OBSESSED: V Magazine's backstage photos from fall 2011 couture

Hope these photos from Fall 2011 Couture get you excited for the upcoming NYFW shows, they are absolutely stunning!

Armani

LOVE: Lace Masks

I think this is the perfect trend for a costume party where you would rather look sexy and mysterious than wear a big mask on your face.  Sofia Coppola made use of them in "Marie Antoinette," and Karl Lagerfeld decked his models out with lace masks for the fall 2011 couture shows.  So what do you think, hot or not?

Jean Paul Gaultier Couture Beauty and Backstage

Fall 2011 Couture: Jean Paul Gaultier

Fall 2011 Couture Backstage and Beauty

Paris Couture Street Style (part two)

Fall 2011 Couture: Elie Saab

Elie Saab delivered a fairy tale couture collection full of red carpet dazzling gowns that I'm sure will be in demand and commonly seen come awards season.

Giambattista Valli Fall 2011 Couture: beauty and backstage photos

Fall 2011 Couture: Giambattista Valli

Paris Couture Street Style (part one)

Fall 2011 Couture: Azzedine Alaia

So some of you may know the talented designer Alaia as the man behind the infamous dress Cher Horowitz gets robbed in in Clueless... You know the scene:
Cher- "Oh no... you don't understand... this is an Alaia..."
Robber- "An a-what-a?"

All right now that I've got it out of my system here's the gorgeous return of Azzedine Alaia to the couture runway and yes, he makes more than body con red dresses.  In fact, his dresses are gorgeous with velvet and fur details.  Enjoy!

Valentino Fall 2011 Couture Beauty and Backstage

Fall 2011 Couture: Valentino

Leave it to Valentino to lift the level of beauty at Paris's couture fashion week.  I adore the gold ethereal headbands the models are wearing, and I can see celebrities like Diane Kruger, Elle Fanning, Anne Hathaway and Claire Danes strolling proudly down the red carpet in some of these gorgeous dresses.  I predict come awards season there's going to be some fierce competition if they haven't been snagged already. 

Front row at Chanel Haute Couture Fall 2011

Fall 2011 Couture: Chanel

Although Chanel focused a lot on the iconic tweed suit for it's couture collection and continues to put their models in those darn knee-high boots, there were moments of glory in the collection that came in the form of the lace masks, shoes that light up, and the collared dresses with flowers and feathers.  I also enjoyed the shapes Lagerfeld played with in the tweed suits, I just sometimes feel like it's a little redundant to constantly start the collection off with suits.

Fall Couture 2011: Armani Prive beauty and backstage

Fall 2011 Couture: Givenchy

The last two days of the couture shows brought me the glamour I've been looking for.  Not only did Givenchy deliver this stunning collection of intricate and sheer gowns, but Valentino and Elie Saab put out some absolutely stunning red carpet looks as well.  It looks like the sheer look isn't going anywhere with these couture collections.  Enjoy!

Fall 2011 Couture: Armani Prive

Armani definitely channeled Japanese gardens in the fall 2011 couture collection.  While it's not the futuristic modern dresses that he showed last couture season, it's a polished and sophisticated collection that shows that glamour can be found in clothes besides evening wear.

However, that being said, just as a general statement (and one I might address later on after all the shows are finished) where are the ball gowns, where are the Oscar gowns?  Where are the gorgeous feminine dresses that I think of when I think couture?  Yes, Armani showed a beautiful collection that is gasp, wearable couture, but is couture really supposed to be that wearable?  No.

That being said, don't let my negativity on couture week this season as a whole discourage you from viewing this beautiful collection of silk Japanese prints and gorgeous dark velvet and palette dresses.  The models look stunning with pretty nude makeup and their origami-like hats.

Fall 2011 Couture: Christian Dior beauty and backstage photos

Fall 2011 Couture: Christian Dior post Galliano

So I hesitated to post this immediately because I didn't want to make any rash decisions on how I feel about the couture collection post Galliano.  However, I have to agree with some of the critics who said that Dior without his lavish touch or even without a head designer with a clear vision leaves something to be desired.

While there were hints of Galliano's flare in the over-the-top makeup, bold colors and weird head accessories, I honestly felt like this was nowhere near the sophisticated collection that went down the runway for spring 2011.  There were some moments of glory in the collection that debuted on the 4th, mainly the nude-colored outfits in the middle of the show, but overall, I don't see women wanting this collection or feeling beautiful in it, which I think is something Galliano always managed to do.  That being said, I don't want to slam Bill Gaytten who was behind this collection because I don't think we have seen what he is really capable of.  What are your opinions?