Rock.The.Trend.

   
  
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Wow wow, time flies, it seems like it was just yesterday that we have ogled at the spring collections. Before the show season kick-off, here’s a preview of what to look out for during this eight-day fashion madness.

1) Preen showing in New York for the second time. Meanwhile, Matthew Williamson and Luella stay in London.
2) Hervé Léger by Max Azria’s debut… How often do you see celebs wearing Hervé Léger nowadays? Very often.
3) PROJECT RUNWAY FINALE!!!
4) Marc’s show will wrap up NYFW. Good time slot for him.

Lastly,  I found out that certain designers are looking for interns to help out at the upcoming LA fashion week. People, give it a try! 

”Miu Miu has discontinued its menswear line to focus on strengthening its women’s business, whose sales have more than doubled in two years, hitting $297 million in 2007. The spring 2008 men’s collection will be the last to be manufactured and sold by the Prada-owned brand” - quote from wwd

The last— SS08

Surprising? I don’t really look at Miu Miu menswear anyway…
But now I have even more expectations for every Miu Miu show already. After seeing that ultra feminine Prada menswear Fall 08′ collection, looks like Miuccia is trying to hint that she is really into womenswear. So, good for her.

source: TFS

David Yurman SS08

Seems like Valentino wasn’t the only one to bid farewell on his last couture show. Supermodel Natalia Vodianova is reportedly quitting the catwalk for family life (she’s got three children). Sources also revealed that “she may do another show in the future, but only for $500,000 or this large pink diamond she’s had her eye on” .
That sounds like Linda.

vogue.co.uk

Complete coverage at Let.Them.Rock.

    
Maybe you would be sulking like this too if you were rumoured to be in the Prada, Belstaff and Pringle ads but it all turns out to be just… rumours. A big fat solo ad campaign would have sky-rocketed her modelling profile further more than just major covers but apparently, it’s not happening.

- My photobucket account’s picture storage has exceeded the limit and it won’t be reactivated until 1st Feb! Any posts before ‘Paris mens Fall 08′ will have no pictures…
- Four more Vogue covers have been added, see them here.
- I have just accepted the invitation to contribute to MAMi magazine’s blog. Please check it out! The stuff that I am going to blog there will not be the same as Rock.The.Trend.’s
- Lastly, I’ve found Christian Dior SS08 Haute Couture’s full show runway video here.

Now that the latest SS08 couture fashion week has wrapped up, I shall give a little background information about what’s so Haute about couture.

The birth of couture
It began in 1858, when then-famous English designer Charles Frederic Worth’s work involved one-of-a-kind high-end pieces that are exquisite in details, expensive in fabric and exclusive in custom-fitting. The term Haute Couture, which means “high sewing” or “high dressmaking” in French, was created and it slowly became the ultimate lust for all fashionable women and a  well-defined standard for luxury.

The criterias of couture
Haute Couture is like a membership club. The rules and regulations needed for a house to be included in this ‘club’ are protected by law and they are:
1) A studio in Paris with 15 full-time employees and participate in the couture fashion week each season. Presentation of the collection to the Paris press must comprise at least thirty-five runs with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.
2) At least 75 pieces of work (including none-clothing items) have to be designed by the chief designer.
3) Every single piece has to be limited in quantity and handmade.
4) Design made-to-order for private clients, with a few fittings.

The statistics of couture
Approximately 500 fashionable women in this world are able to afford and become regular customers of Haute Couture.
A piece of couture clothing needs about 100 hours to complete. For those with embroideries, it takes around 1000 hours.
A couture gown needes around 50 people to complete.

The reasons for creating couture
Though rarely sold, it is created to enhance the prestige of the house and keeps the magic of artistic fashion alive.

Fashion houses that were once official Haute Couture members

Balenciaga
Guy Laroche
Emilio Pucci
Lanvin
Nina Ricci
Yves Saint Laurent
Pierre Balmain
Emanuel Ungaro

Maybe falling revenues have forced them to abandon their less profitable couture line and they preferred to concentrate mainly on the less prestigious ready-to-wear division. But recently, news have it that sales are up. Check out WWD’s article “No End to the Excess: Couture Houses Say The Party Plan Is On”.

sources: wikipedia, WWD

                            
They set up a giant blue ribbon for Chanel’s SS08 show and a wooden 75-foot tall jacket for the couture. So what’s up for Fall 08′? A giant quilted bag?

Jean Paul Gaultier’s vision of mermaids and corals is simply amazing. I really like the theme. It is so different, so unexpected and so breath-takingly beautiful.

The structure and tailoring of this coat from Givenchy couture is to-die-for… my favourite piece out of the whole collection.

The final finale, models strutting down the runway in Valentino’s signature red.
“All I ever wanted was beauty — to make women beautiful”

Chanel

Jean Paul Gaultier