It’s time for a fashion throw down!  Today’s contestants are from the Paris Autumn 2009 Couture Fashion Show.  In the red corner, are the haute and artistic designers that pushed the envelope to bring their visions of wearable art to the stage.  In the blue corner are the designers that played it safe and pretty.  Are you ready?  Let’s begin.

First up is Alexis Mabille vs Christian Dior.  Mabille floats down the runway in a spring-themed, airy, romantic collection.  The clothes are loose and flirty, the hair is natural, and the makeup minimal.  The collection appears to be designed for the young ingénue with each piece being unabashedly light and pretty.  Christian Dior also went for a theme of pretty, but does it in a strong, bold, colorful collection that draws inspiration from two memorable fashion eras, the silhouettes of the 30s with the colors and fabrics of the 80s.  Dior mixes rampant sexuality by using corsets and stockings as outerwear with extreme feminine details (pouting red lips, cinched waists, draping).  Mabille’s collection is pretty, but belongs in the ready-to-wear spring/summer show. Dior’s collection showcases pretty in the way a couture show is meant to be.  The verdict is in and it’s unanimous for Dior. 

In our second bout of the evening, fashion powerhouse and fan favorite Chanel faces off against edgy and daring Christian Lacroix.  Chanel keeps it classic, never straying far from the tailored suits and elegant styling that makes them such a dominant fashion force.  However, they add a decisively couture element by playing with proportions.  The skirts are chopped, extended, or asymmetrical.  The tops are a just a little boxy and the materials are stiff and unnatural.  Yet, it all comes together in the classic, timeless, beautiful way that only Chanel can conjure.  Christian Lacroix counters by wrapping his model’s hair in black scarves, painting their faces like mannequins, and overhauling the idea of classic.  The material moves and breathes and the clothing whispers hints of Russia and Romania.  Chanel does the impossible by making classic modern while Lacroix spans the globe to show us that classic is not limited to one locale.  Excellent maneuvers by both players!  This bout ends in a draw. 

In our final showdown, Elie Sabb’s winter wonderland collection takes on dark and moody Giorgio Armani.  Sabb scores big points for originality with an entirely white collection, then drives a devastating blow by showing white in all of it’s glorious forms.  Long, short, tight, loose, embellished, minimal – is there anywhere this designer won’t go?  For a single collection, the styles are varied, but the white theme pulls it all together.  Armani hits back hard with a dark, brooding collection that positively reeks of luxury, class and style.  Even the casual pieces have a “ladies who lunch” vibe.  This collection is strong in a beautifully subtle way.  Sabb’s white ice princesses vs Armani’s dark and powerful queens ends in a split decision with Sabb taking the win.  Both collections are outstanding, but Sabb’s is more memorable.

Well, it’s been an exciting night down here at Fashion Throw Down Central.  Let’s hear a big round of applause for all of our contestants.  It takes nerves of steel and an unimaginable amount of creativity to visualize, conceptualize, create, and show a couture collection.  That makes all of you winners in my eyes.  The night is over, the runway has been dismantled and the models have gone home.  See you next season; we are all looking forward to another great couture show.