Shopping Setback

If you'll recall, I received a $100 gift card to Holt Renfrew for Christmas (as I posted here) and I was eager to find something to use it on.  This is just a quick update on my shopping journey.  End of season sales have started, and Holt Renfrew has brought out racks and racks of reduced items.  I managed to find a pink and white Prada top for $111, which means I pay only $11...for a Prada top!  It seemed like a great deal, but the top was not so nice that it elicited a coup de foudre (which is what I normally want when I buy something).  However, I did find this Tory Burch Sequined Merino Wool Cardigan for $179:

The sequins are dazzling, but the cardigan looks much better open than it does closed.  I've had my eye on this cardigan ever since it first came out a couple months ago, and I thought I finally found the perfect item to spend my gift card on.  But alas, there was not a single XS left.  I may contemplate whether or not I can pull of a size S, but to my disappointment, the state of my gift card is still unused.  Although the gorgeous guy parading around Holt Renfrew in nothing but a pair of briefs to promote a new line of mens underwear did manage to cheer me up...

Image Source: Tory Burch

Valentino Spring 2011 Couture

With the direction that Valentino has been going lately, I have come to expect bows, ruffles and sheer fabric.  Every collection follows those guidelines, and I can almost imagine what a collection will be like before it even comes out.  This would be the opportune moment to say that Valentino is stuck in a rut, but I won't say that.  It may be true, but because I love romanticism so much, I will never get tired of bows, ruffles, and sheer fabric.  I love every Valentino show despite all of them being similar.  However, I did find some new elements that Piccioli and Chiuri were toying around with, such as tiny cutouts and a bit of sparkle:

The middle part of the show contained an infusion of ruffles in what seemed more Valentino ready-to-wear than couture:

But the couture came back in the most lightweight, almost non-existent dresses I've seen go down Valentino's runway.  The ethereal, fairy-like quality of these dresses can only be understood by seeing the way they floated gracefully on the body:

So while I have a feeling many people were not overjoyed about this collection, I thought it was yet again beautiful in Valentino's now well-established soft, feminine way.

Watch the entire show here.

Image Source: Style.com

Chanel Spring 2011 Couture

The video for Chanel's Couture show has finally come out, allowing me to do a review (I don't like reviewing a collection without trying to see it in the closet way possible to the way a designer intends).  Chanel's last Spring Couture collection consisted of a bright, almost sci-fi shimmer, but for this collection, Lagerfeld introduced a softer, uplifting kind of shimmer.  The first part of the show was subdued, revealing the shimmer through detailing and sequined leggings (which are tailored beautifully to perfection):

Then came a smooth shift to a slightly more structured phase, with strict yet still soft, jackets and dresses:

The prim and polished then gave way to delicate, heavenly sparkle:

To take something as blunt as embroidery, and turn it into something as diaphanous as what we have just witnessed in this collection is all part of Lagerfeld's irreplicable skill.

Watch the entire show here.

Image Source: Style.com

Christian Dior Spring 2011 Couture

Yes, it is that time of year again: couture week.  I always look forward to the aura of pure opulence, the sound of impressed editors, and of course, the sight of breathtaking creations.  One show I never miss is Christian Dior, a favourite of mine ever since his Fall 2008 Couture collection.  This is my first time talking about couture on my blog, so I'm very excited.  Galliano started his show off, like always, with a dramatic entrance by Karlie Kloss in a blood red coat:

Galliano's inspiration for this collection was the works of René Gruau, who was the illustrator for Dior in the forties and fifties.  His artistic work - pencil strokes and water colour among them - can be seen reproduced in this collection through the embroidery and cloth.  Dior's New Look was evident in the slim pencil skirts appearing in the first part of the show...

...as well as in the latter part of the show with billowing fabric erupting from slim, defined waists:

And then, a sudden softness arrived, taking all the elements just seen onto a whole other level of extravagance:

With the spectacular soundtrack, theatricality of the models, and the unbelievable beauty of the clothes, I was swept up by Galliano's one-of-a-kind ability, and there was not a single moment when I didn't have goosebumps.  This is haute couture at its absolute finest.

Watch Part 1 of the show here, and Part 2 here.

Image Source: Style.com

La Parisienne

I was flipping through the fashion section of the newspaper about a month ago, and I saw a photo of this French Connection Winter Sun Wool Coat (it also comes in pink, blue and camel):

The coat itself is beautiful (although there have been complaints of it being shapeless), but what made me even more excited was that I actually saw this coat being worn by a girl at my school, and I was privately obsessing over it as we both waited for the bus to arrive.  It's made from wool and cashmere-blend, and has the perfect dose of Parisienne-chic, with its romantic ruffle detailing (gorgeous!) and puffed shoulders.  There's also a slight oriental influence with the high collar, crossover curved opening, and pouch pockets.  Add in a dash of military style with the double-breasted buttons, and you've got yourself one stylish winter wonder.

Image Source: French Connection

Vlada Roslyakova

At the request of angelaseeangelablog, Vlada Roslyakova is up next on this blog's model feature!

Vlada is most well-known for her piercing blue eyes that are like icy lasers on the runway.  But the delicate bags under her eyes (yes, you read right!) are just as well-known, and they complete her fragile and almost doll-like look.  There are many models that have made a name for themselves by possessing doll-like features, and it seems designers just can't get enough!

What I love about her off-duty style is that she always seems to don one outstanding piece, whether it be an amazing paneled coat, a loose metallic skirt, or a tight military top:

Her most recent appearance was at Donna Karan Pre-Fall 2011:

If there are any models you want to see featured, just give me a shout if you haven't done so already!

Image Source: Vlada, Editorial, Off-duty1, Off-duty2, Off-duty3, Style.com