no rest for the wicked

Wicked

since 2003, the musical wicked has delighted audiences all around the world. this production, which is based on the novel wicked: the life and times of the wicked witch of the west written by gregory maguire, is the 'untold story' of the witches of oz. wicked is well known for its music and lyrics by renowned composer stephen schwartz and for its colorful and innovative costume designs by award-winning costume designer susan hilferty. 

Elphaba

elphaba wears several costumes in the musical and they expertly portray her transformation from a humble schoolgirl to the misunderstood, not-truly 'wicked witch of the west.' early in act one, elphaba wears a plain navy uniform while attending shiz university but eventually elphaba’s schoolgirl outfit is exchanged for the more familiar witch motif — a black victorian-type dress and a pointed black hat. 

Elphaba and Glinda

Glinda's closet

Glinda

glinda’s costume for her period of schooling is cream in color, which hints at her later title of the 'good witch of the north.' glinda’s appreciation for color really shines through in her pink ballgown and the yellow outfit she wears while visiting the emerald city later in the musical. later, her silver and green politician’s outfit and white dress worn as the good witch help to conceal from the citizens of Oz the fact that glinda may not be as kind and selfless as she seems.

residents of Emerald City

the residents of emerald city wear a lot of green, of course. most of these costumes are haute couture, designed with expensive fabrics exclusively for the characters that wear them. regular motifs include billowing skirts and a fantastical appearance that suits the residents of the capital city of the fantasy land of oz.

Madame Morrible

madame morrible is the headmistress of the hall where glinda and elphaba live at shiz university. in the musical she tends to wear long flowing gowns that combine elegance with a look that implies a sinister mind.

Nessarose

nessarose, elphaba’s sister and eventual 'wicked witch of the east', transforms from a paralyzed schoolgirl to one who can walk with the aid of the ruby slippers over the course of the musical. as such, her initial schoolgirl outfit gives way to a black dress that, while not unlike Elphaba’s costume, helps distinguish her from her sister.

Fiyero Tiggular

fiyero tiggular, a prince who meets elphaba and glinda at shiz university, is eventually transformed into the famous scarecrow. his princely attire gives way to the more ragged scarecrow look as he concocts a plan to help save elphaba from death. this is portrayed appropriately in hilferty’s costume designs, with the scarecrow having a fitting, ragged appearance to match all the trauma he endures in the musical.

love the clothes? here's my favourite song from the musical.

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the best and the worst: week 08

what an interesting week this was! in particular, president barack obama was re-elected into office for a second term. 

hugz!

in the last forty years of american history, no incumbent has been returned to office with a national unemployment rate over 7.5%. the current unemployment rate in the usa is 7.9%. of course, here in singapore, most that i spoke with are happy with the win. i do have certain opinions about both camps but i shall reserve them for coffee talk.

anyway, this week was a return to fashion writing. though i need to confess that there was not much writing that needed to be done. a large portion of it was to copy, paste and format. that said, it was a good return to talking about clothes as compared to history and animals. 

so, any lessons that i learnt this week? definitely! i am no longer an over-achiever but i have gone past that to become an over-doer. i just keep doing. keeping an exercise regime, going to work and writing... i have somewhat figured out a system that i have to strictly adhere to in order for my life to not spin out of control. *pats on the back* i live another week to write you the best and the worst. 

*drum roll* the results!

best: haute, haute, haute

everyone loves a title with a double meaning. i guess it's always encouraging to have readers appreciate the wit. i can write nasty and flaming posts like these but i do it not out of spite or malice. instead, it is to make readers laugh. laughter, i strongly believe, is the best medicine. anyway, it's good to see the opening post of the week make it to number one again (the last time this happened was in week four). personally, i actually like the first post of the week because it usually coveys my personal thoughts and the 'writer' in me speaks more freely. once the rest of the week's material come about, i am often bounded by the content.

as for the worst post of the week...

worst: massaro

why, why, why? i actually like the material in this post and i thought it would be refreshing for readers to realise that haute couture is not all about clothes. shoes form an integral part of couture fashion as well. plus, massaro does have an entire range of pretty footwear. it was a tad disappointing to see the post fall flat with a single digit readership. hopefully it gets better. this is the third time that the final 'content' post hit rock bottom. well, let's hope that it doesn't happen too often.

in closing, i truly appreciate ALL your support of The Online Edition. it's wonderful to see unique views daily but what gets me going are also all the return visits that you make to this blog. that shows my writing is interesting and relevant enough for a second glance. i will try to better myself with each week!

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van cleef & arpels

there has been much focus over the last three days on the clothing aspects of haute couture but couture today extends beyond fabric. in the upcoming features, we will be looking at jewellery and accessories. so as to not overwhelm you with sparkles, this is going to be a short post.

Van Cleef & Arpels

van cleef & arpels is a french jewellery, watch, and perfume company that was founded in 1896 by alfred van cleef and his uncle salomon arpels. 

they opened their first boutique in 1906 at 22 place vendôme, paris. van cleef & arpels are renowned for their expertise in precious stones and have won particular acclaim for a groundbreaking gem-setting procedure known as the mystery setting. 

Jewels for a Princess

the mystery setting is a a proprietary mounting technique for gems. there are no visible prongs, instead the individual stones are hand grooved to fit into a mesh of gold or platinum wire. 

Orchid brooch, 1928

in 2010, there was a launch of a new high jewellery collection during the biennale des antiquaires called les voyages extraodinaires de jules verne. 

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julien fournié

julien fournié is a french fashion designer and ceo of his own eponymous haute couture company founded in the summer of 2009. previously, he was the last creative director of the paris-based haute couture fashion house torrente. in 2008, he was named creative director for womenswear, menswear and accessories at ramosport.

Julien Fournie

fournié initially decided to study medicine and took a degree in biology. after two years he changed career to study fashion, continuing his studies at the ecole de la chambre syndicale de la couture parisienne graduating in 2000. on his graduation day, paris fashion 2000 awarded him with the moet & chandon prize for best accessories. during those three years of study and the apprenticeship, he worked at fashion houses to develop his skills. after experience at nina ricci, he moved to christian dior, where he worked on accessories with jean mouclier, then at givenchy haute couture.

Couture Fall 2010

in late summer 2003, at the age of 28, he was recruited by torrente as style director for their ready-to-wear collections. in early september, before his first show for the torrente had even taken place, the management committee voted to appoint him creative director. he has since taken over the duties of madame rose torrente-mett. after advising several ready-to-wear brands in asia, and particularly in south korea, as well as in the fields of accessories in france (charles jourdan), he was appointed in early 2008 creative director at another french house, ramosport, a parisian brand specializing in 'casual chic' for womenswear and menswear. when ramosport was bought as a company by the groupe georges rech in september 2008, julien fournié decided it was time to create his own brand, bearing his own name.

Haute Couture Week 2012 Singapore

Eliza Fraser

the chambre syndicale de la haute couture française, the governing body of the french fashion industry, granted julien fournié in january 2011 the guest member status, which allows the julien fournié brand to bear the 'haute couture' label and participate in the paris haute couture fashion week.

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maxime simoëns

maxime simoens is a French designer. he is an 'invited member' of the chamber of parisian couture union.

Maxime Simoens

at first inclined to pursue after filmmaking he deemed it too technical, it was at a madonna concert in june 2001, the drowned world tour, he decided to make sewing his profession as he was profoundly inspired by the sketches of the great couturier jean paul gaultier, displayed in the program. his degree in hand, maxime went to study applied arts at the school of conde de lyon, then joined the paris union chamber of couture. he came first in several fashion contests. 

Singapore Fashion Week 2011

Couture AW 2011

nourishing inspiration in art, music and movies from all eras and styles, maxime simoens creates narrative collections each season, telling a new story full of icons and strong visuals. the identity of his style is marked by the structure refining the silhouette, cuts, contrasts, embroidery, incorporating printed and put into abyss of optical illusions, organza leaves miles to be desired. 

Blake Lively, Gossip Girl

on several occasions, maxime simoens dressed melanie laurent or astrid berges-frisbey. on the fourth season of gossip girl, maxime simoens dressed the two main heroines, blake lively and leighton meester. 

Rachel McAdams

in search of creative independence, the desire to create his own house was quickly born. he strives to create his world free of influence and create its logo, a barcode, a nod to the consumer society. in february 2009 he was selected to hyères fashion festival in april and thus presented the first 10 pieces of his first collection, an innovative vision, combining graphic design at the architectural level of the garment. his silhouettes combine structure and fluidity and he's often compared in the press to the younger yves saint laurent. the last quarter of 2011, maxime simoens became creative director of french fashion house's ready-to-wear léonard. in the grand palais of paris, he presented his first collection for leonard the 5th of march 2012. 

Beyonce in Maxime Simoens

in 2011, he dressed the singer beyoncé on the cover of her album '4' the deluxe version, with one of his creations for spring-summer 2011-12. as always, a look at the designer's haute couture collection.

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iris van herpen

iris van herpen is a dutch fashion designer. she studied fashion design at artez institute of the arts arnhem and interned at alexander mcqueen in london and claudy jongstra in Amsterdam. in 2007, she started her own label. since july 2011, iris is a guest member of the prestigious parisian chambre syndicale de la haute couture, which is part of the fédération française de la couture. 

Iris van Herpen

iris van herpen had an intuitive appreciation of fashion and art as a youth. her first passion was actually dance. it was when she attended the preparatory course art and design at artez during her high school years that she became particularly interested in designing clothes.

she graduated in 2006 from the fashion design department of artez. her graduation collection machine jewellery already bears van herpen’s characteristic interest in the visualization of elusive concepts and intangible elements. in this case ‘time’ and inventiveness in material use and treatment.

Amsterdam International Fashion Week

from the beginning of her career, iris van herpen’s talent has been singled out as very promising and it has grown strong over the years. it has been recognized through awards, exhibitions, publications and her guest membership of the chambre syndicale de la haute couture.

Bjork in Iris van Herpen

singer-songwriter björk wore dresses from several iris van herpen collections. additionally, singer-songwriter lady gaga, artist and style icon daphne guinness have worn dresses by iris van herpen. van herpen’s designs follow, complete and change the body and the emotions that accompany it, when simultaneously the body adapts and adopts the new forms. movement is key. it is of decisive importance for the ultimate design how a moving body reacts on a piece of clothing and vice versa, how a piece of clothing behaves when worn.

Lady Gaga

van herpen’s decision to explore the rapid prototyping technology of 3d printing allowed her to be the first to introduce this technology in fashion and to create astonishing designs with it. van herpen became fascinated with the endless design potential of 3d printing. in recent collections she further developed her prints by adding detailed handwork. the 3d prints only added to that other much-heard term to describe van herpen’s style: futuristic. 

would you wear this?

besides the use of new technologies, the term mostly refers to the appearance of her looks. what is very important to realize, though, is that her designs combine new technologies and diligent handwork. in fact, this is characteristic for all van herpen’s collections. exactly this combination of handwork and innovative technologies brings van herpen to her edgy designs. she equally values techniques from the past with techniques and technologies of the future because they have their own power and beauty that, when rightly combined, can be enhanced instead of being substituted by one another.

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valentino

Valentino Garavani

valentino spa is a clothing company founded in 1959 by valentino garavani. it is a part of valentino fashion group. since october 2008, the creative directors are maria grazia chiuri and pier paolo piccioli. alessandra facchinetti was valentino's creative designer from 2007 to 2008. valentino was founded in 1965 when garavani opened a sumptuous fashion house on via condotti in rome, italy with the backing of his father and his father's associate.

Spring / Summer Couture 2003

valentino already had a passion for luxury and would spend too much money on expensive fabrics never thinking about the financial aspects of his fashion business. thanks to giammetti, garavani was able to focus on the creative aspect of design leaving all business intricacies to giammetti. valentino's international debut took place in 1962 in florence, the italian fashion capital of the time. valentino's first show at the pitti palace was welcomed as a true revelation and the young couturier was submerged by orders from foreign buyers and enthusiastic comments on the press. 

backstage at a couture show

after the breakthrough show in florence, garavani started to dress the ladies of the international best-dressed crowd such as his acquaintance from the paris years countess jacqueline de ribes and new york socialites babe paley and jayne wrightsman. in 1966, confident of his client base, he moved his clothes from florence to rome and there, two years later, he had one of his greatest triumphs, an all-white collection, which became famous for the 'v' logo he designed. by the mid-1960s he was already considered the undisputed maestro of italian couture, receiving in 1967 the neiman marcus award, the equivalent of an oscar in the field of fashion. 

in 1998 garavani and giammetti sold the company for approximately $300 million to hdp, an italian conglomerate controlled, in part, by the late gianni agnelli, the head of fiat. 

Jennifer Aniston

Anne Hathaway

throughout the 1970s garavani spent considerable time in new york city where his presence was embraced by social personalities such as vogue's editor-in-chief diana vreeland and art identities such as andy warhol.

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azzedine alaïa

azzedine alaïa is a tunisian-born couturier and shoe designer, particularly successful since the 1980s. his parents were wheat farmers but his glamorous twin sister inspired his love for couture. a french friend of his mother fed alaïa's instinctive creativity with copies of vogue. he lied about his age to get himself into the local ecole des beaux-arts in tunis and began studying sculpture where he gained valuable insights into the human form.

Azzedine Alaia

after his graduation, alaïa began working as a dressmaker's assistant. he soon began dressing private clients and in 1957, he moved to paris to work in fashion design. in paris, he started to work at christian dior as a tailleur but soon moved to work for guy laroche for two seasons, then for thierry mugler until he opened his first atelier in his little rue de bellechasse apartment the late 1970s. it is in this tiny atelier that for almost 20 years he dressed privately the world's jet set, from marie-hélène de rothschild to louise de vilmorin (who would become a close friend) to greta garbo, who used to come incognito for her fittings.

Grace Jones

Naomi Campbell

his seductive, clinging clothes were a massive success and he was named by the media 'the king of cling'. in 1996, he participated at the biennale della moda in florence, where along with paintings by longtime friend julian schnabel, he exhibited an outstanding dress created for the event. schnabel-designed furniture, as well as his large scale canvases, are decorating alaia's boutique in paris. 

Michelle Obama

Lady Gaga

alaia refuses the marketing-driven logic of luxury conglomerates, continuing to focus on clothes rather than 'it-bags'. alaia is revered for his independence and passion for discreet luxury. catherine lardeur, the former editor and chief of french marie claire in the 1980s stated in an interview to crowd magazine that 

'fashion is dead. designers nowadays do not create anything, they only make clothes so people and the press would talk about them. the real money for designers lie within perfumes and handbags. it is all about image. alaia remains the king. he is smart enough to not only care about having people talk about him. he only holds fashion shows when he has something to show, on his own time frame.' 

alaïa was honored with a solo exhibition at the groninger museum in the netherlands in 1998, which debuted at the guggenheim museum in new york in 2000.

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jean paul gaultier

Jean Paul Gaultier

jean paul gaultier was the creative director of hermès from 2003 to 2010. gaultier never received formal training as a designer. instead, he started sending sketches to famous couture stylists at an early age. pierre cardin was impressed by his talent and hired him as an assistant in 1970. afterwards he worked with jacques esterel in 1971 and jean patou later that year, then returning to manage the pierre cardin boutique in Manila for a year in 1974. 

his first individual collection was released in 1976 and his characteristic irreverent style dates from 1981 and he has long been known as the enfant terrible of french fashion. 

collection inspired by Amy Winehouse

many of gaultier's following collections have been based on street wear, focusing on popular culture, whereas others, particularly his haute couture collections, are very formal yet at the same time unusual and playful.

Fall 2009 Couture

although most people found his designs decadent at the time, fashion editors, notably melka tréanton of elle, claude brouet and catherine lardeur of french marie claire, were seduced by his creativity and immediately noticed his mastery of tailoring and later launched his career. in 1985 he introduced man-skirts, and produced sculptured costumes for madonna during the nineties, starting with her infamous cone bra for her 1990 blond ambition tour and designed the wardrobe for her 2006 confessions tour. he currently designs for three collections: his own couture and ready-to-wear lines, for both men and women.

Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier

Katy Perry

what brought gaultier immense success was the advent of his haute couture line in 1997. through this collection, he was able to freely express the scope and range of his aesthetic, drawing inspiration from radically divergent cultures, from imperial india to hasidic judaism. 

here's a look at some of gaultier's couture collections.

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stéphane rolland

Stéphane Rolland

stéphane rolland is a french fashion designer and an haute couture fashion brand. at the age of twenty, rolland joined balenciaga and within a year was promoted to the position of creative director of menswear and international licenses. at twenty-four, he left balenciaga to start his own prêt-à-porter company, which he ran for six years, until jean-louis scherrer asked him to become the artistic manager of his haute couture fashion house, a position he occupied for the next ten years.

Spring 2012 Couture

Fall 2012 Couture

rolland simultaneously worked as a costume designer. in 2006 and 2007, he was nominated for the prestigious molière awards and became an official partner of the cannes film festival. 

on the 2 july 2007, rolland presented a couture collection under his own name. 

Cheryl Cole in Stéphane Rolland

Petra Nemcova

rolland is a full member of the chambre syndicale de la haute couture and therefore his brand can officially bear the 'haute couture' label.

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