Runway Report: Paris Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011 Fashion Week--Jean Paul Gaultier

Black Swans, Biker Tutus, Men in Feathered Skirts, Silk Mousseline Trench Coats, a Cone Bra Wedding Gown and French SuperDiva Mylene Farmer??

Biker Tutu: Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

French Fashion Designer Jean Paul Gaultier showed his Fall/Winter 2011/2012 Haute Couture Collection and by the looks of the video and the photos, it was a Not-To-Be-Missed show! The music soundtrack began with the voice of actor Vincent Cassel of the film "Black Swan" instructing his dancers. From that moment--and the first Swan-like feathered headdress--we knew that this collection might have some Ballet tendencies...

PETA-Free Zone: Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

As the 60+ look collection materialized, indeed there were strong "Swan Lake" influences: Luxe tutus with mink, silk tulle, leather and wool, full skirts, ribbon-laced "Ballet" platform-pumps.

Also: Lots of Furs--in those "tutu dresses", as well as in parka coats, cape-gowns (above on English Model Erin O'Connor) and just about every other piece in the collection (it's Fall/Winter after all--a very un-politically correct one but still). Gowns featuring Madame Grès-like plisse pleating also showed up, as well as late 70's Disco-Era Divas like this one:

There was also a general undercurrent of a "Look-Back Through the Best of Gaultier" with highlights being all those FABULOUS Trench coats and Variations-on-the-Trench which is a Gaultier Hallmark:

It's Raining Trenches: Two Trench Coat looks from Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

My favorite being the GORGEOUS silk mousseline trench gowns with open back on above photos. Continuing with his "Ode to Himself" theme, Gaultier also showed many Menswear Looks--all hand-made Haute Couture naturally. These male DIVOS, stomped the runway in three-inch heel boots with Marabou and Ostrich-trimmed floor-length skirts, asymmetrical cape-jackets, poufy trench coat-gowns (yes, I said POUFY TRENCH COAT GOWNS!) and even a strapless bustier with attached shawl-over "over-gown". Check out les hommes kiddies:

Miss Thang: Gaultier Muse, Model and Collaborator Tanel Bedrossiantz, Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Poufy Officer: Portuguese Model Luis Batalha, Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Bearded Bustier: Model Benjamin Dukhan Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

And to put the "Gaultier Cherry" on top of this "Haute Couture Cake", he sent out French-Canadian model Ève Salvail who was definitely NOT typecast as the "White Swan" of the collection. She wore "Le Mariage" (wedding dress) with those iconic Cone-shaped bust cups that put him on the map, via Madonna:

Express Yourself: Model Ève Salvail, Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

And speaking of Madonna--his show ended with the "French Madonna" (doesn't it seem as if there's a "Madonna" in EVERY country!), Mylène Farmer:

Comme J'Ai Mal: French Icon-singer Mylene Farmer, Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Who, naturally was THE Black Swan of the show, wearing a fitted black leather jacket, tulle high-low skirt with a very long train (poor thing tripped on it when turning around), and of course, "Swan Lake"-like feathers atop her ginger-colored swept up-do. If this all sounds Trop! ("too much" en francais), then please by all means, see for yourself...

Click Below for Full Runway Video of Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011/12 Haute Couture--Part One:

Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2011/12 Haute Couture--Part Two:

tiny little dancer*

via fashiongonerogue

Denisa Dvorakova by Jason Schmidt for Vogue Russia February 2011

for the Black Swan-obsessed, go here, here & here. xo

In My Dreams I'm a Ballet Dancer...

I've always had a fascination with ballet. Something so feminine and graceful and at the same time so restricted and disciplined. 

I used to dream of being a ballerina and would always make up little dances and even pretended to be a water ballerina in the pool as a kid. I would always get so excited when someone would catch me dancing and ask if I was a ballerina. 

I am totally mesmerized by Kanye West's Runaway. I've watched it at least 5 times. If you haven't seen it yet, do your self a favor and take 34 minutes and 33 seconds aside to do so. Here are some of my favorite ballerina images...

*fun fact! Did you know that Phillip Lim was Paul Frank's first clothing designer? My hubby worked with him 10 years before anyone knew his name. So cool!

And then of course there is Black Swan. More ballet mania! Such a beautiful and terrifying film. Oh and how I'd love to be Natalie Portman. What an insanely beautiful and talented actress. She trained her ass off to do all the dancing in the film. She did an amazing job.

 I love seeing how films influence fashion. I'm curious to see ballet inspired shoes and dresses and how they're interpreted.I have these Dona Karan Collection ballet shoe inspired heels that I will dig out when I get back. They're pretty cool!

Black Swan

photo via style, Norton Simon museum

Who knew that Rodarte's Kate and Laura got their inspiration for the Black Swan tutus from Degas' bronze statue, nestled at the Norton Simon museum, Pasadena ! I've actually visited & have learned a bit about Edgar Degras, so I got a little excited when I  read about it in the Jan. 2011 issue of Vogue.

Shattered Dreams*

Spoiler Alert ! if you haven't already seen Black Swan, don't read ahead*

photos via clothesonfilm, tumblr, googleimages, wonderlandlondon

Dreams are "the royal road to the unconcsious," Freud is known to have said.  Taking on the psychoanalytic perspective, (I just had to--it's raining & I feel like writing), determinants of behavior are a combination of conscious and unconscious forces.  Hence, the unconscious psychological forces are dominant indications of an individual's motivation. The psychoanalytic theory provides explanations of positive achievement with the manifestation of instinct forces.  This brings us to Nina Sayers' character, played by Natalie Portman, in the film Black Swan (2010).  Darren Aronofsky directed Black Swan to transcend the audience deep within the disturbing psyche of a troubled yet highly competitive ballerina playing the dual role in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake production. What was known to be the height of Nina's dance career, was actually the intrapsychic conflict of her mental state. Determined to flawlessly capture the White Swan and Black Swan dances, Nina becomes self-imposed in her rigorous fight for perfection. 

The film begins with Nina's dream which transitions into a nightmare when a haunting creature begins to dance with her.  The manifest content of the dream ominously represents Nina's upcoming psychosis which progresses in the film.  Portman plays a fragile and self-conscious character who has a purging disorder to further illustrate her despairity to become perfect. Who is she exactly trying to please? Thomas, played by Vincent Cassel, contributes to Nina's pressure as he casts her for the Swan roles, replacing Beth (Winona Ryder) because she is "too old" according to ballet standards. Boundary-crossing between teacher and student, becomes a pivotal point in exposing Nina's sensuality, a vital trait for the Black Swan.  Making sexual advances, Thomas urges her to pleasure herself, become seductive and be in tune with her libido, to capture the essense of the Black Swan, which comes naturally to Lily, played by Mila Kunis. This is where the Jungian psychonalytic perspective can be applied, to interpret Nina's and Lily's characters--or dual character?  Lily's "shadow" traits include sexual and aggressive impulses, while the socially acceptable traits of ambition and vulnerability represent Nina's persona.  The wholeness of Nina's personality is further disrupted when it clashes with Lily's hedonic habits to let loose, drink, and have sex, disregarding the worries of tomorrow.  Ironically, as it disrupts the White Swan qualities, Lily's shadow-like qualities also mediate between Nina's consciousness and unconscioussnes.  Nina's moral conflict is also a result of her mother's past as a ballerina, which subconciously torments her to accomplish what her mother was not able to.

Throughout the film, the mirror serves as a reflection of Nina's worst critic--herself. She gazes at the mirror after replacing Beth for the role of the Swan, and collects some of her personal belongings.  Nina's motive was to become as perfect as Beth, which she has placed on a petestal. To become "the little princess," as Thomas referred to Beth, would mean letting go of herself completely.  The final production of Swan Lake becomes the climax of the film, where Nina's hallucinations are magnified center stage. Backstage, the drama unveils between the clashing Swans, as Portman's character is seen to be fully submitted to the dark and vulgar side that Thomas has been urging her to become.  She thrusts Lily against a dressing room mirror, shattering it to pieces, and stabs her with a shard of glass. This symbolizes Nina's shattered mental state, which is perfectly impaired. In actuality, Nina's white dress is drenched in her own blood, as she delivers a perfect performance in the final act. Synonymous with the storyline of the Swan Lake, Nina gracefully falls and ironically utters that it was perfect as she dies. The fatal finale displays her self-destruction as a result of perfection.

xo Maria

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Reference

Cloninger, S. (2008). Theories of Personality: Understanding Persons (5th ed.). Upper Saddle     
               River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.