Which dresses will we see at the Oscars this year?

One of my favorite nights of the year is not New Year’s Eve or Christmas Eve. No, it’s the night of the Oscars. Starting with a month of watching the nominated movies (or at least half of them), the emotions build up until it’s time for the red carpet. The glamour of Hollywood comes together tonight, and I have decided to make a list of all the dresses that I think will be part of the event.

I have chosen only dresses from the Paris Haute Couture shows of this season. A lot of actresses will opt for a vintage outfit or something custom made. All the muses of the famous maison de couture will probably have something specially made for this magical evening. One thing is certain – Lady Gaga will be stunning in Gucci. It’s a shame that she didn’t get a nomination.

The Classics

I consider myself a big fan of Dior, but this year’s Haute Couture collection isn’t screaming “red carpet”. We have a lot of pantsuits, which sometimes make an appearance, but I wouldn’t count on it this year. At least not a Dior pantsuit.

The Oscars should be a joyous occasion and I find black to me to somber for it. However, we have previously seen some amazing dresses. My favorite is this one that Reese Witherspoon wore in 2011. Here is a Dior version that is somewhat plain, but I couldn’t create my Pinterest board without at least one black Dior dress.

Christian Dior Spring 2022 Couture

Then there is the typical Dior dress that we have seen a million times. I can definitely see Anja Taylor-Joy wearing something like that.

Christian Dior Spring 2022 Couture

And this looks like someone robed the costume design department of Dune.

Christian Dior Spring 2022 Couture

If you ask me, Chanel never delivered outfits worthy of the red carpet. The whole Couture collection looked more like a bunch of work outfits for the official return to the office. Of course, there were dresses with flowers, the iconic jackets and so on. Let’s see who will be looking like a nun in this one.

Chanel Spring 2022 Couture

We are in dire need of something dramatic and Valentino is here to deliver.

Valentino Spring 2022 Couture

Another trend that the designers translated from the RTW collections, is the mini dress. Valentino succeeded in combining the old Hollywood with the new trends and this is the magical result.

Valentino Spring 2022 Couture

The Princess Gowns

I hope to see classic gowns from Alexis Mabille. A relatively new name on the Haute Couture scene, his first collection was in 2008. He’s not really someone I would spontaneously think of, when imagining a red carpet dress, but his creations are very beautiful and elegant. Sadly, the colors don’t fit my skin color and I would never be able to wear them.

Alexis Mabille Spring 2022 Couture

An absolute dream are the dresses of Zuhair Murad. I’m a big romantic and I have noticed his creation a couple of years before they became a regular on the red carpet events. I have selected just a few, but honestly each one of them deserves to be in the spotlight.

Since we’re going back to the trends from the 00s, this two-piece or a variation of it will definitely have its moment.

Zuhair Murad Spring 2022 Couture

I particularly like the fact that Mr. Murad includes so many colors in each collection, so that everyone can find something special that suits their taste.

We cannot miss the couturier Elie Saab when we are talking about gowns. Full-skirted silhouettes sparkle in all kinds of colors in his last collection. One of my personal favorites are the ones that use a nude material but have joyous splashes of yellow and pink, like the one bellow.

Elie Saab Spring 2022 Couture

The Bold Ones

Overall, Azzaro’s collection was very shiny and in metallic shades of grey. I chose this dress as representative for the collection because I think it’s the perfect look for the Oscar nominated Olivia Coleman.

Azzaro Spring 2022 Couture

Another collection with metallic accents is the one of Alexandre Vauthier. This dress screams old Hollywood glam but at the same time has a modern twist.

Alexandre Vauthier Spring 2022 Couture

I’m here for the velvet dresses as well.

Alexandre Vauthier Spring 2022 Couture

Let’s hope that we’ll see a lot of sparks tonight.

The Wild Details

Giambattista Valli showed a lot of dramatic dresses on the podium. Flowers, big bows, and feathers are the details that we see the most. I’m curious if someone will wear this iconic dress:

Giambattista Valli Spring 2022 Couture

An element that we need to see is a corset put in focus. A very interesting version of a corset could be found in the collection of Jean Paul Gaultier. It’s not exactly red carpet material, but I like the juxtaposition between the deconstructed lace and the velvet floor-length skirt.

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2022 Couture

And this look reminds me of the episode of The Big Band Theory where Sheldon decided to dress up like the Doppler effect for Halloween.

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2022 Couture

We all know that it will be a fabulous event. The color palette will include a lot of white and nude tones, splashes of hot pink here and there, the classic black as usual (especially for the ones that don’t want to take a risk), a lot of metallic and silver. To check out all the dresses I have chosen, check out my Pinterest board. All the photos can be found at vogue.com. Have a wonderful time tonight and I hope that your favorite movies win some awards!

Inside the Mugler exhibition in Paris

I went on a 2 day trip to Paris and was lucky enough to catch an exhibition in MAD dedicated to the French couturier Manfred Thierry Mugler. I didn’t know a lot about the personal life and interests of the designer and could only distinguish his RTW by the special geometrical shapes that are typical for him. An afternoon at the museum of arts décoratifs gave me some insights that made me appreciate his work a lot more.

Ballet influence and Fashion made for the Stage

Before becoming a designer, Mugler was a ballet dancer at the Rhin Opera. This interest of his played a big part in his later work. Since I danced ballet for 10 years, this fact made me feel closer to his world.

Mugler considered the clothes as an essential part of the individual – a way of staging one’s everyday life and making it more beautiful, more fun and more creative. Fashion enabled him to express his vision through a mix of fabric, lighting and music. For the soundtrack of his runway Mugler created an eclectic mix of sounds comprising Nitican chants, Egyptian songs, combined with the sounds of water, metal and laughter, as well as classical music like Beethoven, Verdi or Wagner.

How to notice a Mugler silhouette

The first collection of Mugler was in 1973, when he is only 25. In the golden age of hippie fashion trends like flowers and ethnic looks, the silhouettes of Mugler were almost alien like. All garments were unconventional in the body conscious cuts that underlined the femininity of the models. It was a big contrast with the wide hippie dresses. Mugler was also fascinated by architecture and a lot of his clothes have a very specific shapes. Oversized hats, extra-broad shoulders, well fitted gowns and jackets, wasp waist, revealing cleavage (front and back), tall boots, sharp stilettos – these are some of the typical marks of Mugler’s designs.

Futuristic influence in the 80s

The aerodynamic and robot-style looks invented by Mugler are now iconic. Following the new wave in science fiction (60s and 70s) the designer took a new direction. He mixed the traditional medieval armour with futuristic designs. Some of his looks could be easily used as the uniform of the newest DC movie.

An interesting and unusual approach is when he created an homage to a car designer and the result was a lot of corsets in the form of a tailgate.

Magnificent animals and breathtaking beasts

Going back to the stage of life, Mugler reinvented the human body by giving it a beastly taste. With time the designer got more exotic, used different types of fabrics. His inspiration came from the animal world and more specifically from reptiles, insects, butterflies. The interesting part is that he didn’t use the obvious choice of feathers, fur and leather but mimicked nature by creating optical illusions.

In the late 90s Mugler was on top of his fame with two very special collections. The most famous look of Les insects is the one with a black velvet trail and colourful butterfly wings. The most iconic design of La Chimère represented a mythical creature with reptile like bodysuit. The whole dress is embellished with crystals, rhinestones, feathers and horsehair. The creation of this masterpiece required thousands of hours of work in the atelier but it was worth it. While standing in front of it, one can really see the genius of Mugler. A picture may be worth a 1000 words but it is still too weak to describe this masterpiece.

A Star is Born

Before he got famous, Mugler was so poor that he had to sleep on park benches. What can one do, while lying on a bench at night? Well, contemplate stars of course! The designer later says about a particular star in the night sky: “I felt that it was following me, guiding me, that it was my guardian angel, and old myself there must be something better that was going to happen for me. The star came to me.” I have to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of the sweet aroma of the perfume, but after reading this story I understood why it was so important to him. Five years after starting his brand, Mugler was already experimenting with scents but it took him some time before finding the right balance between tradition and innovation. The new creation started a whole new category of what are called “gourmand” fragrances.

A day at the Opera

The next stop on my to-do list in Paris is the magnificent Opera House. During the last couple of weeks, I was trying to do more of the interesting stuff that every tourist does but also to discover the hidden gems of the city. This one, I admit, is rather an obvious choice. The Opera House triumphs in the middle of a big square, always busy with cars, buses, and numerous pedestrians.

Recently, I watched a vlog about an unusual invention that was meant to be placed amid this cacophony. Since Parisians were very against a subway, one navy captain decided that traveling in the air would be a more logical choice of transportation. I’m not talking about air balloons or flying cars but about ships. These ships would have navigated from one lamppost to another so that all the passengers could still admire the Opera and everything else around them. I’m not making stuff up; you could check out this video and learn all about the project and why they built a subway after all.

So, after watching this I was compelled to come and give a closer look at the Opera. I was happy to discover that I was one of the few who decided to spend their afternoon here. The Opera is closed during the summer which means that there are no performances in the evening.

The visitors enter through a door on the side of the building but one could still climb the main stairs. The ceiling reveals Olympus with all the Greek gods. Even though it’s the middle of the day, the building is quite dark and the only light comes from the chandeliers. There is certainly a magical feeling that starts to envelop me.

On the second floor, there is a big room where the gentlemen were having their cigars during the intermission. Entering this room is like entering Versaille. All the golden ornaments and paintings are simply breathtaking. I love the castle outside of Paris and I never knew that I could catch a glimpse of the same luxury so close to my home.

Another thing that I hadn’t noticed even though I take a picture of this place every time I walk by it is that the balcony is open for visits. Looking from above is not so eventful as one may think because you see only cars, cars and more cars.

I would also like to mention the two identical rooms that symbolized the sun and the moon and the little library in the left-wing of the Opera. These little elements are an enchanting part of the House. The stage is kept off-limits for everyone that didn’t buy a ticket for the evening entertainment.

For this cultural visit, I chose to wear a simple navy blue and white dress. The French are famous for their preference for stripes and I have to admit that it grew on me. To give the whole outfit a structure, I always put a belt so that the dress is not shapeless.

Thus ends the little walk in one of the nicest buildings in the middle of the capitol.

Eye Catching Accessory Trend for 2019

Hats are an accessory that is hardly used in everyday outfits. Every time you decide to put a hat on, people immediately start to notice you more. That’s why I’m very surprised that fashion savvy people do not have a hat collection in their closet. I personally have only a few, but I get a really special feeling when I wear them.

One thing that never gets out of style is the beret. If you ask a French girl if she has a collection of berets, she’ll definitely say “No”. This is such a cliché. I lived a couple of months in Nice and then moved to Bordeaux, but for the whole time I never ever saw a girl with a beret. That’s not stopping me from wearing one myself. The one that I chose for these pictures is a classic plaid cap that is usually used when describing Sherlock Holmes.

Berets are romantic and chic and sometimes are bringing a regular outfit to the next level. It’s a tricky piece of accessory because it could easily be the “too much” element. One can dress down the hat with an oversized sweater or boyfriend jeans. At first look, the beret is a very girly hat, but at the same time, every tomboy could style it in a more casual way.

My whole outfit is a combination of different plaid pattern. Plaid is used a lot during the fall season, but since it’s still not snowing in my home town, I took the opportunity to go for a walk with my plaid dress. High boots and no high heels is a cheap trick to be comfortable and still look like you made an effort in the morning while choosing your outfit.

Oscar Glam (Part II)

In my second post about the Oscars, I will talk a little bit about the red carpet. This by itself is a big event for which the whole fashion world is waiting. The night of the Oscars is always Sunday. My sister and I have a tradition to watch it together even when we’re in different countries. We have conference calls and discuss everything that happens from the red carpet up until the end. Our only problem is that we live in Europe and that means that the Oscars begin in the middle of the night. Usually, they finish around 7 AM and we sleep only a couple of hours before going to work/uni. After all, it’s Monday.

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The day starts with a big coffee and for me – with the “Best dressed” articles of Vogue and Elle. My sister is more into movies than me, so she’s analyzing the movies that received the statues. At one point when I got into Pinterest, I created a pin wall with all the gowns that I thought are red carpet worthy. For this year, I selected outfits from the Haute Couture Fashion Week (21-24.01) that you can check out here:

I went through every fashion show and selected the best outfits. My personal favorites are Dior and Zuhair Murad who I discovered a while ago and immediately fell in love with his feminine designs. In my opinion, his gowns are just made for the red carpet and they leave a long-lasting impression on everyone. That’s probably the reason why more and more actresses and singers choose his designs for special occasions.
Overall the nude tones prevail. Every outfit from the Dior fashion show that I would wear on the red carpet is in the rose-gold palette. The theme of the show was “circus” and as usual, there were some elements of dancing/performing. I’m a big fan of Dior, but that was not one of the best collections.

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Alexis Mabille is a French designer, who previously worked with Hedi Slimane, chose more vivid colors – dark blue, red, yellow.  Stephane Rolland took a page from Beauty and the Beast’s notebook while creating the beautiful yellow gown. I hope we’ll see it on the red carpet, even though Rihanna already had her Bell at the ball moment a couple of years ago on the steps of the Met Gala. Another remarkable outfit resembles Cleopatra’s gown, that’s why I thought that it deserves an honorary place in this list.

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Alexandre Vauthier shows outfits for the badass women that we all are. My personal favorite is the one with the black scarf. Even though I’m a big fan of Chanel, I didn’t see any outfits that potentially would end on the Oscar Red Carpet. I still chose two outfits; just to show the high heel mules and you know… Kaia Gerber is awesome.

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Givenchy is one of the brands that inspire me the most. At the moment their artistic director is Clare Waight Keller who did a tremendous job. A lot of latex, interesting shapes and giant blazers – the whole collection is designed for the strong, modern, businesswoman. I would love to see at least of the pieces on the red carpet this year.

 

 

 

All pictures are from Getty Images.

Oscar Glam (Part I)

Exactly 2 weeks ago, 2 great things happened – the Haute Couture Fashion Week and the Oscar nominations were announced. At first glance, these two events have nothing to do with each other, but they are both considered as art and often complement each other. There is even an Oscar dedicated to the art of Fashion and Costume design. I would also put Hairstyle and Makeup in the same basket and it makes two different Oscar categories. To check all Oscar nomination, I recommend you this site:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/oscar-nominations-2019-complete-list-nominees-1172407/item/best-live-action-short-1172493

Even though I’m very interested in movies, in the last couple of years I’m more dedicated to TV shows. Nevertheless, when the time comes, I try to watch at least the movies that will win more than one Oscar for sure. Last years it was “Shape of Water”. I won’t break into details and I’ll simply say that I hated the movie. It was poorly written and did not bring any value to the art of movie making. I guess my opinion doesn’t matter, since the Academy decided, it was worthy for the Best Picture statue. When you think about it, that’s the same price movies like “Lord of the rings”, “The King’s Speech”, “Gone with the Wind” and so many more of our favorite movies had won.

This year, I’m excited about “The Favorite”, mostly because I love the 18th century and its atmosphere. The cast is great and since it’s leading with 10 nominations for an Oscar, chances are pretty high that somebody will be going home with an Oscar. Some movies in the list have surprisingly been left out of the competition. Many people wonder why “Black Panther” got 7 nominations and “Avengers” – only 1 since they are from the same universe. The student became the master I guess… The irony is pretty high with “A Quiet Place” being nominated for “Best Sound Editing”. The Academy has a sense of humor after all. Nothing against the movie or the crew.

Many movies are talking about racism in different ways. This topic is becoming more and more present in modern art and modern culture. It is interesting to see how Hollywood is shaping after the new face of society. We are becoming more open to being different and this is slowly showing in movies. It’s unusual that European movies are being nominated for categories other than “Best Foreign-Language Movie”. I highly appreciate it, being an Eastern-European and I can only hope that this will continue in the future.
On the other hand, a genre that is living its Renaissance is the musicale. Everyone knows that the USA is famous for it, but for a couple of years (even decades) musicales were left in the shadows. Personally, I’m not a big fan of adult movies where everyone is breaking into a song every 10 minutes, but I was delighted with “Bohemian Rhapsody”. I loved the fact that the screenwriters kept the style very “early Hollywood” and left out all the nasty rumors about sex and drugs. We were admiring the magic of music and enjoyed the rise of 4 young men to fame. It was a beautiful movie that made everyone in the theater cry (I’m not exaggerating). If that doesn’t count as something, I don’t know what is good enough for an Oscar!

Why ballet isn’t the best activity for young girls

They say “A leopard can’t change its spots” and in most cases they are right. I came to realize this when I watched a video of my Dance school from 10 years ago. It had nothing to do with the #10yearchallenge, but with pure luck. One of my friends, which I met in the Dance school, showed me the video as something cute and funny from our teenage years. Instead of making me laugh, the video made me extremely mad.

The video contained mostly pictures of different groups and different dance styles. The first thing I noticed was that 1/3 of the pictures was of only one girl – the favorite of our teacher. I started thinking about my experience and realized that my memories were mostly bittersweet. At one point I was dancing in two different groups, going twice as much to classes as the rest of the girls and studied twice as many routines. There was a routine made especially for us by an American choreographer and this was our best dance, the diamond in our crown. The routine needed only 4 girls and so we had to audition for it. After we all learned it, we had to perform it for a month, before any decision was made. They chose 4 girls that would perform it for competitions and festivals and 8 girls for our internal concert, organized for our parents. I didn’t make the cut.

Now I find it stupid that this little thing mattered so much to me and that I cried for months about it. But the thing is – the dance was purely ballet and the girls who auditioned were everything else from hip hop to contemporary. The 4 chosen ones were all girls that were in the Dance school 3-4 years longer than me and I had accepted it. But the other girls were in no way better than me. They were simply part of the “advanced” group and I was new to this group because I had danced ballet for the last 8 years.
10 years later, nothing has changed. At least not in the concept. I’m not going to dance class, but I’m going to work. Instead of a routine, I auditioned for a manager position. Again the guy who got the job was just a sleazebag, who was BFFs with one of the 3 people who were interviewing us. As an excuse, I got the feedback that I had never done something similar to the manager’s tasks. As a “bonus” I got the opportunity to help my manager with her tasks so that next time I’ll be more familiar with them. Joke’s on me because now I’m my manager’s assistant (don’t get me wrong, I like these tasks) and I’m doing my regular tasks like everyone else in my team. Basically, it’s twice as much work with the same salary. I’m pouring my heart and soul into both types of tasks because I’m a perfectionist and I simply like doing them.

I saw a pattern here and I need to change something. The fact that I like working hard and not slacking like most of my colleagues is usually the reason why people are taking advantage of me. Learn a lesson from my experience – don’t let your boss make a fool out of you, just because you’re a good person.

 

PS: I’ll keep you posted if I ever break the circle.