We’re definitely pluviophiles…the rain makes think….it makes us reminisce….and it’s raining mercilessly here in Delhi. With all things mucky and grey – makes us want some glamour…. so we turned to our manuals of makeup.
While most of us may not be going to dinner in a one-of-a-kind Dior couture creation, who says we can’t get at least part of the look? Here, we recount some of our favorite beauty moments from the Fall 2015 Haute Couture shows, and let you in on how to recreate them !!! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did .
We are collecting the top beauty looks from the Couture Fall 2015 shows, letcha know you what they used on the runway, and how you can put your own spin to it without having to spend ridiculously !
First, we have Chanel! The look was strong and distinctive.
To recreate this look, we also got inspired by Hollywood actress and star of Scandal, Kerry Washington. This look is powerful, but still has a soft edge, making it perfect for nights out!
Next, we have Elie Saab, where the look was edgy glam.
When recreating this look, inspired by top Bollywood movie star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, we decided on taking a slightly lighter tone, focusing on a softer eye.
Finally, we have Christian Dior, which featured an au-natural look.
Bollywood actress Kalki Koechlin’s perfect natural makeup inspired us to recreate the Dior look with a hint of India – you’ll never catch an Indian girl without her kajal after all!
Hi! So we noticed that recently most readers responded to a shoe chart that we posted, which showed different types of heels Why do you think that happened? Maybe they were checking it off a list… that is what some of our team members were discussing. I got this one and that one but not this one. Time to shop.
Anyway, we thought to provide more of such educational charts to help you all know the types of lines and cuts out there.
Here are some of the basic necklines.
Basic Necklines
These aren’t the only possible ones, there are many… like U-plunge and cowl necklines among others. Here are some celebrities sporting different necklines…
Next, we have sleeves. Now, we agree that in the sketch they look a little…um…Disney princess (the bad kind) but when practiced on real fabric, most of these cuts are a sensible choice.
There’s a reason why we didn’t do the expected Best Dressed List for Cannes Film Festival 2015. It’s that it’s expected, pardon us for the poor attempt at that joke…seen too much Family Guy and suddenly we want Seth Macfarlane type jokes. Although they include a lot of external references… hm. Next attempt shall have that. Anyway, the relevant topic here is the Cannes 2015 Red Carpet.
We at Brand Republix are firm believers that art mimics life and vice versa. Upon watching movies like The Hunger Games, the fashion statement of The Capitol had us drooling and overwhelmed and in wonderment as to when something like this would turn into reality.
Alexander McQueen at The Hunger Games
And we are sure you agree with us when we say that it has started. The cream of the fashion influencers are sporting crazy, quirky and out-of-the-box ensembles. Sorry Rihanna at The Met Gala (for memes, click here).
Rihanna in Guo Pei
Of course we love them with our full-sized aortic pumps (reference: Joey from Friends). Better? Blah, we’ll work on it. And here are our choices off the Red Carpet that exhibit innovative, rebellious and crazaayy looks.
So, yes…Phoebe’s character in Friends wore a lot of midi rings and that was the 90s but the 2010s have seen the biggest twist on the jewellery platform like no other decade. This decade brought us palm rings, ear cuffs; it re-introduced the midi ring trend, head jewellery and more. In the age of minimalism, jewellery was not discarded but rather, given a full blown out make-over to suit the newer, fusion-loving generation.
For us to witness this pleasant revamping of jewellery is personal to an extent as in our culture, brides are adorned with maang tikaas, hand harnesses, nathnis and more during their wedding. Now to see that on that on an international platform is refreshing. Contemporary touches and innovations have been brought to the runway and adopted by our fashion forward generation.
Alexander McQueen showed a bejewelled finger glove in his Fall/Winter 2013 collection which added edge to the ensemble and well…its simple very quirky and rock chic; the model’s fingers look like they’ve been dipped in dark chocolate and finished off with embellishments so why wouldn’t anyone want to adapt this new trend!? Definitely wearable. He even showed a web-like, star hand harness in silver for his Fall/Winter 2014 collection.
Alexander McQueen Fall 2013Alexander McQueen Fall 2014
Similarly, Atelier Versace went a little 300 for its Spring/Summer 2014 collection…a fore arm bracelet which looks like an armour was seen on the runway and I know…my opinion is a blip in the fashion industry but I find that armour bracelet insanely edgy. Too much “edgy”. That’s the thing about being from the 90s generation, everything that’s THIS decade is different and edgy to me, but in the best sense possible.
Atelier Versace Spring 2014
Moving on to Chanel, their finger gems stacked up some bling quotient for sure in the Fall/Winter 2013 collection. Going native, there is Outhouse jewellery which has innovative designs with a tribal-infused bling look. Their body chains, ear cuffs, bullet-like large earrings have the texture of vintage, real jewellery but the designers, Kaabia and Sasha Grewal, haven’t forgotten to add a modern finish to their pieces.
Chanel Couture Fall 2013Outhouse by Kaabia and SashaOuthouse by Kaabia and Sasha
Adding to the list are artists Ana Khouri, Emilio Pucci, Valliyan by Nitya who have helped revolutionize the jewellery industry with their encrusted palm rings, gold back chains, winged ear cuffs, respectively.
Rosie Huntington Whiteley in Emilio Pucci Fall 2014Ana Khouri
Now, ditch your chunky neck pieces and strap on this decade’s own revolution as we all continue to stay in awe of this transformation.
Today we demand speed, precision and fast results. If we take a look at fashion and our needs there, one will notice how definition of everything is on the rise. And when we think of definition, we think contours. Contours define shapes and break down the object, making it look geometrically symmetrical which is by default, appealing to our brains.
Recently, we have had the 72nd Golden Globes and 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards in Hollywood, Star Guild Awards and Stardust Awards in our beloved Bollywood. This of course caught our attention and we went for the Red Carpet appearances straight….the Red Carpet is like this delicious, you-can-never-have-enough appetizer at a really fancy restaurant. And what we noticed are the clean lines and shapes in everything; be it the gown, accessories or the delicate, candy-like clutches.
At the Star Guild Awards, Alia Bhatt wore Prabal Gurung and Priyanka Chopra wore Toni Maticevski, and they strutted and modelled their gowns which were simple in colour; monotone but their structure was spot on bold. It’s in the cut-outs, in the skirts and everywhere else- bold structures. The construction of the gowns is enough to make a statement on the red carpet. In addition to that, Stardust Awards brought exciting ensembles as well. Jacqueline Fernandez wore Amit Aggarwal and the side panels along with the train were constructed keeping in mind the geometry. The symmetrical lines and structure of the panels and train is remarkable and brings the whole outfit together, although we’re not a fan of the texture and colour. Gauri&Nainika usually get it right with the unity of an ensemble but this one was a miss on Huma Qureshi. However, the clean lines and colour panelling on the gown was absolute magic as a general design.
Alia Bhatt in Prabal Gurung at Starguild Awards
Priyanka Chopra in Toni Maticevski and Mawi necklace at Starguild Awards
Jacqueline Fernandez in Amit Aggarwal at Stardust Awards
Huma Qureshi in Gauri&Nainika at Stardust Awards
Taking a look on the other side of the ocean, the accessories at the Golden Globes were to die for. Diane Kruger added a pearlescent clutch mimicking the cubism structure. Future Fashion Alert! Similarly, Lorde, the music artist proved her song lyrics wrong (but we’ll never be royal) when she showcased a jaw-dropping 100-carat Neil Lane diamond and platinum necklace and slicked her hair back. You certainly look Royal to us now Lorde.
Diane Kruger at Golden Globes
Lorde in Neil Lane diamond necklace at The Golden Globes
At the SAG Awards, Julia Roberts wore a chic Tiffany hand cuff which supports my argument of lines and shapes. Downton Abbey’s, Joanne Froggatt carried a simple but structured black Ferragamo clutch which too goes to show that soft and slouchy is out.
Julia Roberts in Tiffany at SAG Awards
Joanne Froggatt carrying a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch at SAG Awards
Jeniffer Aniston in Fred Leighton
Sarah Hyland in Lorraine Schwartz jewellery at SAG Awards
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2013 blew NYC and the rest of the world away last week. Besides being one of the most awaited shows…nay extravagant…on the fashion and style landscape, it’s probably one of the most widely watched TV event EVERRR. (The Show airs in Australia on Fox 8 soon after it airs on December 10 in the US. And we are not about to miss it!)
Courtesy Getty Images + Taylor Swift Tweets. Photographer: Dimitrios Kambouris.
Exuberant colours, over the top styling, bling, crystals, wings, star studs made the Victoria’s Secret night. The event was a culmination of about a year of conceptualising, planning and preparation and happened at Manhattan’s Lexington Armory. With six separate sub themes running – British Invasion, Birds of Paradise, Parisian Nights, Shipwrecked, Snow Angels and PINK Network, it was a potpourri of fantastical decadence.
The first few shows were aired in the 1990s around Valentine’s Day for brand promotion. By 2001, the show made its network television broadcast on ABC, and has been broadcast on CBS ever since. The first 4s hows were held at the Plaza Hotel NYC and then subsequently it has most often been held at the 69th Regiment Armory in the city.
This Venue is bound by 25th and 26th Streets and Lex and Park Avenues in NYC. Originally built in 20th century, it was to be a training centre for National Guard. Needless to mention that a building of that history, a show of that magnitude and valuables (in form of fineries) called for the NYPD security to be the gatekeeper with K-9 patrolling and private security. What Victoria’s Secret created inside, in the otherwise stern looking building, was a star-studded affair with the biggest names across the board. On the catwalk, debutantes Malaika Firth and Josephine Skriver were first timers. The ramp was a 120 ft sparkler with the most famous Angels walking- Alessandra Ambrosio, Doutzen Kroes, Lily Aldridge, Behati Prinsloo, and Karlie Kloss. We did note that Miranda Kerr was MIA this year.
The “BRA”SSTACKS –
Total Angels: 36
Venue: 69 Regiment Armory
Budget: Approx $12mm
Production: done and dusted, inc. with producers Edward G. Razek, Monica Mitro, Ian Stewart and Hamish Hamilton. Interestingly one of their offices is in a place called India House in NYC.
Direction: Hamish Hamilton
Make Up: Dick Page and VS products only.
Skin care: BeachSexy bronzing and Runway Ready Body Care products.
Hair: Orlando Pita, international celebrity hair and fashion stylist
Publication: GraziaDaily was given an all access pass to the show.
Man Behind the Make up – Dick Page (http://www.access-fashion.com/)The Buzz around entrance of the Show at the Armory Courtesy: Daniel Goodman Business Insider Story on Victoria’s Secret 2013 ShowModel Lindsay Ellingson (Photo -Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Swarovski) + Super Model Adriana Lima (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision)Model Alessandra Ambrosio Source: Dimitrios Kambouris + Jamie McCArthy /Getty Images North America) in 2 separate changes/FameFLynet.uk.com
BULB BURNER HIGHLIGHTS
*The Show stopper (almost) was by seven time GRAMMY winner, 23 year old: Taylor Swift, who donned a super crystal outfit and performed with rock band Fall Out Boy. She wore a flitted sexy sparkler by designer Zuhair Murad and a Union Jack inspired dress. This is practically the new virus on the internet besides pictures of her belting out her hit ” I Knew You Were Trouble”
*Other super performances on stage were Award-nominated artist Fall Out Boy, A Great Big World and Neon Jungle .
*Adrianna Lima’s costume was no less a wonder. She wore an insane fill sleeved crop jacket type “Pearl Queen body suit with over 3,000 pearl buttons sown in to create her outfit.
*South African Angel Candice Swanepoel wore the Fantasy Bra, designed by International jewellery company Mouwad worth an estimated $10 mm, held 4,200 precious gems encased in 18-carat gold setting with a 52-carat pear-shaped ruby that adorned the middle of the bra. By way of records, the $15 million price tag for the 2000 bra worn by Gisele Bündchen earned a place in the Guinness World Records as the most expensive lingerie ever created.The $3 million 2009 Harlequin Fantasy Bra and the $2 million 2010 Bombshell Fantasy Bra were designed by Damiani.
Model Candice Swanepoel wearing $10mm Fantasy Bra.Courtesy Daily Mail Reported / Copyright Victoria’s Secret – http://dailym.ai/I6fQEW
The After Part at TAO
TAO, one of our favourite bars in the whole world was the venue for the after party.The event was a star studded affair, with Leonardo DiCaprio, Fall Out Boy, Ciara, Dylan McDermott and Stephen Dorff as just a few names of attendees.We remember catching up with a few old friends a year ago and TAO was then relatively a NY after hours scene but we can only say so much about what happened this night. But allow us to say…really nicely sectioned out. You walk into a lounge bar area with service to the left and loose seating. You keep walking into the main hall which faces a gigantic seated buddha and 1st floor seating which borders the sides so you can have a fantabulous view of the action below. On a typical day there are dinner seatings both above and below, but we am sure for this night they cleared the house out.
After Party Pics at TAO Nyc: Craig Barritt: Full Courtesy JustJared.Com/Tao/
AWESOME FACTS
We turned to Wiki to cross check. You might want to know that in the initial 2001 airing, ABC blurred the screen on particularly sheer lingerie to achieve the TV-14 rating. In 2002, the National Organization for Women and Parents Television Council protested the show calling it a “soft-core porn” infomercial. Nonetheless, some affiliates have chosen not to air the show in past years including Fisher Broadcasting affiliates in Idaho. London Broadcasting Company in Texas refuses to air the show. even today . In 2009, the American Decency Association organized email letters of protests to sponsors of the show including AT&T, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Netflix, Nikon, and Reebok.
After having seen all these and read, have you ever wondered who and how the insane Wings are made? According to a recent quip given to elle.com, the team of 9 apparently called Killer- Angel Wing Makers – Elle asked “About how long does it to take to put together one pair of wings? The really big ones can take as much as 400 hours. A tiny wing can take 20 or 30, depends on what kind of construction”. Whaaaat!? Read more: http://bit.ly/1djEwrd
This team and the key lady behind it seems super discreet and needless to say why. The Angel Wings is the key element besides a super glam show and theatrical decadence that sets it apart.
Brand Republix 