When a grand dame gets a makeover, it’s risky business. Sometimes the urgency to be newly relevant results in the loss of what was special in the first place. Happily, the new Beauty floor at the New York City flagship of Saks Fifth Avenue has achieved exactly what one might hope: it’s what the beauty department used to be – only much, much better. We paid a visit to Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, and this is what we saw.
Still swooning over the Royal Wedding? Us too. To keep the magic going, we decided to investigate the purchase of a tiara for ourselves. Not to outdo the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex, mind you. Just to channel the joy and magic of both of their weddings at our next swanky event. In July, the new haute joaillerie collections will be unveiled in Paris. In the meantime, though, there’s still plenty of sparkle and shine in all shapes and sizes to suit the jeune fille, the madame and the grand dame in us all.
Who says you can’t have it all? Thanks to the new trend toward ugly, clunky, “Dad” sneakers with formal wear – even wedding gowns – you can simultaneously be totally on-trend and totally comfortable. You just have to have the confidence to own and rock the look.
The semi-annual haute couture shows in Paris – held each January and July – are at their core a study in contradictions. Clients and their stylists simultaneously demand clothes that are ethereal and fantastical, but also sufficiently functional to be worn by actual women, often on the red carpet. This year, the global mood is somber, and yet the essence of haute couture is escape, beauty and pleasure. Dreams meet reality, and art meets commerce, and it’s the rare designer who can satisfy the needs of both. This year, that’s further complicated by The Reckoning: #MeToo fashion is a fluid idea at the moment, sometimes requiring the color black, other times being expressed through powerful colors and silhouettes – and every now then, the flash of a slogan or a statement tee. Oh, and did we mention that haute couture prices are stratospheric? So while the designs must flatter, they must also represent the highest possible craftsmanship from the atelier. A $200,000+ dress has to be a truly unique work of art.
Here at Dandelion Chandelier, our phones have been blowing up for the past week with communiques about the new spring-summer 2018 merchandise that is already available for purchase. Begone, bomb cyclone! Away with you, polar vortex! The sub-zero temperatures, howling winds and snow drifts of January cannot keep warmer temperatures at bay forever. And as always, fashion leads the way, giving us the first harbingers of spring just when we desperately need them. Just looking at the new accessory collections has totally lifted our moods this week – the bags alone have us whistling a happy tune. Here’s a quick overview of what we’ve seen and what we love so far.
