valentino, qatar and couture fall 2012

The first thing that I saw this morning when leaving the Liverpool Street tube station on the way to work was the newsflash that Valentino is in talks with the Qatari royal family for the latter to acquire the Valentino Fashion Group from private equity firm Primera.

Of course, we all remember the drama that accompanied the change in ownership in 2007, with Alessandra Fachinetti being sacked after 2 seasons despite an admirable effort to bring some youth to the maison.

Hopefully if the deal follows through, there will be much less turbulence at the creative helm, jointly held by former accessories designers, Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri. With Valentino's stamp of approval, the brand's return to profits this year and a critically successful fall 2012 couture show, they are more than likely to stay put.

couture fall 2012 review: elie saab

Elie Saab isn't the most talented designer, but he does make the most heartwrenchingly beautiful dresses. The Elie Saab brand is stranded on the most elegant of inertias- we've all seen the dresses before, floor-length, simple shapes, an exceptional eye for embellishment. As long as the designer keeps on churning out these gorgeous dresses, and his clients keep buying them, the chances are he won't be pushing the envelope to propel himself to fashion greatness.

But when mediocrity is this beautiful, does it matter?

Source: www.style.com

couture fall 2012 review: Christian Dior

Raf Simons is an interesting appointment to Dior. Simons' sharp sartorial architecture for Jil Sander is more than well-known, though I'm not personally a huge fan. From the brilliant, over-the-top Galliano to the rather understated Simons is, I think, a brave move on the part of Dior.

To be honest, I didn't expect to like this collection. How could anyone replace Galliano, who has produced some of the greatest couture pieces in history?

Well, Simons wouldn't. He doesn't intend to either. The first look, a sleek black pant suit, could easily slot into a Jil Sander runway show. I guess it was a clear statement that he'd be doing Dior his way. The Dior references were indeed present. There was the occasional dip into floral and bright hues, but only paired with tuxedo pants and simple silhouettes. The New Look was revived in the most amazing white organza strapless dress, 'embroidered with Pontillists degrade chiffon', a surprisingly refreshing look.

But the ultimate homage to the house of Dior was the insanely beautiful set made up of a million flowers. Cue a million sighs.

Source: Dior, www.style.com

couture fall 2012 review: Versace

Real life has been busy- just started interning with the marketing department at a law firm yesterday, which I think is an excellent excuse for being late on the Paris Couture Week, Fall 2012.

Let's start with Versace. I'm a big fan of the maison- Donatella knows how to design for the sexy, confident woman.

The up-to-there slits, bold prints and colours are all Versace signatures, and some dresses suggested more RTW than CTW to me. But the refinement of the beading, draping and corsetry of others certainly speaks the language of fine couture. I especially love that the thigh-high slits on evening gowns were made more subtle and feminine by clouds of opaque fabric. I would have liked to see more of the sharp and glamorous tailoring like the opening look, a beige suit jacket threaded in gold and clinched by a femme fatale belt.

The couture collection shared the limelight with the Atelier Versace Jewellery collection on the runway. The jewellery line comprises 16 hand-sculpted rings mounted with a range of precious stones, and Donatella has sparkling big plans for the future- the chief executive of Versace has announced the brand's intention to launch standalone stores for the Atelier Versace Jewellery.

My only critique? The shoes. The straps are awkward and would look extremely unflattering on normal-sized calves. But I'll choose to turn a blind eye to them.

Image source: www.style.com