Judging the Judges: Monique Lhuillier Fall 2008 Collection

Monday, March 31, 2008 by
Season 4 judge Monique Lhuillier showed her Fall 2008 collection last month and Style.com was there:

"Lhuillier doesn't do excess. Everything must be just right. Therefore, heavy embellishment—richly embroidered velvet and all-over cabochon-jeweled embroidery—came in clean silhouettes. Alternatively, the exaggerated ruffle on a gold cocktail dress meant no embellishment."

"A flapper, one with a smoldering, smoky look, served as the inspiration for Monique Lhuillier's fall collection. The clothes she wore this time around weren't an exact copy of the styles of the 1920s but they had the right spirit: fun and sexy."

As for us, we like, not love. It's a very basic and basically pretty collection of mostly red carpet-ready, drapey-draped gowns and dresses rendered in rich fall colors with the occasional interesting embellishment. We don't really like the bedazzled bits. We didn't like them when they were the hot thing and we like them even less now that they're about a season behind us. She played a bit with silhouettes and we like the gathered skirts, the lumpy (faux?) fur coat and the tweed jacket and coat with the (faux?) fur trim. It's not reinventing the wheel and it's mostly the kind of fashion that bores us generally, but it's pretty and wearable.

What do our bitches think?

























[Photos: WireImage/Getty Images - Slideshow: Project RunGay]

64 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love!!

Anonymous said...

what's with those awful colors?

it looks like monique might have gotten some help from sweet p or rami in the color department...

other than that, pretty

Gorgeous Things said...

Left column third look down is pretty, but it really reminds me of a Chanel dress that was depicted on the cover of the Metropolitan Museum's catalog of the Chanel exhibit.

Right column, 7th down looks like a Laura Bennet original.

The gowns with the big poufs at the hip/thigh area? They make the models look fat. I hate to think of what they do to a real woman.

I like many the looks, but like you, I'm not in love with any of them.

Gorgeous Things said...

Sorry - Laura Bennett (2 t's). Spell much? :-/

Brooklyn Bomber said...

Love the color of the first dress. But. . .

"Lhuillier doesn't do excess."

Huh? Feathers, jewels/beading, fur (faux?), flounces, poufs, etc. . .

FashionFanatic said...

I love the hair and the makeup, the clothes are pretty, kind of done already, but certainly red-carpet/celebrity material.

Anonymous said...

I love it! Gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Very very pretty, some are gorgeous and glam, but I agree--not too exciting

EXCEPT

I love the second look -- which I find hard to describe -- yellow dress with floating circles popping out?

I LOVE THAT! Why isn't anything else similar?

Vanessa

Anonymous said...

I take it back-- I also love # 12--the coat you also liked.

v.

Anonymous said...

eye makeup. not working for me at all.

Anonymous said...

I love the three green/chartreuse dresses that remind me of peacocks with the feathers/circles/blue accents. I really like those.
I HATE the dresses gathered at the knee. I'm staring at the dress thinking, ok she's totally going to trip. Even if it has tons of movement, I can't take my eyes off her knees, not where you want the focal point to be.

Anonymous said...

Love love love the last dress with the feathers. I want it, damn it!!!

Anonymous said...

Eeeekk! Those dead looking models scared me!

Sewing Siren said...

I love them! Especially the 2nd one down on the left, the third one down on the left, and the black one with the short feather skirt. And if I can't have the dresses, I at least want to go where they are going... please..

Sewing Siren said...

Anonymous said...

I HATE the dresses gathered at the knee. I'm staring at the dress thinking, ok she's totally going to trip. Even if it has tons of movement, I can't take my eyes off her knees, not where you want the focal point to be.


I'm not crazy about the satin one with the knee gather, but I love the tulle one. It looks like an
Edward Gory illustration.

Anonymous said...

I really like it, but I have learned from this site that my taste is not very fashion forward. I do wish she had done some more "casual" peices though.

the dogs' mother said...

ak! Attack of the Zombie Models!

Anonymous said...

P.S. the make on those girls looks like it was applied with a spackel knife. UGH!

Anonymous said...

I found the eye makeup so distracting that it took me a while to find the clothes.

I like a lot of them, but none of them grab me and say, "Don't you wish you were a size 0 zombie so you could wear this too?"

Interesting to see so many with the poofs around the hips and thighs while she also has numerous looks that are sleek and slim-looking.

Anonymous said...

seems like everyone is showing feathers this year

Anonymous said...

I have to say, that orangey satin in the first dress is an incredible color. Not crazy about the dress, but I love that color.

Casey said...

Some pretty pieces, but nothing I'm lusting after. Hate that mustardy color that keeps popping up in the Fall collections. On my olive skin it makes me look as though I have advanced malaria.

Anonymous said...

I guess the collection is okay, but nothing struck me as outstanding. I am curious about how she got the racoons to model her clothes. That eye treatment looks better on woodland creatures.

For those of you who want to replicate any of the glitzier stuff, I have the scoop from the official Bedazzler website: "Order Bedazzler for just $19.95 and get a Free Mini BeDazzler. Act now!"

That stuck-on jewels look- not so much.

Rosie's Girl

Anonymous said...

As usual, while you two may be occasionally witty, you clearly know nothing about fashion, and you have the taste level of a grandmother.

Anonymous said...

I like very much! Esp. the knee-gathered long gowns.

A mystery quality to the collection. Or, should I say Mystery -- Edward Gorey Edwardian Flapper in Monte Carlo vibe.

-- desertwind

Anonymous said...

PS -- Forgot to agree with Style.com that this is a very "fun & sexy" collection -- And that's been in short supply in the Fall 08 collections.

PPS -- Sweet P was really on-trend with her colors, wasn't she?

-- d'wind

Anonymous said...

Call me kookey, but I really do kind of like it. The colors are great, the styling is beautiful, and if I had the right kind of money, I'd consider them as evening gowns.

Anonymous said...

Vaguely representative of what Chris March seemed to be trying to go for....the dark flapper look? Except she used feathers instead of human hair.

Anonymous said...

I hate, hate, hate black tights and those clunky shoes with colored gowns. Too distracting.

J. Morgan said...

I actually quite like a lot of this collection - it's mostly flattering, and dare I say, wearable?

But dear Lord, did all the designers get together and watch Sweeney Todd before the runway show? Why are all the models styled like George Hearn? I guess we can all put away the cucumber slices, dark circles seem to be in this season...

PhantomMinuet said...

Bedazzlers to the left of them!
Bedazzlers to the right of them!
Into the Valley of Tacky rode the six hundred.


I hate the collar on the blue gown. It's awful.

I do like the black/white pieces with the fur.

I'm not crazy about the colors in this collection. They're a little too much like something that was left in the back of the refrigerator for too long.

mjude said...

hello chris march!

Thombeau said...

Ooh, I am liking these a lot!

Mom said...

Can't get past the "two black eyes" styling.

Anonymous said...

On the fug side, numbers 2, 5, 6 and 20.

On the pretty side, numbers 1, 9, 12, 13. Okay, I'm a sucker for a blue or red dress, shoot me. If the jewelling didn't look like a seventh grade arts and crafts project, I would like much better. The black/white tweedy things look rather yummy.

I suspect that I would really like a couple of things that are walking away from us in the pics and were not selected, like the one walking away in number 23 (bottom row left side) - long-sleeved embroidered velvet?

Enough with the knee-banded dresses, people!! Makes me think of Chinese women with bound feet and hobbled horses... okay, maybe overstating, but I'm having a hard day.

Anonymous said...

casey wrote:

"Hate that mustardy color that keeps popping up in the Fall collections. On my olive skin it makes me look as though I have advanced malaria."

I hear you, sister. I have a sallowy complexion and can't go near it. It's kind of frightening.

Anonymous said...

Half of it is to die for.

The other half must die. :C Boo!

Anonymous said...

i mostly love all the clothes. The demonic racoons modeling them are another story.

Anonymous said...

Casey and Another Laura - I can't wear that mustard color either. Rule of thumb: if people offer you one of their kidneys every time you wear mustard, curry or bittersweet, take it as a sign, and go invest in a nice jewel tone or some other color that doesn't make you look like the poster child for jaundice. (Sigh! Feedback can be a good, if painful, teacher.

Rosie's Girl
Wearing a black top with her "retired girl" blue jeans today

Joanie said...

It's pretty, but nothing truly exciting. As for the ebony fur Michelin Man look, eh. I'd rather wear Sissybear's hair clothes.

Gidget Bananas said...

Well, that collection is worthy of a resounding "Meh!"

I hate that shade of mustard yellow that's showing up in all the collections, too.

Milla said...

Neither like, nor dislike.
It's just not my cup of fashion tea...But it is well made and constructed.
A bit on the Carolina Herrera side of the spectrum, you know babies?
I am a Thomas Wylde/Henry Holland/Ohne Titel/ Gareth Pugh/Giles Deacon/ Claire Tough/ Westwood/ Moschino kind of girl.
This stuff is for women who act and look like good girls but who are calculating, social climbing biziches.
And I am a bad, rebel without a cause punk rocking political intellectual plus size force of nature but I am a sweetheart on the inside. Like a punk Belle Watcling with a 'fro Hawk.
Love,
Milla

Anonymous said...

"smokey eye" much? Couldn't even focus on the clothes because the eyes stuck out so much in the small pics.

Once I got past the black eyes everyone was sporting, there were a couple of pretty items. But nothing jumped out at me.

Anonymous said...

I usually agree with you guys, but I have to say that I do love several of those.

lisasabatier said...

The gold one with the jewels on it and the black belt -- love it, but I am afraid that might be the old bag in me, otherwise I don't like it, well except for the chartreuse with the blue whatever around the neckline, I kind of liked that one -- but the black coat looked like a sheared, ugly version of Christian's ruffly coat from the final collection.

Anonymous said...

Really despise those double-tiered balloon numbers. She has shown them before...hard to believe they were successful enough to include once again.

Not a fan of the excessive ornamentation either, although the red satin is visually stunning. Have a feeling with the added flash, she is going after the Marchesa crowd.

Anonymous said...

love the steel blue column (even with the bedazzling) and the emerald green one too!

liked the hair-- eye makeup not so much.

Anonymous said...

I like alot of it - I adore #16, the simple black skirt suit with the deep v-neck. Stunning, elegant, I want it! Also love #19, the olive satin gown, very pretty and different.

Anonymous said...

gorge!

Another Suburban Mom said...

I'm feeling meh. The colors are off, and the black gown with the poufs and ties makes the model look fat.

And once and for all desginers, walk away from the bedazzler. Unless you are Dolly Parton, bedazzling is bad.

Suzanne said...

Nothing memorable at all. Too bad- I LOVE her wedding dresses too....
BTW the hair and make up was HEINOUS.

Anonymous said...

Neither here nor there for me. Some I liked, some belonged hung on a drapery rod in my grandmother's parlor.
Hated the racoon inspired makeup and the hairstyles had absolutely no imagination. Did they use "spoolies"???
I give the collection a C.
----StkrShock

Lilithcat said...

Love #16! Bring back the sexy, chic evening suit, I say!

#17 would be better without the growth on the shoulder.

That red strapless gown is gorgeous, as is the little jeweled bolero, but not together.

Anonymous said...

STUNNING

Anonymous said...

scraping the bottom of the barrel for content now aren't you? I guess with the show over, you have time to put obscure designers clothing up.

Embeedubya said...

Design - oh, yes. Colors - eh. And I'm really tired of the black-eyes-like-a-punch-in-the-face make-up. Somebody rethink, please!

Lilithcat said...

anonymous 9:58 -

If you'd read the subject heading, "Judging the Judges", you'd know that the point is to discuss the collections of designers who were judges on "Project Runway".

Sorry you think they are "obscure". Please turn in your fashionista badge on your way out.

Anonymous said...

The fur industry must be howling for joy! The garments gain nothing from the animal pelts and bird feathers. Ick.

Anonymous said...

Just let me go on record as saying that I HATE, absolutely HATE that citron green color. It does not look good on anyone, and reminds me of baby poo.

Anonymous said...

It's very Cristian Siriano

LOL

Anonymous said...

It's probably real fur. Sorry, people, faux fur on a runway is wishful thinking.

They're kinda quirky, not in a good way.

Heidi said...

A couple of pretty things there, but lord the bedazzling is awful. So overdone it looked like it was bedazzled with gravel from my driveway.

lsaspacey said...

I can't believe it didn't remind you guys of Chris March's collection because that's the first thing that I thought of.

Not to say that I don't love a lot of the outfits in both, but just saying...

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