I love Jean Paul Gaultier. He is old school, but hip. He is very 80’s, but in a modern way. He is haute couture done rock’n'roll, and that is exactly what this collection is. I remember one of my first weekends living in Paris, I went to Porte de Clignancourt to visit the famous Paris flea market with my new fashion school friends. Jean Paul Gaultier was buying some incredibly expensive, fabulous antique furniture and wearing a nautical striped sweater (SO him!) We were rudely staring at him, our first famous designer encounter, and he turned around and smiled at us. He’s the best!

I love…

a couture trenchcoat.

beautifully thin and extremely soft leather with fur trim.

rounded shoulders and hips.

an incredibly strange yet interesting dress.

awesome shoulders! I love this silhouette.

more amazing shoulders, this time jeweled and square.

I loathe…

the cone cups that look great on Madonna's bustier look crap on a boring blue top.

All images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

It feels like Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli are finally starting to understand Valentino. The understated yet interesting silhouettes, the feminine ruffles on bold shapes, and the mix of 60’s gamine and elegance are what Valentino is about. They hit the mark with some of the dresses, although some were slightly exaggerated versions of Valentino that ended up looking like oversized babies’ dresses. But I’d say this collection gives me hope about these two designers’ ability to take after their fake tanned master.

I love…

Prim and proper with a touch of sass (I can't believe I said the word sass.)

navy blue evening wear. So much more interesting than black.

couture lacework.

a new interpretation of 80's Valentino.

I loathe…

this ridiculous flower.

looking like a big baby or a tacky doll.

All images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

Chanel puts on the most incredible productions for their haute couture shows. This one, in the Grand Palais, featured a giant gold lion resting his paw on a pearl, which doubled as the entrance for the models. The collection was super classy, very elegant, with beautiful, structured tailoring. I loved the amazing rounded raglan sleeves, and the evening pieces, which show off the tehcniques of the ateliers and the Karl Lagerfeld’s incredible talent as a designer.

I love…

the way the top comes away from the skirt at the waist of this coat, and the beautifully rounded, narrow raglan sleeve.

that Karl has gotten rid of the hideous fake fur and brought back the real stuff!

this lovely silhouette and the perfect little gathers at the waist and on the sleeves.

more beautiful tailoring, this time slightly deconstructed.

embroidery to die for.

a dramatic evening dress worn mid calf and with slouchy boots.

the fact that this feels traditional, folksy, and space age all at the same time.

Image of the stage from here, the rest of the images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

Givenchy’s Fall 2010 haute couture collection had ten stunning dresses. I have five loves, but only because I thought it would be silly to have ten loves, as that is the whole show. This is another example of what haute couture should be, incredible embellishment, stunning shapes, and the general feel of fairytale fabulousness, but with a Givenchy edge. These dresses look expensive, very expensive. They are the types of dresses you would have in your closet and take out on a Saturday afternoon just to caress and admire their beauty. My only criticism is the white dresses, they are beautiful, but look a lot like wedding dresses. I am not sure many woman will want to look like a bride, if they aren’t getting married (that day.) I hope the white ones are available in gold too.

I love…

haute couture embellishments.

the fringes and drapes on this dress.

gold! And looking like a million dollars. (Literally.)

guessing who will get the honour of wearing this on the red carpet. It must be someone fabulous.

the contrast of the zippers on an otherwise delicate dress, worn with a strong, structured jacket. Imagine this on a bride!

All images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

Ok, think Dynasty, think 70’s and 80’s retro glamour, think the Gucci by Gucci ad, and think the famous Steven Meisel Fall Winter 2000 Versace campaign. That’s what the Armani Privé Fall 2010 collection looks like. The tailoring is sexy and strong, and the evening wear is very glitzy. My only complaint is that a lot of the tailoring looks very ready-to-wear, I hope the finishes and fit make the hefty price tag worth it.

I love…

fabulous 70's glamour.

more beautiful 70's tailoring. I love the draped neckline, the giant button, and the tones of brown and tan.

wearing a cocktail dress with a matching coat. And a killer crocodile clutch.

a crocodile jacket. That is haute couture.

a glittering long-sleeved gown.

Armani's take on Dynasty evening wear.

I loathe...

a bad fit. The model wearing this dress needs much higher, larger breasts.

the unflattering shape of this dress. I know couture is about creating an incredible fit with the minimum number of seams, but this just looks shapeless.

All images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

Alexis Mabille’s fall 2010 couture collection fell short of what a Paris couture collection should be. There ware some beautiful pieces, but not enough of them to impress. For example, some jackets and tops were pared with slim black trousers. I don’t care how fabulous those trousers are, you don’t go to an haute couture salon for black trousers. Perhaps I am being overly critical, considering it is a young brand without the resources that the big names have, but I really believe that if you are going to call yourself couture, you had better be prepared to deliver.

I love…

this beautiful, girly lace top. But the black trousers are a couture no-no.

fabulous sleeves.

a large, soft pink bow.

I loathe…

a lace bustier and black pants. Not very haute.

a black suit that looks like it has been stolen off Viktor and Rolf's catwalk.

All images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

One thing you can guarantee with a Christian Dior haute couture show is that it will be proper haute couture. Nothing in this collection feels like a four thousand dress, it all feels like forty thousand dollar dresses (and more!), and that is exactly what we want with haute couture. The theme here is flowers, done quite literally, and beautifully.

Style.com mentions Irving Penn’s photographs of flowers as an influence in this collection, and rightly so. Flowers, by Irving Penn, is one of the most beautiful photography books in the world. I used to look at it all the time in the St Martins library, and I am now longing for a copy of my own. Like most of the things I seem to want, it is expensive, so I need to think twice before I spend $100 on a book. But I am considering it.

I love…

the puffiness and lightness of this skirt. And the dégradé from black to white..

a stunning floral print and the feeling of petals on the hem of the skirt.

the way the heavy fabric drapes and pleats on this dress, and the light orange flowers creeping out from between the panels.

a beautifully literal flower dress.

the sharp black silhouette and the delicate, overflowing chiffon petals.

the beautiful red to purple dégradé on this gown. This is a proper ballgown.

I loathe…

the colour of this dress, too garish for the dramatic shape.

All images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

I am really trying to limit my menswear coverage because I am not supposed to be working on holiday, but I wanted to cover Kim Jones’ collection for Dunhill because we went to school together and I have a huge amount of respect for the guy. He was the one that was always making things happen. Although he is a great designer, I wouldn’t count him as one of the most talented St. Martins‘ alumni, but he is successful because he gets shit done. This collection, despite a few really nice parkas and outerwear, is a lot of quite simple tailoring, which is very classic, but still manages to look fresh and young.

I love…

hidden placket cardigans.

cool, casual parkas.

a new, classy baseball jacket, with a set in sleeve and piping.

bow ties that make men's tailoring look fun.

I loathe…

Dunhill's new jacket shape. The widened lapel and the flared hem looks odd, as do the two lone buttons.

See the rest of my menswear spring summer 2011 coverage here.

All images from Style.com.

Anyone who says menswear is boring should look at John Galliano’s catwalk shows. He is the only one who consistently puts on a real show, with crazy styling and unbelievable sets. But despite all the weirdness (this season, inspired by Charlie Chaplin), there are always some great commercial pieces in the collections. Which goes to show, menswear can be exciting AND wearable.

I love…

check-lined jackets. Galliano is not the only one doing it for next spring summer.

that men too can wear statement pieces, like this amazing trenchcoat.

classic tailoring with fun details, like this sleeve embellishment.

I loathe…

when the crotch is at the knees.

flared shorts with floral inserts.

See the rest of my menswear spring summer 2011 coverage here.

All images from Style.com.

Balenciaga’s spring summer 2011’s menswear collection feels very modern and space age. The models are unusual, but they really suit the collection. The collection features some very cool parkas and puffas, which is nice to see because not many brands do that sort of thing well. (I don’t consider The North Face to be doing anything “well.”)

I love…

an amazing "sparkly" coat, space age white shoes, and a very interesting model.

those glasses. I want them!

Balenciaga puffas.

I loathe…

the shape of the trousers, which are too wide and have too much volume at the waist. It reminds me of what ravers used to wear in the 90's.

unflattering banana-yellow trousers.

See the rest of my menswear spring summer 2011 coverage here.

All images from Style.com.