John Galliano was inspired by Dutch Master painters and the colors and texture of Dutch pottery and tapestries for Christian Dior’s Spring 2009 Couture collection.  The couture collection showed no signs of the recession and Monsieur Galliano did not have a budget to keep in mind while creating.  Really, do couture and budget even belong in the same sentence?  When asked to comment on the state of the economy, Galliano stated:

Of course I’m sensitive to the economy. Of course I’m aware of it. I read the newspapers; I watch TV,” he said Sunday. “But [dealing with it] is not my job. My job is to do the best I can to show the possibilities of Dior. When you’re standing in a hurricane, you have to keep your feet firmly on the ground. If you panic, whew…you fly away.

Christian Dior’s “New Look” also was definitely a reference especially with dramatic waistlines. I also loved the voluminous, architectural sweeps and oh, the hats with elaborate plumage! Read the full story to see more photos and a bit of the inspiration behind the collection.

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Elie Saab Couture Fall 08

The Fall 08 Couture shows have come in gone in a whirlwind of exquisite draping, beading, and embroidery. The couture shows are always the most fun to watch because they are the most theatrical, the most dramatic, the most artistic. The Fall shows did not disappoint. I already posted about Chanel and Valentino, but here’s a round up of highlights and some of my favorite looks from Armani Prive, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Lacroix, and Elie Saab.

All Images: Style

More photos after the jump . . .

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This week, Yoox.com unveiled a special sale of vintage Christian Dior pieces from the 1940s to the 1980s. There’s everything from sunglasses, gloves, hats, brooches and gowns. Many of the pieces were surprisingly affordable and went fast. Of course, I’m always drawn to what I can’t have - like this vintage Haute Couture silk organza beaded gown designed by Christian Dior himself. For a mere $10,000 you can buy a piece of history . . . and look fabulous.

And, “if I had all the money in the world,” I’d head over to the Chanel sale too.

Details on Chanel boutiques where sales will be held after the jump . . .

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Dior just announced that they are releasing a Diorphone this June.  The Diorphone will be as “couture” as they come, and the pattern on the phone is the same pattern used on some of their handbags.  Dior created “its first technological product from scratch, including a miniature “twin” of the phone that a woman can clip to her purse or wear on a pendant, eliminating the need to dig through a handbag to answer a call.”  The mini-phone works as a bluetooth and also boasts a “mirrored display screen that can double as a compact.”  The phones also feature custom Dior icons for navigation on its high definition screen such as: “a Lady Dior handbag for tools; an oval-shaped mirror for images. All the software, built-in videos and imagery are exclusive to Dior.”  Dior expects to sell between 30,000 and 60,000 phones over the course of the next year.  With a $5000+ price tag, I’m really curious to know who’s going to buy those phones!  The Diorphone will be distributed in 225 Dior boutiques and 300 watch/jewelry specialty retailers around the world.  If the Diorphone is not “couture” enough for you, there’s also a “deluxe model studded with 640 diamonds, which comes with an alligator sheath, runs up to 18,000 euros, or $27,000.”

Image of Phone, Info & Quoted Text:  WWD

Whereas clothing styles are ever-changing, red lipstick is forever. Sure there are times in fashion when nudes or pink glosses prevail, however these beauty trends don’t even come close to the power of the painted red lip. Red lipstick is classic. Like a pair of 501s, it’s the pearl strand of cosmetics. It’s chic. When your red lips are the only ones in a sea of pink glosses, you’ve earned the mystique of a French girl. Red lipstick is elegant. Pair it with a chignon and lots of lash, and you’re ready for an evening out. With this said, you’ve red my mind….So this week’s picks are dedicated to my top 3 favorite red lipsticks of the year. Read the full story