THAT 70'S (RUNWAY) SHOW

GUCCI CROCHET DRESS - SS 2011- PH: YANNIS VLAMOS/ GORUNWAY.COMIf you follow fashion, it is no surprise to you that the decade designers are looking to as the key reference point for the Spring 2011 fashion is the 1970's.   While some styles from this granola loving decade are perennial items like platforms and wide leg pants, the runway shows for Spring brought out the true hippie dippy 70's.  The attention to detail and hand finished knits have a make love, not war feel to them as natural fibers and neutral colors make the perfect backdrop for pastel prints and powerful accessories.  Crochet and Macrame are excellent examples of a hand detailed, novelty process that are not often seen on a designer runway. DIOR HAND KNOTTED, SILK MACRAME DRESS - SUMMER 2011-PH: YANNIS VLAMOS / GORUNWAY.COM 

Some of the strongest examples were found on the Gucci, Ferragamo, Dior, & Ralph Lauren Runways.   Proof that the trend is represented in Italian, French, & American Collections.

FERRAGAMO HAND CROCHET DRESS SS 2011- PH: YANNIS VLAMOS / GORUNWAY.COMJohn Galliano at Dior took the use of color combos to the extreme for his Polynesian influenced show.  Of course Mr. Galliano took the handcrafted detail of the 70's to another level with hand knotted macrame throughout the collection.  Hair and make-up paid tribute to 50's pin-up icon Bettie Page.  Who else would feature an exotic Batik print on a finely tailored French jacket?  Galliano is in a category all by himself.   His creations lead the way in Paris season after season. CLASSIC CROCHET -RALPH LAUREN SS 2011- PH: MONICA FEUDI / GORUNWAY.COM Equally talented in Couture & RTW, the legacy of Christian Dior is in brilliant hands.    

Massimiliano Giornetti at Ferragamo gave an elegant interpretation of the sultry 70's detailing in his show in Milan.   Inspired by the iconic 1969 film "la Piscine" with Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, & Jane Birkin, the Ferragamo runway was awash with monochromatic ensembles that are Riviera Ready.   Giornetti has helped elevate Ferragamo's fashion presence since taking creative control of this chic Italian Mega-brand last year.    

DIOR BATIK PRINTED JACKET & HAND KNOTTED MACRAME SKIRT - SUMMER 2011 PH: YANNI VLAMOS/ GORUNWAY.COMBack in New York, Ralph Lauren looked to his own signature styling to mix LADY DIOR 'WATER PRINT" - DIOR SUMMER 2011crochet dresses back to Western inspired accessories and the classic Americana style he has built his empire on.

ACCESSORY HIGHLIGHT:  The chicest bag on the Paris runways was the latest version of the Iconic Lady Dior Bag.   The optic water print was dominant in the RTW collection and found itself on the Lady Dior.  The blue and white print is meant to resemble the sun glistening on the ocean - the ultimate accessory for this tropical fantasy of Dior Summer 2011.

Be prepared to get your Mrs. Roper groove on -that's right, the CAFTAN is also back - I'll have an update with pics of the best..stay tuned!! 

DIOR CRUISES TO SHANGHAI THIS HOLIDAY

JESSICA ALBA IN DAZZLING DIOR - ELLE DEC. 2010Santa's workshop has nothing on the Atelier elves at Christian Dior.   When things get busy at the North pole, that means holiday and resort collections are on the way to a designer boutique near you.  

This year the French power house that redefined the fashion industry over 60 years ago traveled to Shanghai, China to debut its Cruise Ready To Wear collection and celebrate the brilliant renovation of the Christian Dior Boutique.DIOR KNIT LACE DRESS - CRUISE 10/11  Ultra-Luxe Architect Peter Marino was the man behind the face-lift that doubled the size of this fashion destination. 

The mainstream press referred to the show as a Couture event - but it was so much more.   To celebrate this very special occasion, John Galliano sprinkled true Couture pieces within the Cruise collection show.   The mixing of the two collections had never been done before - and truly highlighted the incredible savoir-faire of Christian Dior Ready-To-Wear.   I can't think of another designer collection whose Ready-To-Wear gowns could share a stage with true Couture - and still shine!  Amazing!

ANDROGYNOUS CHIC - DIOR CRUISE 10/11The Cruise collection was inspired by two iconic symbols of French Culture that are flip sides of the same coin.   First, the ultimate blond bombshell who put St. Tropez on the map - Brigitte Bardot.  No woman has inspired more fashion designers since her larger than life debut on film in God Created Woman in 1956!   Bardot's gourmand attitude and vivacious curves and sex appeal captivated the world in film after film.   Who better to serve as muse for John Galliano to re-invent and rebirth the Dior Bar Jacket and iconic silhouettes from the priceless Dior archives.   Perfectly paired back to playful separates like cropped pants and stretch skirts - this was truly modern styling for a resort / holiday collection.   On the flip side and just as captivating - Galliano chose actress Jean Seberg for inspiration.   Seberg was the poster girl for the era of French Cinema known as "Nouvelle Vague" or New Wave of the 60's.   Seberg starred alongside bad boy - Jean-Paul Belmondo in  Jean-Luc Godard's -"Breathless".   Audiences were shocked to see Seberg's androgynous styling and short cropped hair.  (Mia Farrow wouldn't appear in Rosemary's Baby with a similar cut until 1968).   DIOR COUTURE - SPRING 2011

The strength of this cruise collection is that it highlights the iconic codes of the House of Dior and presents them as wonderful separates a modern woman can fold into her wardrobe.  A great way to revitalize pieces you already love, add in a new classic.  These are investment pieces and any Dior jacket, skirt, or dress you buy today - will be just as relevant 10 years from now.DIOR RTW CHIFFON GOWN - CRUISE 2010/11

Special Note:  If you are looking for a cocktail dress or gown for any event coming up this holiday season or for Spring 2011 - get yourself to a Dior boutique asap.   No other fashion house has a greater selection of cocktail and evening gowns.   Beyond Dior RTW?  You would have to go to Paris for actual Couture - That is a fact.  

The Cruise Collection is in Stores now - to locate a boutique near you - click - DIOR.

BONJOUR DIOR BEVERLY HILLS

FASHION SPY IN DIORMy trip last week to sunny California for Dior was a dream come true for this pale and grumpy New Yorker.  From the moment the plane landed, I was in LA LA land.  (Incidentally I sat next to Andy Cohen from Bravo on my flight -very nice.  I'm sure he cherished the down time away from the ladies of the Real Housewives!).   There is something about L.A. that is unlike any other place.   Of course it's the sunshine, the palm trees, and the Hollywood effect.  The movie industry has the whole city in a permanent trance.  If you turn heads in other places, you get stares in Los Angeles.   People in L.A. do a unique double take to everyone they pass on the street.   You get that extra moment of glance and you can almost hear the thoughts "who is that?", "is he famous?"   VIA RODEO  For this reason alone - how can you not like spending a few days in L.A?

Then, for a die hard New Yorker like myself to have the chance to drive a brand new rental car ( trying to get the most gas efficient model available!) gives me flashbacks to high school.   Those first months when you could drive by yourself and have total control of your destination.   Of course this doesn't last long in L.A. as after 10 minutes of euphoria I am in bumper to bumper traffic on the 405!   But still happy - as I have 45 minutes all to myself to listen to every new top 40 song I didn't know existed!   Hi Eminem, hi Usher - I remember you guys!

RODEO DRIVE -SUNDAY MORNINGRodeo drive continues to dazzle and captivate tourists from every corner of the globe.   The level of quality craftsmanship that you see from boutique to boutique is staggering.   There truly is no other place on earth that has such opulent and luxurious fashion one shop after another.    There are also more exotic sports cars than you have ever seen in a 5 block radius!

Dior has an impressive location on Rodeo.  All product categories from Fine Jewelry to Accessories, to RTW, to Shoes are all here.  The Dior Fall collection - beautiful.   Really, John Galliano is on a level that few can ever reach.   The vision and story he is able to bring to one of the most prestigious fashion ateliers in the world is amazing.   Keep in Mind that Dior and Chanel are the only two major fashion houses with Couture roots.   Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, & Hermes are all beautiful, but do not originate from a couture collection.   This gives a quality and savoir-faire to collections like Dior and Chanel that cannot be duplicated.   

MISS DIOR FLOATS ON A CLOUDThe really great news is that designer houses have become very considerate of the fact that women are thinking twice about price points when they invest in these RTW pieces. DIOR WOOL KNIT W/ HAND LACED RIBBON - $2,600.00  Also keep in mind that designer handbag prices have increased steadily for the last 10 years.   That means if you are buying designer handbags today, you can afford designer RTW.  Case in point at Dior.   There are amazing knitwear and classically tailored jackets shown on the runway that retail in the $2,600.00 - $3,000.00 range.  Galliano's vision of Miss Dior for Fall is full of equestrian detailing of the classics and romantic shapes for those Libertines at heart! 

CLASSIC DIOR JACKET - $3,000.00Of course, these pieces are very expensive.  However, for a designer garment hand crafted in France or Italy - there is great value in those price points.   These pieces are made from the finest raw materials on Earth and manufactured by skilled Artisans who have the finest working conditions and labor regulations in the world.   There is no finer product outside of true French Couture.  In addition, these items will be relevant for life.

Preview the Dior Fall collection now!  Click - Dior for Sure.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA TO ADD COUTURE?

OSCAR de la RENTAMy sources tell me that Oscar de la Renta is stacking the deck of his design studio.   It seems he has hired away a pivotal player from the couture studio of John Galliano for Christian Dior.   John Galliano is NOT amused.  Galliano is the king of couture and known for his fantastical  collections season after season.  Clearly a bold move for Oscar.JOHN GALLIANO

ODLR is looking to add a level of sophistication to his studio.   There have been rumors for some time that Oscar is looking to sell the company - however - despite several product licensees, there is no meat and potatoes to the collection.  While Oscar is internationally known as THE cocktail or ball gown resource, the company has failed numerous attempts over the last 4 years to make the collection younger and more relevant.  ODLR denies there is any intent to sell the company.ODLR RESORT 2009

Bringing in a couture designer must mean that Oscar has decided to go the other direction and take his design status to another level.  To design any collection after working on Dior Couture will be a daunting task!  However, if there is any American designer who could warrant the move, it would be ODLR.    Who else has the legacy of this icon?   His only peer in Couture would be Ralph Rucci. 

Stay Tuned!