The ’70s inspired collection included an awful lot of beige, which felt a little overwhelming after having seen the color in practically every other collection this week. Hannah MacGibbon did kind of usher in the color as a trend, though, (along with the current obsession for 70s silhouettes) so it would only make sense that she would own it now. She began the show with a series of polished, yet easy office-perfect pieces that had a decidedly soft feminine touch: A pretty satin blouse with tailored wide-leg trousers, for instance, or a simple, chic, A-line dress with a v-neck. From there, she segued into more casual wear with a harder edge including a leather crewneck long sleeve shirt with matching trousers and a series of retro, slightly western pieces with fringe at the seams. But her many camel and oatmeal colored pieces were the true standouts of the show. Expect to see a ton of knockoffs at Zara come next autumn.

-by Tamu McPherson, All the Pretty Birds

This has been a good morning for Karl Lagerfeld, who not only staged a spectacular show, but got word that the French government will be decorating him as Commander of the Legion of Honor as well.

I feel like this blog has been looking like one big, beige blur lately. That’s mostly because the color is everywhere, on and off the runway. It’s interesting to see how many designers are also showing beige, which was famously one of Coco Chanel’s favorite colors (for all you fashion trivia geeks out there), with red. Note the similar beige coat and red glove pairings at Givenchy and Costume National.

It was frigid inside Paris’s Grand Palais and the temperature ended up being prophetic. Stefano Pilati’s clothes were as cold as the massive, historic venue. The collection of black, white and charcoal separates and dresses were very austere with some going as far as to bring to mind a Catholic nun’s habit. Many of the looks were centered around flyaway capes, some of which were plastic worn over sharply tailored blazers. And the tailoring was incredibly precise. The creases and lines on one particularly stiff pair of wide-leg trousers were so sharp, one could have gotten a paper cut on them. But beneath all of that austerity was a hint of naughtiness as well; some of those prim, covered up dresses were transparent, revealing nude bodies underneath.

While this year’s Academy Awards was a night of historic moments — who knew that it would take 82 years for a woman to win best director? — the red carpet looks were not all that groundbreaking. There was no swan dress a la Björk to push the envelope and entertain us. Overall, it felt like everyone played it relatively safe and pretty. We look at the bright spots (and dull ones.)

Jennifer Lopez

Why it worked: Her Giorgio Armani Privé gown looks like the perfect extension of her; the ruffled number is dramatic and (although you can’t necessarily tell in this photograph) accentuates all those curves she’s famous for.



Mariah Carey

Why it’s all wrong: Don’t blame the Valentino Haute Couture dress. Something is off in the undergarment department. It looks like her cleavage is trying to eat her chin.



Cameron Diaz

Why it worked: You can always rely on Diaz for a good red carpet look, but she rarely takes the full-on blonde bombshell route. She should do it more often. The crimson lipstick and gold paillette-embellished Oscar de la Renta dress looks fun and glamorous.



Demi Moore

Why it worked: What gym is she going to and wear can we find it? On anyone else, this Atelier Versace gown would look…eh, frilly and boring. But on Moore’s body it looks pretty spectacular, like molten gold, only blush-colored.



Maggie Gyllenhaal

Why it worked: Gyllenhaal always breaks out the interesting red carpet choices. Dries Van Noten made this graphic print gown specifically for Gyllenhaal for Oscar night. It fits her perfectly. Plus, it was nice to see some color among all those pale dresses.



Amanda Seyfried

Why it’s all wrong: She’s a beautiful girl, but the pale color of this Giorgio Armani Privé gown washes her out and makes her look ghostly.



Zoe Saldana

Why it worked: Even though she’s wearing a very serious fashion label, Givenchy Haute Couture, the dress looks light and fun with its varying textures and shades of purple.



Charlize Theron

Why it’s all wrong: Because it looks like her Dior haute couture gown is attacking her bosom. The two-tone satin also looks dated.

This was my favorite show finale of the week, models smiling, giving each other high fives, and bouncing around all carefree-like to Nirvana in pretty marabou dresses and coats. It was just a fun, sweet breather between all of this serious Parisian fashion. The show also felt like a formal changing the guard from Sonia Rykiel, who sat front row for the first time, to her daughter Nathalie who now designs all of the house’s lines.