Elsa Schiaparelli Capsule Collection by Christian Lacroix

                 Elsa Schiaparelli was Coco Chanel's quirky couture sister. Everything from her High Heel hats to her Salvador Dali collaborated lobster dresses was an experiment in what couture could be. The Schiaparelli house closed in the 70's, but the house still holds onto it's legacy. This capsule collection was a wonderful homage to Elsa's designs and talent. Some pieces were better than others, some not my taste at all. But compared with some current collections no longer designed by their original owner, this is one of the best.
               Look 2 was my least favorite. The fur did not go with the jacket and pink skirt-thingy. Too mismatched. Number 3 had a beautifully ornate red satin top, with delicate black embroidery. Styles like these can sometimes come off too Baroque, or just look like a lame copy of Dolce and Gabbana. But the small fitted way the top fit was very flattering. The black pants and their similarity to Bieber attire was a bit much. Look 4 was pretty bland, with a clear inspiration from Gucci and Alexander McQueen at Givenchy.
               Number 5 was just a filler outfit. A black dress with huge shoulders and green sleeves (i almost wrote ''lack'' instead of black, which probably would have made more sense). The brown jacket with i'm-not-sure-what applique was very beautiful, and very surrealist Schiaparelli.
               Number nine in particular was horrendous. It was just a black sheet with a green tie in front. The remotest resemblance to a skirt was simply not there. If you ever need a definition for bad design or filler, here is exhibit A. With look 10, I became a bit more positive. A purple jacket (finally some actual clothes!) with black embroidery on the hips and shoulders was very pretty. Look 11 was my favorite. A sleek pantsuit inspired (obviously) by Dior with a pink satin sash and pointy top was the perfect Schiaparelli mix of edgy and elegant. The polka dots gave it its own flair. Number sixteen was a wide dark blue cape. A bit boring.
              Other looks in this collection were either filler or an odd imitation of Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Raf Simons for Dior, or of course the famous house of Boring. YET AGAIN, some delightful stand out pieces, but no cigar.