Josep Font may not be the household name here in America that, say, Valentino is. But when I saw the look below, I knew I had to bring his haute couture collection to you.

The small, somewhat surreal collection was a bit of a mixed bag, with creativly whimiscal designs like the first few in our gallery featuring cute frothy touches and sweet silhouettes. Then there are what can only be described as the Marie Antoinette brides. Both Marie Antoinette and brides have been done better in couture collections by better known designers far too recently to attempt this aesthetic and not nail it.

I might not have loved everything that walked down Font’s runway, I’m definitely going to be keeping an eye on him in the future.

Click the image below to start the gallery. [Images courtesy of Coutorture]

Catwalk Queen‘s Gemma Cartwright writes…

Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture collection could have been a rehashing of one of his shows from almost twenty years ago.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The designer was arguably at the height of his career when Madonna wore his cone bra corset for her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour, and this collection paid homage to that era, with corseted pieces and lots of wide shoulders with nipped in waists. It was an almost exclusively greyscale palette, but that added to the drama. Think curly calligraphy on swathes of chiffon and organza, textured dresses with stiff skirts, and high-waisted matador trousers with braces…

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SHOW GALLERY [images: Coutorture]

Catwalk Queen‘s Gemma Cartwright writes…

Following the rather awkward departure of Alessandra Facchinetti from Valentino only two seasons after Valentino Garavani’s retirement, new design team Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli had a lot to prove with their first couture show.

And prove it they did, sticking closely to the heritage of the label (probably aware that going against this was Facchinetti’s downfall). This wasn’t a particularly show-stopping collection, but it was safe, chic and beautiful. The trademark Valentino red was flanked by white, cream, chocolate and teal, plenty of that in satin, cut creatively or trimmed with feathers and jewels. Eschewing the shoulder-lead silhouette of other couture shows, this was more about the single-breasted coat, hitting the knee either in a swing shape or fastened at a high empire waist. Evening gowns were minimal without being boring, simple without being staid. Overall, a good debut, but we’ll be expecting more wow factor next time…

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SHOW GALLERY [all images courtesy of Coutorture]

Catwalk Queen‘s Gemma Cartwright writes…

Riccardo Tisci’s modern, conceptual vision for Givenchy is a million miles from what Hubert de Givenchy may have created in the fifites, but at the heart of his couture collection, there’s the same attention to detail, quality of cut and shape and love of the female form. Tisci’s trademarks were all there: grown up gothic touches on black gowns, space-age shoulders on suits and dresses, swirled seams and elegant drapes on everything else. But the collection was softer than what we saw from him in his most recent Ready to wear show. The colour palette was washed-out and pastel, punctuated only by yellow, black and a lilac-on-black floral print. Most exciting were the shorter dresses with one-shoulder capes, puffy chiffon trims and textured fabric mixes. Meanwhile, a black long-sleeved gown with a deep V and wide embellished shoulders is crying out for an Oscar night debut…

Be sure to check out who was in the front row, too!

Dita Von Teese and Mischa Barton celebrate Elie Saab’s Spring 2009 Haute Couture collection with the designer. You can read about the confectionary collection at the link above. While we find Von Teese’s hair and makeup a bit harsh, her black ensemble is perfection. Mischa Barton’s short, one-sleeved gown and over-the-shoulder hairstyle looked most glamorous while seated on the runway, as you can see after the jump.

There were definitely some not-so-hot shots of a bedraggled looking Barton, but here her sequined frock is shown off to its best advantage, even if her posture is not. Kayne West is of course wearing his own shoes for Louis Vuitton.

Check out Keira Knightley at the Chanel Couture show here.

[Images: Rex Features]

From Catwalk Queen’s Kimberley Foster…

If you ask Karl Lagerfeld, white is definitely the new black. His couture catwalk for Chanel was awash with a whiter shade of pale yesterday, as couturiers battle to keep this art form alive. Wool skirts atop with box jackets gave the Chanel skirt suit a new identity, while oversized origami headdresses provided the necessary OTT (Over The Top) element. Inspired by the blank page, Lagerfeld’s delicately cut designs often flashed with black in beads on bolero jackets and shiny waist belts.

[Photos by Francois Guillot/Getty Images via Coutorture]

Giorgio Armani’s couture woman this season is dark and regal, dressed in black, red, purple and chartreuse with a hint of metallic. Her shoulders are big, her waist defined, and her fabrics risky – think leather and lace with heavy silk thrown in for good measure. The silhouette is reminiscent of the 80s doing the 40s. It’s sharp and sleek, with most skirts hitting just below the knee and jackets fastening tightly at the natural waist. Evening gowns, as usual, are showstoppers, from a red one-shouldered number to plenty of opulent lace-trimmed black numbers that’ll give Oscar attendees plenty to choose from.

[Via Catwalk Queen]