Thursday's Visual Treat - Day 4/Haute Couture Inspired by Flora Designed by Valentino
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| imagecourtesyofblog.nj.com |
The show must go on, and it did--quite splendidly. Photos of the collection of Valentino, Giambattista Vali, JP Gaultier, and other designers are now available for viewing, and the new mood in couture has been unanimously praised for being light, airy, and modern. Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune wrote of Valentino and Gaultier, ' At last! All the delicacy, finesse and sweet clarity that should be the essence of haute couture . . .' and Cathy Horyn of the New York Times praised first-timer Vali for a collection which was 'ambitious and lively.' It seems that despite continuous tales of woe and despair from doomsday prophets, apathy on the part of others, and a still persistent bias held by some that couture is only the plaything of the wealthy and elite, the tradition of Haute Couture continues on-- bravely and proudly; perhaps like a seasoned grande-dame with a new face, or at least a new parfum which offers the illusion of longevity, the fantasy of fantasy, and the promise of individual beauty.
It seems that the idea, or the ideal, of beauty subconsciously drives many of us throughout our daily lives: taking the long way home from work to drive past nice homes with lush gardens; on lunch break secreting ourselves in a corner with a calorie-light lunch and a copy of House Beautiful; for summer holiday finding that rental with a clear view of the stunning shoreline. The list goes on endlessly, and whether it is the search for the perfect sports-car, the most elegant LBD, or the quaint, shingled cottage sitting among boxwoods and hydrangea-shrubs, we can all agree that beauty is pleasing and the experience is satisfying and makes us feel good about ourselves, about others, about Life. My friend Dave Sossmon who otherwise shuns the emotional, is always silenced by Tobey McQuire (as Ricky Fitts) in the movie 'American Beauty,' who says: Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world I feel like I can't take it, like my heart's going to cave in.
Enjoy the show and today's visual treat. Thanks for being a d-o peep.
Sincerely,
Shane
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