WEDDING FLOWERS: Elie Saab
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Showing posts with label Elie Saab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elie Saab. Show all posts

Royal National Day (and Tiara Watch!) of the Day: June 24

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Let's spend a little quality time with the Luxembourg grand ducal clan. They've been celebrating National Day with big hats (lucky us) and plentiful tiaras (even luckier us). The festivities kicked off the day before with a surprise balcony appearance and some visits, including the traditional trip for Prince Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie to Esch-sur-Alzette.
Their outfits were pretty tame (as usual) but also they were pretty cute (as usual).

The whole family - the Grand Duke, Grand Duchess, and all five kids plus assorted spouses - kicked National Day itself off with a ceremony at the Philharmonie Luxembourg.
@CourGrandDucale
Some basic outfits here, but I think they were saving themselves up for the Te Deum.

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess
Maria Teresa elevated her Armani suit with a sculptural black topper, and Henri clearly approved of the addition (speaking of cute, ahem).

 Prince Sébastien and Princess Alexandra
I did not know that there was such a thing as a costume Te Deum, but I'm here for Alexandra's flapper flair.

Prince Louis and Princess Tessy
Tessy got the memo, apparently, carrying us forward in time to the glamour of the 30s and 40s with her red lip and saucy 'do.

Prince Félix and Princess Claire
A big hat and swinging earrings and polka dots and a Dolce & Gabbana dress with a flippy skirt? That's, like, 75% of my favorite things. Don't distract me, Claire, I'm determined to give my jumpy claps to someone else this time.

The Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess
Jumpy claps for Stéphanie! Finally, finally, I have some jumpy claps for Stéphanie, and they are long overdue. A truly classic appearance with a cheery color to keep it interesting and a little personality courtesy of the hat. Fab-u-lous.

And just to add an extra fabulous cap to the day: the National Day gala, featuring more tiaras in one shot than some countries pull together in a whole year.
Palais grand ducal/Tageblatt
Maria Teresa in the Belgian Scroll Tiara, Stéphanie in Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde's Tiara, Claire in what I believe is a new little bandeau piece (with an impressive set of ruby or red stone earrings and necklace to go with, and an elegant red dress), Tessy in what looks like the amethyst and pearl bandeau, and Alexandra (wearing, if I'm not mistaken, the Elie Saab that Stéphanie wore to Princess Madeleine's pre-wedding dinner) in the Topaz/Citrine and Pearl Tiara. And that's how you do a tiara appearance, folks.

For more on National Day, here's a huge gallery including a few more gala pics, and you can always turn to Luxarazzi.

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Swedish Royal Family

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The Swedish royal family has a history of turning up the sartorial volume significantly when it comes to big events. Did they succeed at their prince’s wedding? Well…yes and no. Let’s give out some awards and discuss:

(Hint: Click the tiara names to go to their individual entries!)

Best in Predictable
Queen Silvia
I predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, most of us predicted she would wear the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara, she wore the Leuchtenberg Sapphire Tiara. And HUZZAH for that, because it is and remains a sparkly wall of diamonds with gorgeous blue at the top, and you can’t go wrong with that.
She added it to a dress in light lilac silk satin with embroidery of lace, sequins, and stones, all of which was a little bit on the shiny side for me. (Silvia in anything embellished and shiny: also predictable.)
With Sofia's parents. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
The King wore the mess dress model 1878 uniform of the Admiral of the Fleet with insignia from the Order of the Seraphim, the Order of Vasa, and the Order of the Sword. His medals are Gustav V's Jubilee Medal II, Gustav VI Adolf's Commemorative Medal, the Order of the Polar Star, and the Order of Vasa.

Best in Surprises
Crown Princess Victoria
I asked for some tiara switcheroos, and BEHOLD: the Connaught Tiara, worn for the first time by Victoria. I wanted to see that one on the bride, but I’ll settle for it on anyone!
With Sofia's sisters. Photo: Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se
Victoria wore a custom dress from the H&M Conscious Collection – also a surprise because, well, H&M at a royal wedding?! Victoria’s a big supporter of the company but even at that, this one surprised me.
Was it a good surprise? It’s growing on me, I’ll say that. It has the grand scale we’ve come to expect, even if it does appear to be covered in tire tracks. Both Victoria and Prince Daniel were wearing the Order of the Seraphim, and Daniel also wore the Order of the Polar Star.

Best of the Family
Princess Madeleine
I could give this to Madeleine just for getting all dolled up when she’s about to pop, but this isn’t a sympathy best; this is a WOW under any circumstances. This soft apricot pink Elie Saab was smoothly adapted for her maternity needs and her diamonds had all the necessary sparkle. As expected, she stuck with her Modern Fringe Tiara, which I'm guessing is the one she finds most comfortable. She added the Vasa Earrings, huge diamond numbers that date all the way back to the Vasa dynasty, and which are probably anything but comfortable.
Madeleine wore the Order of the Seraphim and Chris O’Neill wore the Order of the Polar Star. They brought Princess Leonore with them, and she topped today’s heirloom baby clothing stakes by wearing a dress that goes all the way back to King Gustaf VI Adolf, her great-great-grandfather. (Leonore seemed fascinated by the tiaras during the ceremony. I think this kid and I would get along.)

Best in Honeybadgers
The Haga Princesses
Princess Christina (in the mulberry dress) and Princess Désirée (in hot pink)
Listen, I think I’m a bit in love with the Haga Princesses, a.k.a. the four sisters of the King. Princess Margaretha is the best dressed here, in her fabulous Aquamarine Kokoshnik Tiara, but the rest of them could clearly care less what we think, and I just can’t help but love ‘em a bit for that attitude. Honeybadgers don’t care, man! Princess Christina doesn’t care that I’m tired of her picking the Six Button Tiara over and over again. Princess Désirée doesn’t care that she’s sporting the Cut Steel Tiara with what is basically a hot pink caftan.
Princess Birgitta (in the trousers) and Princess Margaretha
And Princess Birgitta REALLY doesn’t care that she’s not, in fact, headed to a beach soirée around her Mallorca home. She’s gonna wear her palazzo pants with a fur tossed on top as the only concession to her northern location, and she doesn't care what you think! I mean, this is basically a jumpsuit with the Baden Fringe Tiara. Don’t you have to love it, just a little bit, at least?? Come on. The absurdity, it’s delicious.

Coming up later: the international guests. Until then…

Who was your best dressed Swedish royal family member?

Photos: via Getty Images and SVT video, Mattias Edwall/Kungahuset.se

Royal Pre-Wedding Flashback of the Day: June 12

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The festivities for Prince Carl Philip and Sofia's wedding start today (Friday), with a pre-wedding dinner this evening. We'll be back later for that. Until then, shall we revisit one of the most epic royal pre-wedding looks of all time?

On the night before Crown Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling's wedding, the Swedish royal family and their guests attended a dinner and concert. Victoria's look for the evening is one of my all-time favorite royal looks, because it's just the most...everything. Everything here is the MOST (and also, the BEST).


The most couture of couture dresses, a true example of the craft both in terms of workmanship (all that embellishment!) and in customization (an Elie Saab classic, similar to looks from the Spring 2010 Couture runway, but made bespoke for Victoria).

The most elaborate earrings, an impressive set created from a pair of diamond epaulettes (ornamental shoulder pieces often used on a military uniform) and worn for the first time at this event.

The most fabulous use of the family's heirloom diamond arrow brooch. Cupid's arrow, indeed!

The most dashing train attendant of all time. Who needs a lady-in-waiting when you have a husband-in-waiting, amirite?

Oh and also: the most adorableness. Whatever you do, don't forget the awwwwwww...
It's kinda rare to have pre-wedding events with as much fanfare as Victoria and Daniel did (she is the crown princess, after all; her siblings did/will have private dinners instead), thus making this level of MOSTness appropriate. But that's okay. This one deserves to be unique.

Programming Note: Today's a multiple post day, oh la la! Scroll down for a second outfit post (if you dare) and as I said at the top, we'll also be back later to chat about this evening's pre-wedding dinner in Sweden.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated / Style.com

Royal State Visit and Tiara Watch of the Week: June 2

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I like to imagine the Swedish royal family limbering up their bobby pins and stretching in their high heels with one last tiara event before the big wedding, courtesy of the incoming state visit from the President of India. It's important to warm up for your athletic events.

But first: The President arrived in Sweden on Sunday and was greeted by the King and Queen, Crown Princess and Prince Daniel, and Prince Carl Philip with Sofia Hellqvist (making her state visit debut).
Big hat alert! Victoria looks so great with a big brim, and I'm so glad to be free of forehead-bolters for the day, I'm gonna forget everything else.
Kungahuset.se
If you were in the mood for a smaller hat, Queen Silvia's got you covered with one of her standard monochromatic ensembles. And if you were in the mood for a Mette-Marit-style state visit ensemble (you know, a plain outfit plus a not-a-hat ornament), well, Sofia's your girl. Her little pouf of a head decoration can't even be seen from the front.

~*Hit Pause On Your State Visit Musings*~
Day 2 for Victoria started out not in state visit mode but in crown princely BFF mode, welcoming next door neighbors Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit for the EAT Stockholm Food Forum. Happy summery prints abound!
Mette-Marit's dress from Isolda (with a stylized chili print!), Victoria's from Oscar de la Renta
The only thing about this that bums me out is the sad little angular blazer Mette-Marit threw on top of this floaty feminine dress. Awkward dress to pick if you want to cover it up, and an awkward clash of styles.
~*And Now Let The State Visit Musings Continue*~

Kungahuset.se
Joining up with the state visit group, Victoria threw a structured white jacket into the mix, and I think I like it even more than the cardigan. This Oscar de la Renta dress on Victoria and that white outfit from Sunday's post are giving me a renewed verve for her day style, and I hope it starts a streak.

At the end of day 2 came the tiaras.
Sofia floated in to her first state banquet on a cloud of black embellishment and ruffles (talk about taking a cue from Mette-Marit) and though she showed she's ready for more with her big emerald and diamond earrings from Ebba Brahe Jewellery, there were to be no gems from the family vault for the soon-to-be princess. Not just yet.

The tiara squad featured Silvia in her predictable Pronger and Victoria repeating her green sequined Elie Saab from the Nobel ceremony in 2012, with the Cut Steel Tiara. The golden tones of the Cut Steel plus the glittering green Vegas Kermit gown is not a combination of which I am fond, friends.
Kungahuset.se
UNLESS...unless we're not warming up for the wedding but are rather getting a few things out of our system before the big day, making way for something more interesting come June 13th. If that's the case, then carry on, Swedes, carry on.
Royal Flashback of the Day: May 25

Royal Flashback of the Day: May 25

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Take a tiara break on your holiday Monday (or your regular Monday - tiara breaks are always advisable) and stroll with me through a flashback from some Scandinavian weddings past as we get ready for the next one. It's Grand Duchess Maria Teresa's turn, and we have three of the crown princely (and princessly) weddings to which she's brought her Luxembourg charm:

Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, 2001
Three cheers for long evening coats! Enough cheering to drown out the bedazzled buttons and wide belt on the dress underneath! I like pink paired with the red Order of St. Olav, and are you seeing the size of the stones she's wearing? The necklace and the earrings are heavenly. (She's also sporting a tiara we have not covered here, a Chaumet diamond number which is also convertible to a choker and is topped here by pearls.)
Pre-Wedding Gala for Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson, 2004
Floaty and flowery and froofy, oh my! (Same Chaumet tiara here, by the way.)

Wedding of Frederik and Mary
We're in the early days of Maria Teresa's love affair with Elie Saab, and this one looks like she's tattooed herself in sparkling pastels. (Which, if you're going for the full body tattoo, is definitely the way to go.)

Wedding of Frederik and Mary
But it does make a perfect pairing with the light blue of the Order of the Elephant and the Luxembourg Aquamarine Bandeau Tiara and earrings. And you can never go wrong with one of the family's gorgeous diamond rose brooches.

Pre-Wedding Dinner for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling, 2010
Did she get tired of carrying her shawl, or did she give up on finding a dress and just toss a bolt of chiffon over her shoulder? Unclear. The only saving grace here are those aquamarines, back in action for another royal wedding.

Wedding of Victoria and Daniel
Hang on, there's one more saving grace: THIS WHOLE THING RIGHT HERE. She saved up allllll her good stuff for the wedding itself. The draping on this Elie Saab is perfection, and I love the way the Order of the Seraphim sash is tucked into it all. And props must, must, be given for breaking out her biggest big gun in the form of the massive Luxembourg Empire Tiara. Even if you don't care for the selection (say what??), give her the nod for volunteering to wear this beast for one very long day. That's dedication to the sparkly cause.

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated

Royal Fashion Awards: Queen Margrethe's Fredensborg Birthday Dinner

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The last event of Queen Margrethe's birthday fiesta was a dinner at Fredensborg Palace, not to be confused with the dinner at Christiansborg Palace last night. Did you think we were going to repeat our palaces in the same birthday celebration? Don't be ridiculous.

I had hope that this evening's black tie dinner would be a tiara event. (A similar dinner back in 2010 was with tiaras, for example.) That hope, however, was dashed. SO CRUELLY DASHED. My faith in Margrethe's capacity for sartorial splendor has been shaken to its very core! How will we ever recover from this travesty??

Alright, I'm over it. Let's work with what we've got:

Most Side Eye in Accessories
Queen Margrethe
Sorry, birthday girl, but I'm giving you the side eye real hard here. The accessorizing, specifically - it was a great dress when she wore it to the Dutch state visit, and it still is now. But it's got cool and muted tones, and that turquoise and gold set is all kinds of bright and warm, and the contrast is making me cringe. (The necklace was a birthday gift from Prince Henrik, a new addition to her modern turquoise set which includes pieces he gave her for previous birthdays. Which is fantastic - and the necklace is the best piece of the set! - but still not at its best with this dress.) She also snuck a piece of the Floral Aigrette Tiara in her hair. Ordinarily I'd be all over that, but instead, I'm just wondering why she didn't just make the dinner a tiara thing and let the other ladies play too. It's possible I'm not entirely over it.


Most Likely Best
Crown Princess Mary
Even my faith in Mary's ability to pull off a great outfit is shaken. I think I like this one...I might even like the center part low ponytail. Hmm. I reserve the right to change my judgement.


Most Overshadowed
Princess Marie
Here's Marie again, looking fine again. But I'm not looking at her, I'm looking at Hef over there.


Most...Floatiest
Princess Benedikte
Just go with it, okay? Floaty is the only word I've got for this dress, and you wouldn't have been able to stop me from swooping around with my wings fluttering behind me right in the middle of dinner. That's why she's the princess and I am NOT. (One of the many reasons...)


Most Confusing
Queen Anne-Marie
I thought this was the same dress she wore to yesterday's dinner. But it's not. It's very slightly different. Used up those Best in Usual titles a little too soon, I guess.


Most on the Mend
Queen Silvia
I think the latest addition to our ongoing saga of Silvia and her attempts to stylishly heal her shoulder is a scarf cover for whatever device she's chosen this time. I don't know. Sil, you're adorable.

Most Typical
Crown Princess Mette-Marit
I originally posted this as Most Mysterious, because M-M sure did a good job evading the television camera. But sure enough, it's just another typical Mette-Marit flower power frock by Giambattista Valli.


Most Welcome Relief
Crown Princess Victoria
If we can't have tiaras, at least we have Elie Saab. (Her sister's Elie Saab, to be precise.) And on that sigh of relief...

...we're done! Do scroll through and make sure you haven't missed any of the events. We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming on Sunday.

Who was your best dressed at the Fredensborg dinner?

Photos:via Getty Images as indicated, DR1 video, Elie Saab
Celebrity Style Swap of the Day: February 10

Celebrity Style Swap of the Day: February 10

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Some of you noticed something a little familiar on the red carpet at the GRAMMY Awards this weekend. Here's Taylor Swift...
Wearing Elie Saab and magenta shoes.

And here's our very own Duchess of Cambridge, in one of the outfits last year that most divided you all...
Wearing Jenny Packham and pastel pink L.K. Bennett shoes.

One mini/maxi skirt combo and a pair of accent shoes does not a solid connection make, in my opinion, but I'm up for the reaching challenge. And who wins the eternal Who wore it best? game? If you're going to do this skirt thing, you might as well do it at the Grammys and you might as well do it big time with the high contrast between the two skirt levels, so I'd call Taylor for the win there. On the other hand, Kate wins the shoe competition, if only for her significantly less chunky straps. Nobody's completely selling me on the overskirt as a fashion statement, but maybe if we mashed them up, we could get somewhere. Et toi?

Photos: Via Getty Images as indicated

Potential Royal Couture of the Day: January 30

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It's Couture Week in Paris, where the Spring 2015 Haute Couture shows have been laying on the luxury. A quick rundown of some royal favorites today, and an opportunity to gaze at some pretty and pick your wish list for sightings on the royal runway. Click the designer names to see the whole collection.

Always the royal favorite, we're sure to see some of this on display at some point. This collection starts with Russian-inspired patterns which remind me of Crown Princess Mette-Marit's ability to take any folk art-type thing and give it a Scandinavian flair, and ends with some gowns that take the romance a bit too far by indulging in actual words flying across the fabric (something which always and forever feels gimmicky to me). The romantic angle does get me wondering if we'll see any more Valentino couture royal wedding gowns in 2015, though. Finally, we must note that there's plenty here that would make Sheikha Mozah happy, and there ought to be since the Qatari royal family owns the company.

I'm not sure midriffs and millinery have ever coexisted anywhere as much as they do in this season's Chanel show, but I am now officially eager to see what Princess Caroline and crew make of their next hat-wearing occasion.

I know some of you like to use the dependability of Elie Saab as a mark against his collections, but that's why I love them - always, without fail, pretty. We have some larger scale patterns this season, which are a nice break from the smaller scale and overall embellishment we've seen in past couture shows. There are some major gowns on display, gowns that make me wish the next Nobel Prize ceremony was next month instead of next December so Crown Princess Victoria could bring the label back up on stage. But a more likely appearance for these gems will be on the Luxembourg ladies, so let's get some gala occasions for them ASAP.

A few more fashion houses we might just see on the royal parade:
  • Giambattista Valli's got the florals that make Mette-Marit's knees go weak.
  • Ulyana Sergeenko has outfitted Sheikha Mozah in the past.
  • Ditto for Ralph & Russo. I'd like to see the Duchess of Cambridge try out this UK-based label, but this collection doesn't feel much like her.
  • Can't say I'm a big fan of the latest from Christian Dior, but most of what we see on the royal ladies (mainly Princess Charlene and Queen Mathilde, thanks to Dior's Belgian designer) is bespoke anyway.
And more! Indulge in the pretty on your Friday.

Photos: Style.com

Tiara Watch of the Day: November 4

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There will come a day when Tiara Season is over. Thanks be to the Tiara Gods, today is not that day! Legit jumpy claps when I saw this pop up on the twitters:
Luxembourg busted out their tiaras to host a state visit from Germany! Excellent. But believe it or not, the dresses are winning most of my affection here. (Actually, it's totally believable, isn't it. Those tiaras - the Topaz/Citrine and Pearl Tiara for the Grand Duchess and an amethyst bandeau for the Hereditary Grand Duchess - are present but aren't exactly scene stealers.)
For Stéphanie, a purple lace Diane von Furstenberg gown (per Luxarazzi, which also offers more info on this state visit) with accompanying bonus points for anything purple. For Maria Teresa, a mix-and-match bespoke look from Elie Saab Fall 2012 Couture. The gowns that spawned the one MT wears are among my favorites from his recent couture collections, and I'm feeling very exclamation pointy about seeing the look come to life. Exclamation point!

Photos: MyTheresa, Style.com

Style Speculation of the Day: October 3, Plus a Programming Note

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The Spring 2015 Ready-to-Wear fashion shows are wrapping up in Paris, and prior to that in New York, London, and Milan. Will we see any of these fresh looks on our royal favorites? Time to make your wish list! Just a few from some royal favorites... (Click the designer names below to see the whole collection.)

This collection includes a few psychedelic turns on Crown Princess Mette-Marit's favorite prairie girl dresses. So...watch out for that. Valentino fans are all over the royal sphere, so we're bound to see some of this at one point or another.

Not my favorite Elie Saab collection, but the abundance of options that are not overly embellished (which is a hallmark of his couture stuff, and less so of his RTW collections) should make some of you happy. Keep an eye out for the ladies of Luxembourg and Sweden.

Jenny Packham's not about to let that fern pattern she used for the Duchess of Cambridge go to waste, no sir! Potentials here for the aforementioned Duchess, and maybe for Crown Princess Victoria.

More:
  • Pinstripe formal shorts and rainbow boots at Chanel. So that's what we'll be seeing in Monaco, then.
  • Akris is trying to make visors happen, heaven help us. Charlene, resist the pull. (It's an otherwise boring collection, in my opinion.)
  • A lotta fringe business happening at Giambattista Valli. Right up Mette-Marit's alley, and she has worn this designer before.
  • By the time we see Alexander McQueen on the Duchess of Cambridge, it's pretty far removed from anything shown on the runway. I did like the collection, though, and it's hard not to see those higher waists and be tempted to translate it to maternity gear.
  • Prada's collection is going to increase the coat section of Crown Princess Mary's closet.
  • Kind of a plain collection from Emilia Wickstead. Reason to hope the Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex keep up the bespoke stuff.
  • Princess Madeleine's been spending time with Zac Posen (per his Instagram). The man does know how to do a serious ballgown, perfect for the Nobel time of year...

Programming note: Stop back on Sunday for a new post! Same time, same place.

    Photos: Style.com

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