Elie Saab Ad Campaign Fall/Winter 2011/2012

Runway Report: Paris Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011 Fashion Week--Elie Saab

Baby Got Couture Back

Ice, Ice Baby: Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011

Elie Saab is criticized for making collections that are safe and often repetitive. Often you could interchange one season for another and not really tell the difference. This collection is no exception in that Saab sticks to his trademark of sending out beautifully crafted gowns and cocktail dresses that look as if they are floating down the runway.

I, for one, have no problem with his aesthetic and I am sure his many clients in Dubai and China don't mind it either. Yes, while watching the video you do get a bit glassy eyed from all the continuous hand beaded concoctions, but the House of Elie Saab is certainly giving all there couture clients (and Red Carpet Actresses) plenty of options, and letting them feel comfortable that their dress will be unique from the others.

Ballerina Chic: Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011

For Fall/Winter 2011 (Yes, this is Saab's version of Fall! No fur and wool for this client!) there were a few themes that stood out in the collection. Elie made the beading lighter and more transparent with breathtaking beading on the most delicate chiffon that he draped and pleated across the body. Also, there was a Ballerina feel to his cocktail dresses with short skirts that were pleated and full. This might be a Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture trend alert.

Caplet Queen: Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011

Probably the most standout trend of the collection was the open backs on many of the dresses. Unfortunately not apparent in the photos (make sure to watch the video below), the gowns and cocktail dresses had stunning backs that were completely open, delicately draped or open with delicate shear caplets.

Below are more looks from the collection:

Bronze and Beaded: Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011

Blouson Couture: Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011

Blue Shear: Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011

One Shoulder Goddess: Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011

Click below to watch the entire Elie Saab Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011 Runway Show:

Elie Saab Le Parfume Ad Campaign Spring/Summer 2011

Paris Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011: Elie Saab

Sweet Saab Divas...

Chartreuse (Young) Lady: Side-draped gown, Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Lebanon-born Paris and Beirut-based designer, Elie Saab sent out a sweetly beautiful Haute Couture Collection, featuring one perfect Oscar Red Carpet gown after another (take note Actresses!). It was a "new" Elie Saab woman: Less Halle Berry, more Scarlet Johansson; sweeter, not so "fierce" (well, those shoes were!) and more delicately made-up (hair, make-up). His Middle Eastern girls getting ready to "debut" at the next Crillon Ball should be ready to put their orders on one of those $50,000+ creations as we speak!

Tulle Shoulders: Blush-colored Organza-appliqued gown with covered shoulder mini-puffy raglan sleeves, Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Trends: Fitted/defined waist; flowy gowns; appliqué/embroideries; SLITS/split-fronts; beading/sequins EVERYWHERE; SLEEVES on gowns; COVERED SHOULDERS on gowns; Silhouette: Fitted torso, loose from the waist.
Colors: BLUSH, lipstick red, lilac, off-white, black, yellow-green.

Themes: Elie Saab "Stomping DIVA" turns "Sweet Sixteen"; Late 19Th century/Early 20Th Century Socialite; Great Expectations' Mrs. Havisham (above), but in her younger years; Oscars Red Carpet GALORE!! Safe and Demurely sexy.

Highlights from Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011:

Shoulder Girl: Cowl-draped shoulder-covering sequined gown, Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Arizona Lilac: Model-of-the-moment Arizona Muse in split-front silk chiffon lilac-colored gown, Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Lady In One-Shoulder Red: One shoulder Lipstick red silk chiffon gown, Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Oscar Dress: Strapless all-over beaded gown with very high center front slit opening, Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Le Mariage: Finale Wedding Gown, Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011

Click Below for Edited Video of Elie Saab Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2011:

68th Annual Golden Globe Awards Fashion: Who Wore What? Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab Spring 2011

Another all-over beaded gown--yes, it's a 2011 Golden Globe Trend officially! Actress Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab Spring 2011. The blush-nude colored all-over beaded gown features a deep V neckline and caplet detail at the shoulders (similar to Jennifer Lopez' Zuhair Murad gown).

On the runway, it was belted but Scarlett (and/or her stylist) decided not to. With her dramatic hair and the "Antique" look of this sublime gown, she almost looks as if she stepped out of a John Singer Sargent painting.

Paris Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2010: Elie Saab and Valentino

Cowl Heaven...and Classique Couture Shapes...
Cowl Wrapped: Elie Saab Haute Couture F/W 2010/11

Lebanese-born, Red Carpet-favorite Elie Saab showed his Fall/Winter 2010/11 Haute Couture Collection. It was very HEAVY, both in its fabrications as well as dramatic draping. But to me, Heavy in a good way. There's no mistake: It's Fall kids.Deep red velvets, muted silver organza, dark camel silk crepes, degrade chiffon and lots of hand-beading rounded out the color and fabrications he offered this season to the "Ladies Who Live and Lunch In Kuwait" who love their Elie Saab Haute Couture. Shapes ranged from exaggerated pleated structures, cowl drapes galore, one-shoulder Grecian Goddess gowns and a play on asymmetry.Fashion writer Tim Blanks of Style.com was not amused by the collection. But, I have to say: I kind of liked it! Yes, some of those gowns looked as if the models were drowning in them (as Tim Gunn would say: That's A LOT of Gown!) but...I'm a big fan of cowl draping, the "Grecian Goddess" motif, and lots of drama (what part of Nick Verreos did you not understand!). And of course, if you have a couple $100,000 to spare and are getting married and thinking against the "traditional" white satin gown...Well, this gray-silver ball gown above might be what you might want to be ordering. Besides, Queen Rania of Jordan, the Multi-Millionaire Brides-to-be LOVE themselves some Elie Saab, as we know.

Click Below for Elie Saab F/W 2010/11 Haute Couture Runway Show Edited:


Valentino Haute Couture:
For Fall/Winter Haute Couture 2010/11, Designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli (above) decided to go "Vintage Couture". It was very 60's in a way, with 21st Century design nuances. Think Jackie O.-meets-Jessica Alba (who was in the front row). It was as if one was going through a "Valentino Archive Book" from the 60s--which, in a way is what the designers are most likely doing. The runway show began very "cagey" (see above) and then went 60's Valentino Couture.This black mini cocktail dress above with "exploding" organza rose is SO Valentino , SO Couture and yet, still SO modern. Also, it is very editorial and you just know Vogue Italia and Steven Meisel will EAT IT UP! The defining shape of the collection was definitely the trapeze off-the-body/Baby Doll shape and... The timeless "drop-waist". The Valentino Haute Couture F/W 2010/11 Collection showed LOTS of these latter styles, with ruffled bottoms that were cut right at the 16" below-the-natural-waist mark, which looked both "vintage" yet new (even if they seemed two sizes too big).
In case you are shopping for that Little Black Dress, look no further than Valentino Haute Couture. This one above was one of my favorites. Imagine being at a party in Capri in this fur-trimmed little number?Of course, being the House of Valentino, the designers had to end with a "Valentino Red" showstopper, and this red silk Gazar gown just about did it for me. If I was one of those ladies in the front row (or ordering from my beachfront home in the Seychelles), I would definitely order this one! Also, note to my friend Miss Heidi Klum: This would look GORGEOUS at any upcoming red carpet awards show! I'll have to call her and let her know...after I show her MY collection :)

Click below for a video of the Finale of the Valentino Haute Couture F/W 2010 Runway:

2010 Tony Awards Red Crapet: Nick Verreos "sizes" the FASHION Up!

Theater FASHION Queen...2010 Tony Awards Co-Host Kristin Chenoweth in Tony Ward Couture

OK, I admit it, I am a "Theater Queen"!! I love me some Musicals, Broadway and the Plays! Well, my partner David, who was an Undergrad at UCLA majoring in Theater has really exposed me to this world, and let's just say, I have grown to respect and enjoy "the Theater"....with a Capital "T". This year's 2010 Tony Awards had it's moments:
What was up with that kiss between Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth? It was cute when Will and Grace co-star Megan Mullally did it...but kinda nasty this time with Kristin...just sayin'. And of course, it was great seeing Miss Raquel Welch (above) in all her--to steal a line from Project Runway Season 4 Winner Christian Siriano, "Hot Tranny Mess", in a fabulous way of course. I expected nothing short of that from a DIVA like her. I still, was waiting for that "Chita Rivera-meets-Liza Minelli-Tony Award Moment", so alas I was disappointed. But not in terms of the Red Carpet Fashion:
My Best Dressed was Miss Dolce & Gabbana Make-Up Spokesperson and actress Scarlet Johansson, who actually DID NOT wear Dolce & Gabbana (is their a loop-hole in that multi-million dollar contract?) and wore...a gorgeous Elie Saab matte paillette siren gown from his Fall 2010 Pret-A-Porter Collection... as seen above; it reminded me of a gown I designed last year for my NIKOLAKI Spring 2009 Collection:
Black Matte Paillette One Shoulder Gown, NIKOLAKI, worn by Lisa Blades
Another "Nick V Fave" was Glee's Lea Michele in a Orange-Yellow silk Zac Posen creation. She looked great, lots of drama but not overwhelming like that Oscar de la Renta ball gown she wore at the 2010 Golden Globes.
I also loved Cate Blanchett's silver-gray Armani Prive suit. This is COUTURE darlings, as seen above on model Kim Noorda...all $30,000 worth of it! (Well, Cate didn't pay a dime kiddies) but I respect and honor the fact that Miss Cate gave them COUTURE--and looked great in it! Notice how it was changed slightly for Cate: No Half-moon Brooch/fastening and the break-point (yes, I'm throwing out Fashion Terminology kids!) of the jacket was raised.
Catherine Zeta-Jones--who was a big winner last night, looked incredibly elegant in her Versace Atelier powder blue gown.I also loved Lucy Liu in Marchesa, but Katie Holmes was a miss in Armani Prive (what's with that too-short length, was there a FLOOD in NYC that night?) and Naomi Watts looked incredibly chic in RM by Roland Mouret, although her Hair and Make-up did not live up to her overall look (above). She looked as if she just finished 30 minutes on the tread mill!I was "on the fence" with Jada Pinkett-Smith and her organza blood-red Marchesa cocktail dress. Her body is RIDUNCULOUS!!! Seriously. But the dress was a bit Rose-Petals-Swallowing-Her. I should just be happy she didn't wear this Marchesa concoction:Paula Abdul, who , well, how shall I say this....usually doesn't make the "Best Dressed" List, looked great in this Tony Ward Couture mermaid-shaped embroidered gown. Tony Ward, in case you were wondering, is a Lebanese Designer who is based in Rome--not Madonna's boy-toy-photographer-model cutie.
In terms of the WORST: Bless her heart, Linda Lavin just shot up to the top in this copper taffeta suit a Mother-of-The-Bride from New Jersey would think was cute. Maybe cute for your daughter's wedding but NOT for the Tony Awards.
Finally, let me give it up to the boys: Glee's hottie professor, actor Matthew Morrison, took the "Best Dressed Male" prize for me. Very handsomessssssss!
Well, kiddies, that's it for my Tony Awards Red Carpet "Nick V" Showdown...until next time...