Haute couture

As you might have come to expect, there are some really goofy-looking things being worn by stiletto-heeled women walking down runways amid camera-flashes in places like Barcelona and Paris lately. Just admire these little numbers by Ricardo Tisci...

Or this deep-retro number by Christian Lacroix:



The Barcelona show seems to be a bit more accessible than the Paris one -- as if you might actually see someone wearing these things. This one comes from the collection of Javier Simorra. The girl looks fresh and her clothes are very stylish yet completely wearable.




My theory on the weirdness of style shows is that shock value gets attention, which generates $$ for a particular label. I can't even see a Hollywood starlet wearing some of the weird rags these Lagerfeld ice-princesses were sporting (although this black-and-white ensemble is VERY cute, in my opinion)


Bits and pieces of the weird stuff ends up showing up here or there, perhaps, or perhaps not. It's all about the attention something generates... and hopefully it doesn't generate too much derision and ridicule.

I really liked a few of Valentino's designs, particularly this one. I don't know why I like it, really -- it's not something I could ever wear, myself -- but it's just artistically appealing, I guess. It satisfies my aesthetic sensibilities. The colors, the fabrics, the drape, it just seems to work.






If I never again see anything by John Galliano, however, it will be too soon. This man's monstrosities were just awful, as evidenced by this example:







I realize that probably 99.99% of folks think this is the dumbest thing going, but I find it very enjoyable to see the artistic creations that come out of the high-fashion industry. This is art, just as surely as a painting or a musical composition or a dance is art. I don't have the slightest interest in NASCAR, myself. Anyhoo, I just wanted to comment on a few things I noticed in the photos coming out of the fall designer shows.