I like to think of Haute Couture as a dream, where the creative and imaginative cells intertwine.

This season though, in the shows where most of the pieces spoke of one tone, where cropped jackets and squared shoulders were celebrated, I’m not sure if those cells met.  The silhouettes were clean and simple; from Armani Prive’s Asian-influenced tight skirts and pagoda shoulders to Dior’s waist-clinching, crinoline-bouncing, full skirts.  Let’s just say that Chanel and Gaultier topped the list for me but other than that, very few designers left me sitting on the corner of my chair.

Chanel, Spring 2009 Couture

Chanel, Spring 2009 Couture

Christian Dior, Spring 2009 Couture

Christian Dior, Spring 2009 Couture

Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring 2009 Couture

Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring 2009 Couture

Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring 2009 Couture

Jean Paul Gaultier, Spring 2009 Couture

The details were there, but they were subtle.  Perhaps the most ingenuous of them all came at Chanel’s show, where Japanese hairdresser, Katsuyo Kamo cleverly constructed all the paper hats and floral ornaments.  Genius!

Image Source: Style.com

It looks like Hello Kitty will be popping up in our handbag soon! Sanrio Global Consumer Products (Ms. Kitty’s parents presumably) has teamed up with MAC cosmetics to create a cosmetics collection for Spring 2009.

The brand will offer two collections – Hello Kitty Colour Collection and Hello Kitty Kouture.  The regular collection will offer lipsticks, eye shadows, mascaras, nail polishes, false eye lashes, you know, the regular MAC goods.  Prices will average about $12-$12 and shades will range from pinks to turquoises to lavenders to greens.  The Kouture collection will offer a larger variety in shades with more lavish packaging and will naturally have higher prices.  Both collections will offer other non-makeup products such as makeup bags and totes.

I’m not too sure how I feel about Ms. Kitty’s involvement in makeup.  I know she’s idolized by many.  In some Asian countries, she’s practically a God and has somewhat of a cult following.  At the same time though, I also smell a desperate marketing attempt here.  I mean, how is Hello Kitty going to attract customers to buy lipstick??? She doesn’t have a mouth! It’s hard for me to see how a cartoon character can sell such products.  I guess we’ll have to wait a few months to see how things turn out.

Ms. Kitty’s cosmetic collections will be available on MAC’s website on February 10 and in stores on February 12 but for all you crazy Hello Kitty fanatics, a waiting list for the items will go live on January 7 at maccosmetics.com!

Source: www.wwd.com