Runway ==> Real Way: Couture 2013 Edition

                                                              Ph: Style.com

My non-professional and probably irrelevant judgement of this season's couture shows (the ones I've seen on Style as of now):

Alexis Mabille - Too fluffy but awesome. Love the use of pale dove grey, it's one of my faves.
Armani Privé - Too stuffy, not into the "all satin brocade all the time" thing.

Atelier Versace - ...What? I can't. 

Chanel - I know everyone's talking about the two lesbian brides thing at the end (which is cool, don't get me wrong; I live in France and they seriously need to legalize gay marriage obviously), but other than that it was just regular old Chanel, kind of over-done as usual.

Giambattista Valli - Beautiful clothes, but if I see another peplum again I will vomit everywhere. Also, the models all had this really sad straight hair with a center part that kind of ruined the outfits.

Ulyana Sergeenko - So good! Kind of cartoony and JPG-ish, but I was really impressed by her versatility and I NEED that black raw-edged satiny jumpsuit, like immediately.

However, my favorite show by far was Dior. I'm TOTALLY on board with Raf Simons, and every season my love for his talent grows. He uses really great colors (like PERIWINKLE. I love periwinkle, I think designers should use it much more often), and a huge thumbs-up to the pants-as-eveningwear track he has going on. One of the things I was frustrated with in this year's Golden Globes (and red carpet looks in general), is the lack of really awesome trousers/suits on women. I don't know if they think it'll make them look less feminine, idk? I wish Rooney Mara or Tilda Swinton had been there to pull out some androgynous realness to counteract all the sugary sweet gowns. But anyway, before I get too sidetracked, here's my real-life interpretation of Raf's amazing couture outing. 

Clockwise from top left: Princesse Tam Tam body, Ted Baker earrings, Day Birger et Mikkelsen blazer, Gianvito Rossi heels, Tinley Road bracelet, David Longshaw skirt, Chicnova sandals, J. Crew purse, Topshop crop tee, Topshop lace trousers

EDIT: A quote from Raf himself about the evolution of this couture collection-

"The nature you can control, or you cannot control, so this was very much about taking control of a silhouette but as much also about letting go and allowing freedom, and allowing deconstruction, or allowing the hand of another person who makes a decision. Then of course there was the evolution of spring to summer which was sometimes in a very abstract way, and sometimes in a floral embroidery way.

There were a lot of bustiers that were decorated. Christian Dior was also a decorator, he was an architect as well as a decorator, and I thought they were also beautiful in their purity to start constructing out of the bustier."