Runway Report: Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012--Pics + Runway Video!

Caped Beauties, Architectural Columns, a Fan Bingbing Wedding Gown, and Mrs. Kanye West...

Bingbing Wedding Cape: Chinese actress (and Fashion Diva) Fan Bingbing models Le Mariage final dress, Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

French fashion designer Stephane Rolland showed his Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012 collection a couple of days ago in Paris. Rolland has recently become a Red Carpet darling with a lot of actresses--primarily the non-American ones who feel comfortable "stepping it up" and not playing it safe when it comes to what they want to wear at high profile events. There is one big US fan though: Lady Gaga. Naturally she would LOVE his clothes! Someone else who just jumped on the Rolland bandwagon, is reality show and Us Weekly Cover Girl Hall-of-Famer Kim Kardashian.

Couture Couple: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian at the Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012 fashion show, Paris

 Kim's Gown: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2012

She's been in Paris with her current beau Kanye West, and made an appearance at Rolland's show. Kim wore a black dress with white organza shoulder detail from the designer's Spring/Summer 2012 Haute Couture collection--it was modified for la Kim in that it was made "high-low" as opposed to how it was originally shown as in the photo above. Their showing almost completely overshadowed the fashions on the runway since naturally the photographers went crazy-mad! When I was looking for images of the Stephane Rolland Haute Couture show online, after googling it, the runway photos didn't come up...but Kim Kardashian and Kanye West sure did!  Is this good or bad? Talk amongst yourselves...

 Camel Hot: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

Now, onto the fashions: It was like a continuation of what Rolland has been doing for a couple of the last Couture seasons; metallic belts, details, CAPES galore, geometric cut-outs, architectural shapes. It seemed like this was the "extended remix" of  last season's Stephane Rolland Haute Couture collection. Is this good or bad? (again, talk amongst yourselves). At least he's consistent. I, for one, am a fan of Stephane Rolland and as a fellow fashion designer respect his scissor-sharp cuts and severe Spartan Goddess looks. His woman is a Fashion Dominatrix--without the whips and chains!

 Curved Slits: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Feathered Asymmetry: Feathered  shoulder ivory gown with metallic accents (left) and bronze gathered gown with Asymmetrical coat-jacket--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Cannes 2013 Red Carpet: Asymmetry, Geometry and unexpected details are key words in a Stephane Rolland collection--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Caped Queens: Designer Stephane Rolland LOVES those gowns with lots and lots of fabric flowing in the "runway wind" as the models walk...or stomp! Here are two prime examples--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Merlot Sexy: a see-through silk chiffon and crepe-back satin gown with fringed/featherd side detail (left) and Amercian model Sessilee Lopez in a one-shouldered gathered chiffon gown with back cape/fall--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 A Funeral Entrance: two all black looks --a gown with attached side cape (left) and plunging neckline cape-jacket with fitted trousers (right) on Spanish Supermodel Nieves Alvarez--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

 Finale Gown: Actress Fan Bingbing in a fringed cape gown--Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012

Click Below for Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2012 runway video:

Runway Report: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012--Photos + Runway Video

Sculptural Mastery

Who's Ready For Cocktails? Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012

Inspired by French artist and sculptor Michel Deverne, Stephane Rolland's Spring 2012 Haute Couture Collection was an homage to the sculptured form. Folds, pleats and volants were the accents in each look which made the entire collection such a standout achievement in clean, sober, yet directional Haute Couture.

Michel Deverne Sculptures

In order to show movement and the sculptural aspect of each garment, fabrics were simple, clean and rich: silk organza, gazar, crepe, chiffon and georgette. There was also a simple color palette of red, ivory, black, and lime green (definitely becoming THE COLOR of the season, also seen at Atelier Versace and Armani Prive).

Fan Fabulous: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012

Lots of Gold...seen in belts, neckline, waist and torso pieces. It gave a modern Spartan Goddess look to some of the structural column gowns as well as the light-as-air chiffon pieces. Cut-out's also played a starring role in the collection.

Lipstick Red: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012

And in terms of accessories--well there's the ubiquitous fingerless driving gloves that we have seen in many an Haute Couture collections this season. The shoes: sky-high stacked pumps in matching colors with gold accents/details--Oh and the heel: 6-7"!

La Diva: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012

There were enough styles and silhouettes in this Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012 runway show to satisfy both Lady Gaga and the UBER elegant Sheikha Mozah of Qatar--as well as Queen Rania of Jordan---all clients who've bought (Sheikha Mozah and Queen Rania)--and been lent his gorgeous designs (Lady Gaga). Oh and did I mention that 1/2 Iranian 1/2 English Supermodel Yazmin Le Bon (Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran's wife), ended the show with a gown weighing 110 POUNDS!!?? Scroll down kids...

Lime Green Beauties: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012

Warrior Goddesses: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012

Noir et Jour: Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012

90's Supermodel Yazmin Le Bon ends the Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012 show, with a red gown weighing 110 pounds of silk crepe and metal center front accent pieces. Those model-handsome boys behind her? They were her "Gown Guards". I just want to know how I can hire them for me...


Click Below for Video of Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Spring 2012:

Runway Report: Paris Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2011 Fashion Week--Stephane Rolland

Folded, Ribboned, Draped...

Dip-Dyed Canary: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Stephane Rolland showed his Fall/Winter 2011/2012 Haute Couture Collection in Paris and as usual it was a Masterful display of the drapery, folded and structured modern elegance. His designs are not for the shy woman but more for the UBER chic, Glam Dominatrix Diva. His clients come mainly from Asia and the Middle East and every now and then, you will see a FAB Stephane Rolland Haute Couture creation on the Red Carpet (if we're lucky--he still has to compete with the POWERHOUSE PR Offices of the "biggies": Chanel, Valentino, Dior, etc.). For Fall/Winter, he was inspired by two things: China (smart, since that's where the latest crop of multi-millionaire clients are coming from), which showed up in Pagoda sleeves, Mandarin-like collars, Chinese calligraphy details. Another inspiration was:

Iconic model Carmen Dell'Orefice (seen above at the Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Show with NY socialite/MTV's The City "Elle Magazine intern" Olivia Palermo next to her). The clothes were fabulous by the way. Colors ranged from "Winter White" to deep blacks, violets, muted raspberry and lots of oversized metallic/jeweled embellishments as in belts, neck and bust accents as well as the above mentioned drapes, folds and twisted ribbons that are the "Rolland" hallmarks.

Daywear According to Rolland: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

To start with, there was some "day wear"--OK, forget it, it was more like "Cocktail Hour". But mainly, as always with Rolland, it was about THOSE gowns! Showstoppers. Take a look:

Who Invited Her: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Shanghai Ball: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Plunging: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

New Slit: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Shoulder Padded Grecian Goddess: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

China Calligraphy Couture: Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

Be sure not to miss the Final Wedding Gown and how HEAVY it was--so heavy that the model is literally FORCING it to move with all the strength of her 5'11" size 2 frame!!! Bless her heart! (and bless those in the audience trying to cool off from the hot & humid temperatures that were occurring during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week a couple of weeks back)--click on the video below...

Click Below for Full Runway Video of Stephane Rolland Fall/Winter 2011/12 Haute Couture:

Actress Miriam Yeung in Stephane Rolland Spring 2011 Haute Couture: Diva of The Day--and Week!

Shut The Front Couture Door!!

Asiana DIVA: Actress Miriam Yeung in Stephane Rolland Spring 2011 Haute Couture

Last Sunday, at the 30th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards, actress---and Fashionista---Miriam Yeung, put all the other actresses to shame, as she sauntered onto the red carpet wearing a black column gown with exaggerated neck-and-torso "collar" from Stephane Rolland's Spring 2011 Haute Couture Collection. She looked STUNNING! Directional, elegant, dramatic and soooo Haute Couture!!!

Here she is with with husband, fellow actor (and HOTTIE!!!) Ting Chi Ko at 30th Hong Kong Film Awards last Sunday in Hong Kong China. Perfect Couple Alert! For that...and wearing that FAB Stephane Rolland Haute Couture Gown, she gets my "Nick Diva of the Day--and Week" Award!