coral couture

Elie Saab's couture offering sent us under the sea to multi-coloured coral reefs, in mermaid dresses embellished to match the beauty of the underwater landscape.

seaside chic

This season, designers seem to have been splashing about in the spirit of the sea - blue hues, shell embellishments and mermaid styles abound.

Missoni's collection evoked ocean waves through vivid blues and exaggerated frills, topped with matching blue-rimmed sunglasses.

Salvatore Ferragamo and Emanuel Ungaro presented slick swimsuits paired with billowing silk scarves in dazzling shades of turquoise, indigo and aqua.

There were more gorgeous turquoise shades on show at Chloe:

Giorgio Armani's models were sent down a blue-grey catwalk wearing iridescent styles that shimmered like the sea.

Aquilano.Rimondi's models were like mermaids fresh from the sea, with hair still wet and beautifully embellished pastel blue and shell coloured dresses.

Dazzling blue embellishment and billowing waves of chiffon were also order of the day at Elie Saab:

Chanel's water nymphs had glimmering pearls in their hair and sparkling, dewy faces fresh from the sea, whilst shell clutches and translucent sequins and beads accessorized pastel swimwear and beautiful dresses.

However much I had fallen in love with Chanel's collection, Alexander McQueen's took my breath away. Freshly caught mermaids retained their sparkling nets over their faces and wore fishtail skirts and rippling corseted jackets in shades of coral, shell and sea blue. Absolutely gorgeous.

elie saab's flower power

Elie Saab's Spring/Summer 2011 couture collection reminds me of flower beds, country gardens and train journeys through meadows. Spring has sprung.

 

 

Makes me hark back to Thomas Hardy's Wessex countryside in all its BBC period drama glory (from 2:40 or so in):

Excuse the Italian subtitles; couldn't find the original version. I'm sure Petrarch would have approved of all the flattery and flowers and courting at work though.