Haute Couture, the stuff of dreams, the pinnacle of opulence, status and every woman’s holy grail of designer wear. Clothing (dare we call it that) that is completely handmade by a small group of elite brands that are only verified by the Fédération de la Haute Couture, Paris. These silhouettes, and gowns inspire countless designers, creatives and most importantly - brides. Which is why today we’re exploring the best of the best from the Haute Couture Fall 2021 collections as a guiding light for you, our fabulous regional brides to take queues, be inspired and if nothing else, just enjoy the visual splendour of these one-of-a-kind creations.
There’s no denying that Daniel Roseberry, the newly appointed creative director at the famed Maison is making waves in the fashion world. In fact, it would be near impossible to deny the brands digital success during couture week, with nearly everyone whose anyone sharing images from the collection online. The designer presented us with voluminous silhouettes, exuberant colour tones and statement jewellery to make the late Umm Kulthum envious. Our three favourite looks would have to be a black silk organdy number with a large floral gold body piece, a lilac gown with voluminous sleeve and train to match and an exaggerated ivory wedding gown. The former two definitely got us thinking of ideas for customized gowns in the sense of custom jewellery fitted to the body atop a traditional silhouette or exaggerated sleeves on a slim fit dress. Roseberry’s work continues to enthrall and we’re here for every minute of it.
Zuhair Murad often finds a way to hit us with silhouettes, colours and embroideries so dazzling it’s hard to look away. In a digital age the designer knows what makes an instant red carpet viral moment and what is best suited for those that are camera shy, yet nonetheless glamorous. For his F/W21 couture show there wasn’t necessarily an overarching theme, but the designer looked to Venice for inspiration, interspersing this with his Middle Eastern roots. One could also feel a cheeky undercurrent or nod to the recent hit Netflix show; Bridgerton, in the gilded masks and draped jewels and whether this was intentional or not, we reveled in the splendour. For our wedding inspo however, these three looks are definitely it. Firstly, a green silk taffeta gown would look extraordinary if paired atop a crystalized body-suit, imagine the sparkle paired with the silk bow details? Second, a mercurial golden organdy appears draped in undulating volumes with a magnificent shoulder detail, these details would look otherworldly when incorporated in bridal textiles. Finally, a simple white dress speaks volumes in embroidery that is reminiscent of Marie Antoinette’s diamonds, all draped and aligned with the curves of the upper body. A mesmeric way to make an entrance!
It is impossible to think of silk-tulle and not to think of Giambattista Valli. The designer’s frothy confections have been seen on everyone from Kendall Jenner to aristocrats, socialites and women that are so elite -they can’t even be photographed! And, so when we witnessed the F/W21 couture collection we weren’t surprised that Valli offered his clients exactly what they came for; tulle, femininity, volume and edge. Edginess of course within the context of the designer’s world, edginess that came in the form of a baby-pink tulle dress with variating hem lengths, or an out-of-this world hand sequined gown intertwined with pink ostrich plumes and matching headpiece. These pieces paired with some sensational capes made the collection a visual feast. However, our favourite wedding inspo came in the form of a two-tiered ivory tulle dress, a gown covered in hand-ruched frills complete with a dazzling cape and of course a more fitted albeit completely ruched pink number with a headdress. In a time when our Middle Eastern brides are taking so many risks with their style, we couldn’t help but envision a glorious cape covered in ostrich plumes atop a simpler full-length gown. Now, that’s a statement!
Maria Grazia Chuiri, apparently knows what women want. For seasons now she has given us a sort of new-age effervescence we’ve come to associate with the new Dior. For couture, she delved deeper into her mercurial world of femininity, but without straying too far from the codes she has so firmly established at the Maison. Delicate pleats, translucent textiles, gossamer cuts and refined, breathable, lightweight tailoring that sit just right on the body. Our favourite three looks that inspired us for weddings came courtesy of a paneled pleated ivory dress that seemed to combine a capelet-top and a flared skirt, a head-to-toe feathered gown with a plunging neckline and the shows finale bridal look; a wedding gown straight out of a faeries garden embroidered with plumes and petals. Now, while we do think these are on the simpler side for our Middle Eastern brides, it’s the ideas that these gowns inspire. Think of that pleated neckline on a giant ball skirt or the technique of the finale look applied on an elongated cape with ball-skirt to match? Maria Grazia gave us much to think about, and even more to be inspired by.
Balenciaga’s first couture show under Demna Gvasalia, was a sweeping success. The designer known for having revamped the image of the world-renowned luxury label didn’t hold back with his couture debut. Exaggerated suits, hats, coats, shawls all appeared in modernized deconstructed variants in silk-satins, luxe tweeds and cashmere (to name a few) There was everything one could dream of from a new-age couture show, including denim (yes denim) and wide brimmed sauceresque-hats but what particularly caught our eye were the finale evening looks. A silhouette reminiscent of Cristobal Balenciaga’s earlier work in the fifties had us gasping! The embroidery in the voluminous front with the stark emptiness of the back gave us ideas for days, seconded only by an exaggerated collar on a duchess-satin coat, imagine it reworked in a pearl encrusted ivory satin with a veil? Finally, the emerald green of a silk taffeta gown offered a silhouette so elegant we still can’t look away! Imagine it covered in ivory ostrich plumes with a embroidered neckline of opals, crystals and diamonds? Need we say anymore? We’re Team Demna all the way!
While we’re still mourning the loss of Monsieur Lagerfeld at the helm of this storied Maison, we’ve acknowledged the simpler style of Virginie Viard as the new story of the luxury brand. For couture the designer took her simpler-styles to even further minimalist extremes, stripping the traditional workmanship so often celebrated with Chanel shows for barer textiles devoid of embellishment (save a few) and jackets and skirts in shapes familiar but not quite the same as those celebrated in the Lagerfeld years. However, brand enthusiasts (as most of us in the Middle East are) will recognize the key details to be inspired by. Number one being the absolutely mesmerizing tulle, feather and pearl embroidery of a cocoon like wedding frock, divine if applied correctly to a floor length, balloon sleeved dress or the godet style skirt of black and white taffeta with bows. Bows make a massive comeback for F/W21 and shouldn’t be overlooked when designing wedding gowns in the coming year. Last, but not least a sublime white suit. Now, we know that our brides fancy a more extravagant silhouette on their weddings, but as the everchanging trends continue, we wouldn’t be surprised (or argue) with a statement wedding suit + crystalized veil.
Which designer has you most inspired? Sound-off on the Dialight Production Instagram and let us know.
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