Ravishing Red Dresses

Darlings, CC is super smitten with these sexy scarlet dresses from the Fall 2012 collections!

Runway coverage via style.com exept where otherwise credited.
Alberta Ferretti
Antonio Berardi
Fabiola Arias, via nymag.com
Felder Felder
Giorgio Armani
House of Holland
Jason Wu
Jonathan Cohen; this and next via nymag.com
Maria Grachvogel
Matthew Williamson
Michael Kors
Monique Lhuillier
Rolando Santana, via nymag.com
Sachin + Babi
Sophie Theallet
Which red dress do you find most ravising?
xoxox,
CC
P.S. Be sure to visit Couture Carrie tomorrow for CC's shopping suggestions!

MILAN FASHION WEEK: SPRING 2010 PART I

as for london fashion week, milan fashion week has been condensed down to one post! yay! as always i was thoroughly impressed with milan fashion week. i loved a great number of shows from milan fashion week but if i had to narrow down my faves to four (which is very hard!) i would say versace, pollini, gucci and emilio pucci were my faves and i wish i could squeee aquilano.rimondi into the fave four...but obviously i can't. anyway, i hope you enjoy this post as always.
♥ me

versus- this was a great rtw debut for versus. christopher kane did a great job as donatella versace agrees and versus reflects the sex appeal of versace with the kitsch of christopher kane combined. all of these dresses are fun and young without being too thoughtless. i think that the sparkly dress to the far right would look great on emma watson, and it's also a good dress for those with warm brown skintones because of the pewter sparkly embellishments and the sandy color of the body of the dress.

versace- lots and lots of prints and body conscious looks. i was so surprised to see so many prints, it almost felt like a pucci show! lots of geometricism was used as well, such as constructing parts of the dresses out of triangle shaped fabric or making triangular patterns in the dresses.

trussardi 1911- i've never seen a show from them before, at least i don't remember the name of this fashion house. apparently, it's been in existence for quite some time and i'm liking the earthy, warm, purely italian feel it has. all of these dresses are begging to be worn for a night on the town.

pollini- *sigh* print perfection. i am in love. i loved the checked, strappy shoes with the big black bows and the model's soft ponytail. this collection was trendsetting. i expect to see alot of big bowed shoes, drapey plaid dresses as well as fullskirted trench coat dresses in stores. or at least any stores that want me as a customer. :)

neil barrett- this collection was simple and refreshing with a palette of black and white and with the concept that the guy should be brought out in every girl. it worked out well.

moschino cheap & chic- the spring 2010 collection for moschino cheap & chic was inspired by the fusion of mod style and flower child flair.

moschino- at moschino we saw a tasteful reinterpretation of the 80s with lots of gold hardware such as big gold hoop earrings, gold high heeled sandals and gold chained bags, as well as bright colors, prints and shorter hemlines.

iceberg- this collection drew inspiration from mickey mouse on safari. now if that isn't original, what is? paolo gerani did a great job by making this idea work. there are a lot of great, fun, red carpet as well as party or event pieces in this collection.

gucci- this collection can be described as beautiful sportswear. the color palette as well as the prints were clean and bright, metallic detailing on dresses, skirts, jackets and pants were used to contour the model's body and all of the model's hair was slicked back neatly. this collection was really original and inspiring and had a different feel from all of the other shows i've seen so far, including new york and london fashion week. it was lovely. i'm going to make a prediction ( who knows if it will actually happen): blake lively will wear a dress from this collection. she likes showing off her body and her cleavage, and she's worn dresses similar to the cut of some of the gucci ones in the spring 2010 collection so i'm sure she'll wear something from this presentation.

giorgio armani- i loved armani's abundant use of blues in this collection. they were the most beautiful shades of blue, deep and brooding or light and floaty.

gianfranco ferre- : loved it! lots of use of light, floaty materials such as organza, chiffon and lame as well as light colors. models wore lightly crimped hair and blank faces.

gabriele colangelo- very elegant with signature italian flair.

etro- i don't usually like etro shows, but i enjoyed this one. there was less attention put into creating annoying pasiley prints and more attention put into creating piece that many different women (hippie or no hippie) would like to wear.

emilio pucci- looks: 2,20,28,34 peter dundas is a godsend for the house of emilio pucci. i fell in love with his debut collection and i am head over heels for the perfection that is his spring 2010 collection for emilio pucci.

dsquared- this show definitely stuck to its theme of camping in the great outdoors. i didn't think i'd like this collection but i was won over by the many brilliant red carpet dresses they presented amidst ant printed shirts, cut off shorts and vests dipped in bright caution tape yellow.

dolce & gabbana- a dark color palette and heavy use of lace, print (floral and a red and black leopard print) as well as three piece suiting.

d&g- mr. dolce and mr. gabbana made denim look so amazing and glam. the western look has never appealed to me as much as it does now!

bottega veneta- the color palette consisted mainly of white, cream and a warm sunhine yellow. loved it as i usually love bottega veneta, they have such an appealing feminine aesthetic.

blumarine- bright and super fun

aquilano.rimondi- just what i love, amazing dresses.

albino- this show was great and could be summed up in a few words: sparkly knee high socks, chunky heeled shoes, skirt suits, dresses, draping frayed hems, soft color, black.

alberta ferretti- i thouroughly enjoyed viewing this soft, serene and feminine show. the color palette was very calming: white, off white, lavender, purple, nude and muted corals. sheerness, short hemlines as well as long tailored skirts were featured.

fashion week notes

prada- i never enjoy prada as much as everyone else does. featured were suits, dresses, skirts and tops with big cutouts that exposed the center of the chest. big crystal embellishments were also featured as well as frayed hems on bermuda shorts and skirts. all the models had voluminous pigtails and bright, glossy red lips.

just cavalli- if you're a just cavalli kind of girl you'll be channeling glamour grunge (if that even exists...) for spring 2010. some pieces were great, but most of it felt like costume.

roberto cavalli- all the models looked as if they had flown through a closet and ended up wearing whatever clothing happened to fall on them. their necks were wound in menswear ties, they wore dresses over button ups and trousers and most of the clothes were loose fitting. many prints abounded as well. some of the finale dresses were really pretty with ruffly shoulder appliques.

maxmara- this show bored me.

francesco scognamiglio- this was more a show of the models' bountiful chests if anything.

emporio armani- sorry giorgio, i only liked 2 looks out of the 68 look show.

salvatore ferragamo- cristina ortiz's last collection for salvatore ferragamo was not very strong.

missoni- this collection was not to my liking with its' bizarre styling and mostly washed out color palette.

maurizio pecoraro- a pastel color palette and lots of shell embellishment and floral appliques. this collection didn't appeal to me though because it wasn't very exciting and i couldn't really picture wearing this collection much.

marni- stripes, headscarves, rich browns, forest greens and pinks, embossed floral prints, bright multicolored floral prints on shifts and shirts....this marni collection was like all the others. this time, i just didn't take a liking to it.

fendi- this collection was really cute: the color palette was all pastels, featured were frayed hems, super short hems, sheerness, high frizzy buns and fendi bags of all sizes. i wish the envelope was pushed a bit further in the creativity department, and then i would have loved it.

jil sander- after raf simon's stellar fall 2009 collection i was disappointed by his spring 2010 collective for jil sander. he said he was going back to nature with this collection...to me it looked like a bunch of shift dresses and suits with holes in it or frayed cloth sewed onto it.

MILAN FASHION WEEK: FALL 2009 PART I

now that i've seen milan fashion week....milan fashion week > new york fashion week. i'm just an italian girl at heart i guess....until i see paris fashion week :D
♥ me

alberta ferretti- alberta did what she does best in this collection. she worked with silks and chiffons and had billowing blouson tops and flowing skirts accented with nipped in silk waists. i found it interesting that she used a nude panel ontop of most of her looks to give the illusion that the models' neckline was exposed. also featured was beading on the shoulders of dresses and shirts, and on shoes. rich velvets and royal purples, yellows, and blues were also featured throughout the collection. i feel like these clothes are what a princess off duty would wear. it was very laid back luxe. i love that flapperish dress jourdan is wearing and would love to own it.

albino- the shoes were absolutely killer, and i just liked the feel of this collection. the lime green and pale blue combination on the far right is unexpected, but it definitely works and reminds me a bit of a marc jacobs collection a while back with a little bit of lanvin mixed in. i love the beautiful black dress with a stand up collar that turns into ruffles down the middle of the dress: ingenius!

blumarine- i loved the leopard print minis! this collection was fun fun fun! the set was so bright and the clothing was really cheerful. it was well appreciated by all of us downtrodden souls, no? one of my absolute favorite looks has to be that beautiful yellow one shouldered gown. someone has to wear it, it's just so perfect!

jil sander- if i marry a rich man i want to have lots of jil sander in my wardrobe. season after season jil sander churns out clean, classic pieces that are absolutely timeless. most of the clothes were either black, white, grey or a beigey tannish color, but they were paired beautiful pointy toed shoes came in a variety colors such as fire engine red, toxic yellow, black and more. although the outside of the pieces were neutral colors, some were lined in burnt orange--as was revealed in a beautifully sculpted coat with a collar and lapels that looked like they deserved to be part of a calla lily--yellow, red, etc. all of the looks were just so beautiful, it was hard to choose just five looks that i liked because i liked the entire collection. on jak and jil the bloggers were saying that jil sander has just shown us pure 21st century fashion with no influence from other decades...and i think they're right. it just feels fresh, and real and wearable for now.

marni- i love the new soft look at marni. i loved all of the model's hair. it looked so soft and touchable, and although the marni color palette was very colorful as usual it didn't feel loud, it felt soft and warm. i absolutely loved the styling, and the printed knee socks and tights, and the accessories were amazing. i love marni's funky bags. i could so see myself wearing that beautiful outfit with the fur paneled sweater, and beautiful gold and pink necklace (to the far left--and i could also see myself wearing the second look from the left as well, probably w/o the socks).

luisa beccaria- this line had me from hello. it was amazingly romantic, i loved all of the cream and pale beige looks that came out in the beginning and i absolutely loved the hair that was pinned up in what looked like roller sections. it made a very wistful hairdo that i wish i could pull off...it was a more romantic and desirable version of a polygamist wife hairdo (at least from the front). the hairstyle looked even more luscious from the back. the color palette consisted of cream, nude, black, silver, and medium dark to a subdued blue with bright undertones. the styling was done very well and i don't feel like the collection was too overdone. it was well thought out and could serve as a fabulous fall wardrobe.

giorgio armani- bright red lips, slicked back hair, dark eye make up all formed a more sophisticated look back at the 80s. it seems every designer wants to revisit the 80s. armani made stunning beaded gowns that i am sure will turn up on the red carpet as well as expertly constructed knee length dresses, satin pants, fitted blazers, and long cape coats made out of wool or fur.

gianfranco ferre- big shoulders were prominent at gianfranco ferre as well as dark colors (black and grey) and bold eyebrows that looked to be drawn on in a quick manner by using a ruler and a sharpie. as usual, the show was very architectural--but that's one of the things i love about g. ferre.

emporio armani- i absolutely loved the styling of the show. knee socks and berets are so cute (and so blair waldorf). so many of the looks were wearable too. i loved the huge pale pink leather bags featured as accessories and the fact that he featured all short looks. short dresses, short coats, shorts, and skirts.

emilio pucci- love, love, love, love, love! i loved the over the knee suede boots and the big fur trimmed coat at the beginning and the short hems, and the beautiful hippie glam vibe i got from the whole collection. peter dundas took over from matthew williamson for this season and he did a great job on his debut collection for the house. he gave pucci a really cool, chill vibe. matthew made the line cool in his own right and peter makes it cool in his own right as well. i liked how he gave texture to signature emilio pucci print by using velvet or suede paneling for some of the print on some of the looks. the collection was creative, and seemed to be inspired a bit by balmain as most of these fall 09 collections are, but it was still nice.

dsquared- this show was so much fun. freja opened the show holding a starbucks venti latte. the whole show was definitely an homage to olsen chic in my opinion (i could see ashley wearing the lok to the far left, and either ashley or mk in the second look from the left and the look at the far right, and probably ashley in the third from the left look), and i absolutely loved the funness of it, and the fact that these looks could easily be created for a cheaper price.

dolce and gabbana- big shoulders, prints galore, tall shoes in all colors, gloves as hats, big bow hats, mirrored polka dots, and fur were only a small part of what was featured at the dolce and gabbana fall 2009 show. i absolutely loved the marilyn monroe dresses with huge skirts puffed up by tulle and the hot pink sheath with puffy shoulders. now i understand why the poufy dresses in the 80s were even appealing, it's not that they looked that great, it's because they were fun. i think this sheath looks good and fun.

d&g- looks:7,11,35,44,50 a lot of lace, silks and huge yet short balloon skirts. a lot of the dresses looked like they were made from baroque sofa material. there were velvet dresses, velvet broade/jacquard dresses, pin cushion pillow dresses in satin and more interesting options that seemed to be based off of victorian or baroque furniture.

burberry prorsum- i absolutely love those platform boots. this would be a perfec wardrobe for fall, everything was pretty much comfortable basics and a few pieces were jazzed up with metallic finishes and taking a cue from miu miu some dresses were printed with the visages of roman/greek figures.

bottega veneta- bottega veneta seems to have been made for me. i'm a young lady that likes to dress like a lady. slouchy pants are all well and good, but i'll be the first one to tell you that i enjoy dressing up. and oh, how i'd love to dress up in bottega veneta. i loved their foray into corsetry and how for some looks they corseted the waist and directly under the chest to enhance the chest area. it was done tastefully and no cleavage was shown and it was all still sexy.

part two of milan fashion week is coming soon!