Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2007: First Looks

On Sunday morning at the Toronto Fashion Bloggers Brunch someone commented on how rare it is to see Ghesquiere's Balenciaga worn well off the runway. As evidenced by Miss Blanchett at the MET gala and, well, the mere presence of C3PO leggings in the spring show, many of the looks are not made for the average person (not to suggest Cate is average or anything...). Fall, however, brings us a collection of heavily street-inspired garments that may just up the label's wearability, at least for a season. From velvet blazers to kafiyah-esque scarves, could this new direction be a testament to Ghesquiere's versatility, or just a sign he's heading down a commercial path? Whether we'll start seeing the runway makeup on the streets as well remains to be seen...

frillr & style.com

Valentino Cruise 2008

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The whole concept of cruise collections is purely commercial, and Valentino apparently has no qualms with making this fact glaringly apparent. The vibe at his recent show was eerily Stepford-esque, with even the models themselves looking like they'd be right at home behind a white picket fence. Not that I've ever found myself waiting eagerly for his collection photos on style.com, but with cruise season becoming increasingly prominent way to tide fashionistas over between fall and couture, Valentino just may want to step up his game.