Runway Report: Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012--Pics + Runway Video!

Runway Report: Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012--Pics + Runway Video!

Caped Beauties, Architectural Columns, a Fan Bingbing Wedding Gown, and Mrs. Kanye West...

Bingbing Wedding Cape: Chinese actress (and Fashion Diva) Fan Bingbing models Le Mariage final dress, Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

French fashion designer Stephane Rolland showed his Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012 collection a couple of days ago in Paris. Rolland has recently become a Red Carpet darling with a lot of actresses--primarily the non-American ones who feel comfortable "stepping it up" and not playing it safe when it comes to what they want to wear at high profile events. There is one big US fan though: Lady Gaga. Naturally she would LOVE his clothes! Someone else who just jumped on the Rolland bandwagon, is reality show and Us Weekly Cover Girl Hall-of-Famer Kim Kardashian.

Couture Couple: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian at the Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012 fashion show, Paris

 Kim's Gown: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2012

She's been in Paris with her current beau Kanye West, and made an appearance at Rolland's show. Kim wore a black dress with white organza shoulder detail from the designer's Spring/Summer 2012 Haute Couture collection--it was modified for la Kim in that it was made "high-low" as opposed to how it was originally shown as in the photo above. Their showing almost completely overshadowed the fashions on the runway since naturally the photographers went crazy-mad! When I was looking for images of the Stephane Rolland Haute Couture show online, after googling it, the runway photos didn't come up...but Kim Kardashian and Kanye West sure did!  Is this good or bad? Talk amongst yourselves...

 Camel Hot: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

Now, onto the fashions: It was like a continuation of what Rolland has been doing for a couple of the last Couture seasons; metallic belts, details, CAPES galore, geometric cut-outs, architectural shapes. It seemed like this was the "extended remix" of  last season's Stephane Rolland Haute Couture collection. Is this good or bad? (again, talk amongst yourselves). At least he's consistent. I, for one, am a fan of Stephane Rolland and as a fellow fashion designer respect his scissor-sharp cuts and severe Spartan Goddess looks. His woman is a Fashion Dominatrix--without the whips and chains!

 Curved Slits: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Feathered Asymmetry: Feathered  shoulder ivory gown with metallic accents (left) and bronze gathered gown with Asymmetrical coat-jacket--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Cannes 2013 Red Carpet: Asymmetry, Geometry and unexpected details are key words in a Stephane Rolland collection--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Caped Queens: Designer Stephane Rolland LOVES those gowns with lots and lots of fabric flowing in the "runway wind" as the models walk...or stomp! Here are two prime examples--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Merlot Sexy: a see-through silk chiffon and crepe-back satin gown with fringed/featherd side detail (left) and Amercian model Sessilee Lopez in a one-shouldered gathered chiffon gown with back cape/fall--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 A Funeral Entrance: two all black looks --a gown with attached side cape (left) and plunging neckline cape-jacket with fitted trousers (right) on Spanish Supermodel Nieves Alvarez--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Finale Gown: Actress Fan Bingbing in a fringed cape gown--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

Click Below for Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012 runway video:

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

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: