March 9th Today, I am...

...this gorgeous Valentino dress!

I'm Le Gardin d'Eden dress, "a zirconium-colored tulle dress, embroidered in silk threads, with a scene of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden inspired by the painting "Adam and Eve" by Lucas Cranach in 1526, taking 2,200 hours to hand embroider"  from Valentino spring 2014 couture collection. The whole fashion show was inspired by opera - fifty-five looks for fifty-five operas. The designers, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli went for a different approach this time, the show opened with a nod to Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata. Chiuri explained, "we wanted to describe the character of each [opera's] protagonist in a primordial way." The connections were sometimes tenuous, but that didn't detract from the austere beauty of simply draped silk marocain dresses in earthy shades of sienna, green, and mahogany. "The surprise was all the animals—a veritable menagerie of them, or as the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns would've had it, a carnaval des animaux. A swan, a snake, and a peacock made from feathers that wrapped around the waistline of ballerina tutus…lions and elephants on a double-face cashmere dress and a coat (not embroidered, mind you, but built into the fabric of the garments, like a puzzle)…even a gorilla and its baby were spotted tucked amid the leather floral appliqués of an organza cape."
(from Style.com)

other Valentino S/S14 couture collection dresses:

interesting Valentino facts:

* his first job was with couturier Jean Desses in 1950 – he was just 18 years old
* Valentino launched his first collection and salon in Rome in 1960; he was famous for his full-length skirts, which stood out from the minis that were popular at the time
* a serious dog lover, Valentino owns six pugs: Milton, Monty, Maude, Margot, Maggie, and Molly
* he designed the dress that Jackie Kennedy wore to marry Aristotle Onassis
* he made a cameo appearance in The Devil Wears Prada, alongside Meryl Streep who played fictional American Vogue editor Miranda Priestly

(facts found at College Fashion and  Vogue)

February 27th Today, I am...

...this incredibly gorgeous corset!

My name is "The Crown Princess", a "richly embroided couture outfit, consisting of an underbust corset panty, a matching neck corset and strapless bra." You can find and purchase me at Royalblack. "The corset pieces are made from sheer strong mesh and are elaborately decorated with synthetic leather cutwork, silver beads and Swarovski crystals." All the corsets are handmade in Vienna by a designer and master tailoress, Barbara Pesendorfer. What makes them so special, are the "perfect fit, exquisite fabrics and workmanship at highest stage meet sensual classiness, aesthetic extravagance and timeless silhouettes." You can find all sorts of different collections, such as Glorious Empire, Royal Black Reloaded collection, Enchanted Garden, Festival collection and Various Couture Designs.

other Royal Black corsets:

interesting corset facts:

* corsets were once a symbol of status; he higher the class of the lady, the heavier the corset and the more confining (this was because a lady of wealth did not need freedom of movement for household chores)
* even girls as young as three wore laced-up corsets in the 1830; it was believed that the corset would hold up a fragile body
* the Guinness Book of Records includes a “smallest waist on a living person” category of 14 and 15 inches
* medical conditions including spinal curving and internal injuries can be helped using a fitted form of corset to immobilise and protect the body; one famous medical corset wearer was Andy Warhol
* women were thought of as the weaker sex, therefore their minds and bodies were weak, so the corset was deemed morally and medically necessary

(facts found at the Corset Memoirs and Victoria's Past)