dresses on fei fei sun and liu wen
I could have done without the headpieces though
but all-together a really great presentation