Monique Lhuillier (Q3429)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Monique Lhuillier is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Monique Lhuillier |
Monique Lhuillier is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Is there a more glamorous city than New York? That’s up for debate, if you consider other major fashion capitals like Paris and Tokyo. But for fall, designer Monique Lhuillier cast her vote for Manhattan: Her elegant offering of formal wear pays homage to the sleek, elegant clothes that you can often find on New York’s gala scene. “I decided to go back where my fashion inspiration all began, in New York City,” said Lhuillier. “You’ll see glam out in full force. My girl is going out, and she’s looking for clothes that make her feel special and fabulous. She’s booked and busy.”Though Lhuillier is now based in Los Angeles, she’s in and out of New York for work. She drew inspiration from the city’s architecture in particular, toying with different finishings that mimic the Art Deco lines found on the Empire State and Chrysler buildings. You can spot them on the directional beadwork of column gowns, including a sleeveless number with intricate rows of silver beading. “The silhouettes are simplified, but the fabrics take it to the next level,” said Lhuillier. “It was all about these luxe fabrications.”She made a clear effort to streamline some of her evening gowns, which typically feature elaborate embroidery or voluminous shapes. A golden, off-the-shoulder style, for instance, was clean and refined, putting the focus on the metallic brocade foil. Slinky halter gowns, tied and criss-crossed at the neckline, were done in sumptuous emerald velvets. They’re the kind of formal frocks that would look good on just about anyone, and Lhuillier photographed them all on-location at the St. Regis to prove it; they’re certainly worthy of wearing to sip one of the hotel’s $40 lobby martinis.It wasn’t all glitzy evening attire, however. Lhuillier also made an effort to design more options for day, ramping up her selection of knitwear separates to do so. “Our customer has been asking for that,” she said. A cream waffle-style crewneck and skirt set were finished with floral enamel buttons. It felt slightly too Chanel—but refined, nonetheless. “You can be comfy, but glam at the same time,” said Lhuillier. A winning combo, for sure.
9 December 2024
Good news for fans of Apple TV+’sPalm Royaleseries, which is set amidst the high society of Palm Beach: designer Monique Lhuillier’s entire spring assortment is inspired by the South Florida destination, known for its elevated beach style. “I’ve only been there a few times, but every time I’m there, I really understand the aesthetic,” said Lhuillier, who specializes in glitz and glamour. “I thought it would be a great starting point for this collection, because spring and summer is all about color, prints, and a joyous feeling.”The Palm Beach reference translated into both day and evening options. “There’s a lot more day elements in this collection,” she said. “It was about offering our customer versatility.” Striped button-ups with floral appliqués and dyed lace tops were paired with shorts for ease, and cashmere cardigans with gold buttons were layered bathing suits. Lhuillier also showed a hibiscus power suit for the ladies who lunch (a common species in PB), and ramped up her offering of linens too, including a pretty blush-pink floral dress with thin straps and a belted waist. “I want to dress my customers from lunchtime to evening,” she said. “People really dress up for nighttime.”Formal evening wear is her signature and unsurprisingly it was the highlight, though both her gowns and cocktail dresses had a more relaxed feel this season. “For me, Palm Beach exudes glamour, but with a sense of ease and sophistication,” she said. She showed a limoncello-print chiffon gown with a built-in back cape, designed to float out of a room, Some of her ball gowns with bolder 3-D floral embellishments would have been fitting for the 2024 Met Gala, in fact, with its “garden of time” dress code.Though the spring assortment was focused on easy-breezy silhouettes, Lhuillier wasn’t afraid to dial up the drama with shine—there were metallics aplenty. Her staple ombré column gown—in varying shades of pink, tangerine, and silver sequins—was like the fashion equivalent of a sunset.
7 June 2024
There’s a body-con knit dress with a handkerchief hem in Monique Lhuillier’s fall collection that’s pretty, pink, and decidedly not precious. As such it gathers a few themes that are explored throughout this offering. One being the designer’s increased focus on separates. Some of these are dressy day options, others are for big evenings, such as a midriff-baring corset top with bows at the shoulders to pair with a matching ball skirt (or, possibly, jeans).Also of note is a pink tuxedo shirt paired with a side-wrap, slightly higher-waisted slim skirt, which is styled with Wellies. Lhuillier recently opened a store in London, her first in Europe, and the lookbook was shot in the English countryside, symbolically extending her reach in “the sceptered isle.” One of the designer’s preoccupations was creating a sense of “regality,” which she conjured with “beautiful sculpted necklines.”As remarkable as the workmanship is on the embellished dresses, it’s the monochrome looks that best communicate that sense of stateliness, as in a velvet column with a draped pink top, an off-the-shoulder emerald dress that is fitted through the ribcage, a knit LBD with a portrait neckline, or a one-shoulder jumpsuit with a draped train. There are also Italian-tailored coats, in ivory or the softest of pinks, to shrug on over any of these dresses, bringing a touch of unexpected casual chic to her formalwear.
8 December 2023
Floaty gowns in pretty macaron pastels, embroidered-over sequined column dresses, and peony and wildflower prints, all gathered together at an 18th-century château just outside of Paris: Sounds like a fairly typical Monique Lhuillier outing, right? Look again. Change is afoot as the designer focuses on separates alongside occasion dressing. As Lhuillier put it: “I embraced the femininity that I do every season, but there are a lot of new elements in this collection. I feel like it is more versatile than in the past.” And how. A cropped white cardigan with hammered-gold buttons worn over a fit-and-flare dress of powder pink caviar lace transformed the model into a latter-day C. Z. Guest. The designer said a black column with an apron that opened in front represented “my modern-day Audrey [Hepburn].”Nostalgia has a certain appeal, but it was of-the-moment looks that elicited the wows. Let’s start with the knits: A sturdy stretch material was used for a flirty, ruffled one-shoulder number, and cashmere was utilized for a very Barbie-friendly ensemble with wonderful proportions, featuring a higher-waist pencil skirt that met the button of a cropped bralette topped by an abbreviated cardi. Next to these formfitting knits, the tweed options for day felt wishy-washy, not quite soft or structured enough.The separates idea carried over into evening quite successfully. There was a scuba-like top in black sequins of an incredible gloss that could be worn alternatively with a ball skirt or a trumpet-hem knit skirt. The midriff silhouette was also used for a three-piece evening look consisting of a regal train skirt, sleeves attached to a band of fabric under the bust, and a gossamer diamanté bra, light as a breath of air. That same piece was layered under a bodysuit of the same material, to which was added a detachable white collar and black bow. A black bias-cut slip skirt completed this seductive look, an encapsulation of Parisienne sophistication and glamour.
12 July 2023
I’m an ’80s girl—and more and more I realize I’m not alone. Consciously or not, Millennials and Gen-Zers are finding their way to ’80s sounds and styles at the same time that those of us who were there are indulging in nostalgia. Speaking via Zoom, Monique Lhuillier said she was trying to capture a “1980s couture” vibe in her fall collection.Voilà the return of the pouf. It looked sassy and sexy in stretch fabrics cut to mini lengths. I say yes to more short evening options across the board, they look fresh and relevant. “There are a lot of mini dresses in the collection because I believe women take care of themselves and they want to maximize [their look],” the designer said.Each season Lhuillier travels to a new location to shoot her lookbook. Fall’s French chateau, chosen for its architectural integrity, was the perfect foil for a collection that she wanted to be more clean lined. “I was really going for a lot of statement looks,” explained the designer. “I wanted to make these iconic moments, and I did that by keeping the silhouette more modern and minimal and then adding volume. Lhuillier also gave a lot of attention to necklines; an asymmetric style lined with sparkling crystal had a bit of an Elsa Schiaparelli spirit. The richness of stretch velvet also contributed to the luxe feeling of the clothes. One black velour number had some of the sophistication of the dress worn by Madame X in John Singer Sargeant’s famous portrait, which has lost none of its potency over time.The brights and the body-consciousness of many of the looks (long and short) built out Lhuillier’s ’80s story, which was a strong and convincing one. The inclusion of more traditionally decorative and prettily feminine pieces in lace, florals, and embroidery was a distraction. Less can indeed be more.
5 January 2023
Eveningwear is a somewhat templated category that responds to wearers’ specific festive (sometimes once-in-a-lifetime needs), rather than quotidian ones. One of the ways Monique Lhuillier is adding a sense of newness to her designs is by taking the dream on the road, and shooting the collection in romantic locations that complement her soft, feminine aesthetic. This season her gown stopped traffic on the canals of Venice. Shooting looks in gondolas is not something the designer will forget.“I really wanted to infuse femininity in a relaxed way,” said the designer. “I feel like my girl wants to feel a little more carefree.” Seeing the clothes in situ helps communicate that feeling. Shorter lengths do the same. Some of the leggy looks take the form of asymmetric short-in-front, long-in-back dresses. An opera coat over a mini is another interesting option, not only in terms of silhouette, but in versatility, as it could be worn separate from the dress, which suits this moment. “People are looking for pieces that they can wear a few times,” says Lhuillier. “It’s not just for one wear, I’m hearing that more and more.This spring collection includes a tulle dress with gold sequins that fade into silver. It’s a reimagining of a design worn by Mandy Moore to the 2011 Academy Awards, and is another example of how designs can have more than one life.
14 June 2022
A number of designers are finding inspiration in Hollywood’s golden age, though they are arriving by different routes. Weeks after Alessandro Michele brought his made-for-the-movies Gucci lineup to California, the Californian Monique Lhuillier took hers to Paris and New York.For the record, Lhuillier’s stated reference is the Gatsby glamour of the Deco age, but her feathered and sequined dresses, many of which she paired with sheer embellished capes, are also in the tradition of costume designers like Adrian and Bob Mackie.This is Lhuillier’s 25th year in business, a milestone she marked with a monograph, the making of which brought her past work back to light—and not just in pictures. For her own dress-up birthday party, Lhuillier donned a shimmering dress from a past collection. It was such a big hit that it became the touchstone for fall 2022. The irony, said the designer, was that the first time around no one really responded to it: “I think people were not ready for it then.” What’s changed? We’re in a period of showy fashion, and this dress delivers a bit of glitz and glam. Even when she does full-on sequins (this season is a custom green), Lhuillier steers clear of showgirl territory; the designer is known for sophisticated and ladylike looks rather than de trop ones.“I still want a little ease in the silhouette, so you’ll see a lot of movement,” she explained. It’s there in soft fabrics, sheer overlays, and the marabou that trims a white column dress with an attached, winged cape, an award-winning look if ever there were one.
9 December 2021
Monique Lhuillier has a lot to be happy about, like a new collection and a hot-off-the-presses coffee-table book celebrating her 25 years in fashion. “It’s a new day, and after all those hardships a year ago, it’s nice to be landing on our feet and starting to soar again,” she said on a call.Infusing this collection is a buoyant feeling of optimism, emphasized through color, cut, and volume. Lhuillier photographed it in Italy once it was possible to travel again—note the lemon/floral print. “It’s not about the glitz for me—it’s about the intricacies of the details; how we cut and folded the chiffon, the beads that I use. Everything is more on the matte side,” she explained.Lhuillier’s instinct to pare back strikes the right tone at a moment when many want to gather and celebrate being out of lockdown, while at the same time new COVID variants are creating uncertainty about the future. There’s a gentle sense of freedom in a pastel midi dress with ruffles, and cheery polka dots feel like they’d be right at home in a 2021 version ofFunny Face.
25 August 2021
“We’re a celebratory brand,” said Monique Lhuillier as she presented her extensive Fall collection in New York City. It’s been about 20 years since the Los Angeles–based designer expanded from bridal to evening wear, becoming a go-to for occasion wear as well as red carpet dressing. One candidate for the paparazzi flare is a faultless one-sleeve dark blue velvet dress with train that looked like it came from the pen of the fashion illustrator René Gruau. Another is a short black ballerina dress with stretch at the waist and a lace camisole top that’s very ’50s couture in silhouette, but modern in execution and style.Because Lhuillier combines prefall and fall into one collection, the overall effect is more kaleidoscopic than precise; still there are two clear takeaways. The designer wanted to create a more streamlined silhouette, and showed what she described as 1990s-like slip dresses and softly draped columns that owed more to Madame Grès than Courtney Love. There were also a number of separates on offer, like a white smoking and dramatic scarf-tied blouses. These are in answer to requests coming from Lhuillier’s New York boutique where not all customers are in search of a “full look,” but still yearn for a touch of that Lhuillier romance in their closets.
5 December 2019
Imagine a bride walking through the garden of a grand Italian villa, her gown softly trailing behind her, reveling in a few magical pre-wedding moments alone. That feeling is precisely what Monique Lhuillier wanted to create with her new Fall bridal collection: “It’s about joy and romance, and I wanted to bring it to a storybook level,” she said. Each of the 17 gowns felt different and would help represent a bride’s individual style, but they were unified by details like exaggerated trains, dramatic draping, and luxurious textures.Lhuillier’s love of flowers was “amplified,” as she put it. An ivory A-line gown with poet sleeves came in a colorful botanical and butterfly print; a trumpet gown was constructed from intricate guipure lace in a floral motif; and a tulle ballgown with a drop waist was covered in oversized, 3-D flower pompoms. To address the needs of a bride who wants more than one look for her wedding day, Lhuillier sprinkled in a few detachable boleros and jackets. Rather than appear as completely separate items, they blended in seamlessly with the dresses, so only the bride would know of their transformative properties. Elsewhere, Lhuillier updated her classic silhouettes with subtle plays on color, and for the bride who wants a more tailored look, a long-sleeved crepe sheath felt traditional with just a touch of edge.
4 October 2019
Once again, Monique Lhuillier is skipping the hassle of pre-collections and splitting her massive Spring lineup into two separate drops. The strategy works particularly well for the prolific designer, who will be opening a new two-story flagship in New York City this fall. Lhuillier explained, “We have a lot of racks to fill!”Spring 2020 began with the Italian style icon Marella Agnelli. “It has an Italian, ’70s, glamorous vibe to everything,” she said. “Mustards, flowy chiffons, endless trains, and lots of movement.” Lhuillier’s choice of muse led her to shoot the lookbook on a stately villa in Lake Como one week ago. As always, there were frothy tulle confections, voluminous taffeta ball skirts, and elaborately beaded gowns that had been custom-dyed in a pretty range of pastels.Of note, however, was the surprisingly minimal thread that Lhuillier had woven throughout the collection, including monochrome tunics and smocked long-sleeve gowns more subtly printed with lamé. “The non-beaded pieces are new for me,” she said, pointing out a white turtleneck jumpsuit with wide palazzo pants, decorated sparingly with a silver beaded belt. “There’s a sense of simplicity coming back.” It felt like a nice change of pace and a smart way for Lhuillier to diversify her output. Those racks won’t fill themselves.
4 June 2019
“I had a very clear vision of what I wanted to do,” Monique Lhuillier said of her latest bridal collection, which drew on lush Italian gardens. “I wanted to make iconic dresses that can live on.” She described some of those gowns as having “traditional newness,” meaning form and construction were prioritized over her usual embellishments. A clean, long-sleeved ballgown in duchesse satin fit that description. Other looks came with dramatic details like high-low hemlines; large-scale floral lace; and exaggerated trains. A standout off-the-shoulder ballgown with a billowy skirt and poet sleeves was whipped up in light-as-air silk gazar, so it had shape and volume without bulk.Lhuillier’s brides aren’t looking for red carpet–worthy statements, but they do want a dress that feels personal and special. “While there is a resurrection of traditional dresses [happening now], brides still want to see things they’ve never seen before,” says Lhuillier. “They’re ready to experiment.” For an interesting twist, Lhuillier introduced clever new illusion jackets and capes for the bride who wants to wear sleeves—but not necessarily all night.Green florals, which nodded to the gardens that influenced this collection, lent a touch of unconventional freshness. “Colors in wedding dresses is a trend we see season after season,” says Lhuillier. “But brides are finally ready for it.”
12 April 2019
This season, Monique Lhuillier drew from the “excess of the ’80s,” a visual reference that other designers have been mining for a few seasons now. In Lhuillier’s case, it naturally manifested as opulence: jewel-toned velvets, silk-lined furs, flocked glitter and sequins, and loads of “exaggeration,” as she explained. “It’s exaggerated shapes in skirts, exaggerated sleeves, and exaggerated beading we developed for this collection.”Once again, Lhuillier forwent a Pre-Fall collection for one massive Fall drop—around 140 looks split into two deliveries. Yet given her brand’s strong DNA, it remained cohesive. Though she cited Marisa Berenson, Jerry Hall, and Joan Collins—and shot at Dawnridge, Tony Duquette’s lavish Beverly Hills estate—the clothes still continued the easier evening options Lhuillier has pursued of late.Think plunging pink and gold lamé gowns, sequined bodysuits matched with either pants or long slit skirts, and velvet cocktail dresses, which lived beside her more extravagant pieces (e.g., a drop-waist taffeta ball skirt). Notably, Lhuillier introduced faux fur for the first time: Each plush design had near identical faux and real versions. Lhuillier considers it a transitional period, as she hopes to one day switch over entirely, joining brands like Chanel, Burberry, and Gucci. “We’re all more conscious about the environment, and that’s the right thing moving forward,” she said.
7 December 2018
Monique Lhuillier’s Spring offering arrived early this year, just after couture and during men’s rather than mid-September. Given the urgency with which the collection was pushed forward, one might have expected something new and of particular note. But it was business as usual for Lhuillier, who explained over the phone from Europe that she wanted to return to the core of the brand. “That is celebration dresses,” she said.And so, Lhuillier sent out a slew of tulle point d’esprit gowns flecked with glitter or wrapped with very thin silk ribbons like holiday gifts, plus a few simple slips and shorter dresses ostensibly for less formal, but no less celebratory, events. Most intriguing were the handful of high-neck and long-sleeved modest evening numbers. Modest gowns represent a growing market for the designer, and they added some visual interest, as well.The lookbook was shot at a picturesque French château, as Lhuillier’s debut Paris show one year ago had left her even more enamored with the country than before (her father is French). “I wanted the clothes to be seen in the place where they might be worn,” she said.
17 July 2018
With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding little more than a month away, the couple’s whirlwind romance has captured the hearts (and headlines) of many—including Monique Lhuillier. While the designer stripped away the florals and flounce of past seasons, her Spring 2019 collection wasn’t without a grand finish befitting Markle. “If I were to be commissioned to do Meghan’s dress, this is what I would envision,” Lhuillier explained of the reembroidered lace ball gown that closed her presentation at the Palace Hotel. With a plunging neckline and detachable shoulder streamers that would quite literally float down the aisle, the look, appropriately dubbed the Majesty, made a statement both coming and going. “It has all the Monique elements, and it’s larger than life,” she said, adding, “You wouldn’t be able to miss her.”The bigger message here, though, wasn’t of regal grandeur but rather timeless simplicity. Lhuillier sought to create a well-edited lineup of heritage wedding dresses that could be passed down from one generation to the next. (Royals have always had a thing for family heirlooms.) The sense of tradition was a departure from last season’s more trend-centric offerings (see:the white leather moto jacket). And save for a few velvet sashes and pleated cummerbund accents, there was an absence of embellishments and frills. Lhuillier added drama with trumpet- and full-skirt silhouettes, placing a stronger emphasis on shape. The select unstructured gowns—the clear winner being a strapless number in point d’esprit tulle—felt effortless.
14 April 2018
Monique Lhuillier found herself in a California state of mind—in other words, she wanted nothing more than to relax.“It’s not just about the host, but the guests, the entire party,” she said. Lhuillier took her cues from Old Hollywood, and this relaxation took several forms, appearing in the generous use of velvet in simple slips with rhinestone straps and more proper form-hugging sheathes. It also saw Lhuillier play with her signature silhouettes. There was a new hem length that hit right at the ankle to expose a pair of beribboned heels. “It’s less formal, more modern,” she said, and it did feel like a fresher alternative to the otherwise floor-sweeping skirts.Speaking of shoes, Lhuillier tried out a new over-the-knee boot to modernize some of her grander dresses—a floral-print pair cut from the same silk faille as its gown, for one. It was an interesting experiment that could appeal to a certain millennial-minded customer, but the point d’esprit princess dress and matching tulle cape may still serve the Monique woman best.
15 February 2018
Streamlinedisn’t a word typically associated with bridal, but that’s how Monique Lhuillier described her vision for Fall 2018. It’s less of a surprise when you consider Lhuillier has done her part to streamline the entire getting-married process, from her line of engagement rings to an Essie nail polish collection designed to match her gowns. Now, she’s adding a partnership with Pottery Barn, which includes decor for the bridal suite and reception dinner.Instead of a traditional runway show, Lhuillier transformed the grand Academy Mansion so guests could experience the dresses and furnishings in living color. There was a lively reception hall (complete with brides and grooms toasting with flutes of Champagne) as well as a staged bridal suite with toile bedding in Lhuillier’s signature shade of rose. Given all of those extras, her approach for the gowns was simple and understated, comprised of just 16 dresses and a crepe pantsuit. “In past seasons, it was all about embellishments, lots of lace, and [it was] more over-the-top,” she said, as models shuffled past in satin robes and pearl-stitched shower slides. “Now, the streamlined look is in, and there’s a return to classic beauty and style.”The standout gown was made from 250 yards of Spanish tulle that still managed to fit close to the body; it was nipped here, full there. However, while simplicity was the running theme, there were also options for the edgy bride, like a leather motorcycle jacket with pearl-grommet details—a first for Lhuillier. “It’s always exciting to see bridal move forward,” she said. “I love giving my bride new options that people haven’t seen before.” In that vein, there was a pair of modifiable dresses with removable sleeves, so you could go covered-up at the ceremony and strapless for the reception. “Before, I noticed that most of my girls were open to changing [into a second dress], but now they get so attached to their dresses that they don’t want to,” she said. “They just want elements of the dress to come off.”
6 October 2017
Usually when you get to the happily-ever-after denouement of any fairy tale, the heroine gets the prince. In this particular fable, she—the she in this case being Monique Lhuillier—gets Paris. That’s a far better deal, if you ask me. Lhuillier is the third designer in the space of two days who has swapped New York to show in the City of Light for the first time, the others being Rodarte and Proenza Schouler. To anyone who has ever contemplated coming to the French capital to present their work, it can be a fabled if potentially fraught experience; the city carries a weight of expectation unlike any other—the font of fashion, the cradle of haute couture, all that heavy stuff that could lead to a little existential crisis. After all, for a designer, any designer, Paris was and isthedream. Lhuillier, for her part, wasn’t immune to this, as she pointed out backstage moments before her show went up, especially given that her father is French and she’s been coming here since she was a child.Lhuillier’s response, she said, was to go lighter with her Spring 2018 collection. (Like her U.S. compatriots, she’s here to show her ready-to-wear, not couture.) That meant she imbued her trademark hyper-feminine eveningwear with delicately worked pin-tucked chiffon, guipure lace, and plenty of ostrich feathers, all rendered in a color palette that was less Pantone and more Ladurée—pistachio, apricot, and rose, with a little gilding thrown in for good measure. She nodded to some of the more salient aspects of the current idea of evening—gentler, more romantic shapes, shrouded by floaty capes, for instance—as well as some of the more generally au courant notions that have been in the air about how to dress now. These included using bow-trimmed diamanté belts to cinch the waist, a recent way to add some adornment without resorting to jewelry, and mid-height heel ankle boots—pink floral satin, gleaming silver—that matched the clothes they were worn with. Fairy tale or not, Lhuillier didn’t feel the need for glass slippers.
3 July 2017
There are certain design tropes one associates withMonique Lhuillier: tulle skirts, generous sequins, and a dramatic silhouette, as expected from a brand rooted in bridal. But the designer is making a conscious effort to shift her label away from big occasions and toward more quotidian things. “I will always do the statement gown—but not everybody needs a gown,” Lhuillier explained by phone from Los Angeles. “This is me expanding the world of Monique.”Which leads us to Resort. “I really wanted it to feel more versatile,” she said. “Less about a complete look, but more pieces to build your wardrobe.” Her strategy rested on two points. First, the introduction of knits for ease and wearability, such as a thin white tee embellished with florals and one in black with a slim lace collar. Second, an expanded lineup of separates, something she began for Fall 2017 and continued here with cropped black pants and A-line skirts hand-painted with English roses. Lhuillier proposed a peplum top encrusted with sequined blooms paired with those slim trousers as a “modern way to do cocktail,” one that recalled a similar proposition from Raf Simons’s iconic Dior debut five years ago. Of course, there were marabou feathers, here whipped up into a romantic capelet and draped over a lace tank top and pants, as well as a heavily beaded evening confection—how the Monique woman might take it from day to night.
7 June 2017
Monique Lhuillierwants to get back to tradition. While last season’s collection emphasized a sexy, body-conscious silhouette, this lineup had a regal, covered-up elegance. “It’s about the formality and the timelessness that a wedding should have,” Lhuillier said before the show at Carnegie Hall. Her customers seem to agree; Lhuillier noted that her social media following is responding to her more classic designs. “When I was a bride, I wanted to stand out and wear something that felt right for that celebration,” she said. “Not worry about whether it was a fashionable choice or in line with the trends.”Lhuillier has a knack for subtle colors beyond white and ivory, like this season’s “latte” and “cappuccino” hues. The new standout shade was blush pink, as seen on a Chantilly lace bustier dress with an asymmetrical pleated tulle skirt. Florals were a recurring theme: All of the models wore organza roses in their hair, and a tiered peplum dress was hand-painted with a floral dégradé motif. Elsewhere, florals were layered over point d’esprit, like a capelet over a sweet strapless gown. There were also jewel-encrusted capes, some made entirely from ropes of pearls, which were just the thing to jazz up the more understated dresses. As the designer put it, “A little sparkle goes a long way.”
24 April 2017
Like many of her peers, Monique Lhuillier is rethinking the way she presents her collections. She opted out of a Fall ’17 runway show in favor of a dynamic lookbook, which better highlights the lineup’s rich embroideries and textures. Sometimes those details don’t resonate in a runway photo, which shows just one angle.Decadencewas a word Lhuillier threw around a lot during the shoot, and it fit this collection. In fact, it may have been her most indulgent one to date; embellishments have always been a Lhuillier specialty, but here, they were literally piled on. Tulle gowns were studded with gems, while a few sheer minidresses were covered in sparkling confetti. It was as if her team had tossed buckets of sequins on the models just before they took the picture.Separates are a growing category for Lhuillier, and the velvet jackets, gold sequined boleros, and puff-sleeved bodysuits were highlights. Each could be worn to a black-tie gala or with vintage jeans, and that’s crucial these days. It’s how the designer will attract new customers who aren’t necessarily into cocktail dresses or ball gowns; many young women don’t need those things (at least not yet) and they tend to dress more casually. On that note, the bell-sleeved poplin shirts felt a bit played out, but there were some great black trousers.
8 February 2017
Separates haven’t always been Monique Lhuillier’s thing, but she should keep experimenting with them. They’ve been a highlight of her recent Resort and Pre-Fall lineups, which tend to focus on her daywear offerings. That was the case this time around, as well: A shocking pink sequined jacket that tied with a black velvet bow was evening-appropriate but would look great with trousers or jeans, too. Bustier tops with sweeping trains have become a bit of a Lhuillier signature, so there was a sculptural one in hot pink layered over tuxedo pants. It packed all the drama of a red carpet gown but would let you move completely freely.Lhuillier’s main reference this season was Spain, which came through in the color palette—more of that bright pink, black, and white—as well as the boleros and flamenco ruffles. But rather than go overboard with embroideries and frills, many of the dresses were surprisingly simple; a draped ivory gown featured a smattering of flowers and a black ribbon, and Lhuillier tried out new ideas like point d’esprit, velvet, and baroque pearl embroideries. Prepare to see lots more of those things in other Pre-Fall collections, too; the clothes may hit stores around June, but they’re also precursors to the Fall season, which will no doubt be rich with color and texture.
7 December 2016
Monique Lhuillierwas feeling nostalgic this season. Celebrating her 20th year in business, for Fall ’17, she mined her earliest bridal collections from the ’90s for inspiration. “I noticed that the dresses haven’t changed that much [since then]. The only thing that’s really different is the hair and makeup,” she said with a laugh. So she reimagined some of her first silhouettes and details, like deep V-necklines, which dipped even lower here; scooped-out backs, which were sexier than ever; and satin sashes around the waist, which became skinny, bow-tied ribbons for 2017.A nipped-waist, body-skimming gown was the dominant silhouette, with whiffs of lingerie in the sheer lace bodices and corsetry details. Also new this season was an expanded palette; along with white, off-white, and blush, the designer introduced delicate shades of “coffee” and “latte.”“Girls are taking care of themselves now,” Lhuillier said, gesturing to a particularly body-conscious dress. “I wanted everything to feel a little sexier.” For a more modest bride, some dresses were snug though the torso before meeting a fuller skirt just below the hips.
10 October 2016
Monique Lhuillier’s business launched 20 years ago with bridal dresses. Six years later, she expanded into ready-to-wear. And for her Spring collection unveiled today, she looked back with a mixture of pride and nostalgia to those early times for inspiration. What’s different in 2016? “The hem lengths, but I feel like a lot back then could still stand today,” she said. “The dresses needed very little!” As the old adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. She then added that models tried on her archive pieces to get the wheels in motion for this collection.Lhuillier rooted Spring in a cotton candy palette. A teensy mink jacket was dyed a milky lavender; tulle, Chantilly lace, and chiffon gowns came fast and frequent in minty green, pale pink, and cartoon blue (one dress in particular reminded this writer of Elsa, the ubiquitous character from Disney’sFrozen). That fantasy-princess element was also present elsewhere, as tiny heart sequins embroidered here and there, or bejeweled embellishments at the collar and down the back. This won’t be for every woman, but it’ll land with some.The best time trip was with a printed floral lamé jumpsuit with a braided collar. Lamé actually probably predates Lhuillier’s founding by at least a decade or two, but nonetheless, here it had a lightness and pleasantness about it.
13 September 2016
Gowns have always beenMonique Lhuillier’s thing, and her challenge each season is to make them feel fresh in an increasingly casual market. Recently, women have been taking to her new evening pants, so she’s been able to get a little more experimental. Her pre-collections give her the best chance to expand those red carpet separates and daywear—or, at least, day-to-night-wear; you still won’t find jeans or T-shirts in a Lhuillier lineup.For Resort, the most striking look featured a strapless bustier with a trailing, high-low hemline and allover floral embroidery. Paired with lace pants and a skinny scarf, it would stand out on the red carpet or a more low-key daytime event. But Lhuillier knows that a lot of her customers will buy the top and style it with their own clothes, too, so she’s shifting her focus to “special items” that can be worn a few different ways. On that note, she also designed a charming pink-and-red sequined cardigan—imagine it with vintage jeans—and less surprising lace skirts and blouses. Dresses still made up a bulk of the collection, but the biggest change was felt in the comfy, unstructured silhouettes. “They’re dramatic but easy,” she said. A champagne slip with billowing sleeves would no doubt feel more relaxed than a stuffy black-tie ensemble.
8 June 2016
Nature is a constant source of inspiration forMonique Lhuillier, making the garden at Ladurée’s downtown outpost an ideal setting for her Spring ’17 bridal show. This season, she described her brides as “nymphs” traipsing through the daisies and wisteria, unencumbered by corsets, boning, or excessive beading. Fans of Lhuillier’s princess-worthy gowns will still find embellishments and ball skirts here, but everything was noticeably lighter than her usual bridal fare—and sexier, too. The most surprising dresses were fuss-free and body-skimming, like a barely there slip dress covered in ethereal blooms and a plunging satin halter gown. Even the more conservative dresses were sensual—not stiff—thanks to sheer bodices and up-to-there slits.
22 April 2016
“Fall is about a more eclectic, eccentric woman. I took cues from Talitha Getty; she was my muse,” saidMonique Lhuilliertoday. “‘More is more’ this season,” she added. There were parts where that aphorism worked, and parts where the “more” angle could’ve used, well, a little less. Highlights included a black chiffon gown embellished with golden fil coupe medallions (it was very throwback-’60s-Marrakech; Getty might’ve thrown it on for a day spent lounging at La Mamounia) and a blush-and-sage green midi dress that glistened like psychedelic dew. Overkills, though, were seen in an electric-lime-green column rendered in silk crepe and silvery threads. Ditto the finale ensemble, a bodice-based ball gown with a full skirt whose muted rose scheme felt disconnected from the rest of the collection. That’s the tricky thing with excess—sometimes it lands and sometimes it detracts. Overall, dresses represented the majority of the pieces—Lhuillier’s forte, as it is—but there was also a focus on outerwear, and the inclusion of a few knits. And, it was pretty obvious, there was a clear capitalization on the kitsch-nostalgia craze stirred up byAlessandro MicheleatGucci.Worth noting: The standout dresses mentioned above represent two of five looks being sold straight off the runway—they’re available for purchase now. “It’s our way of testing the idea,” said Lhuillier. She joins a rapidly growing list of designers and labels providing this option. Moreover, Lhuillier also introduced sunglasses today, as well as a new, chicly compact day bag, which she gussied up on the catwalk with pleated scarf accoutrements. Sometimes moreismore.
13 February 2016
Monique Lhuilliersees her pre-collections as opportunities to expand her daywear range, and often the clothes are more desirable than the red carpet gowns in her ready-to-wear shows. This time around, she wanted the clothes to feel super luxe yet relaxed, so she tapped into the vintage-y magpie vibe that’s been trending sinceAlessandro Micheletook over atGucci. The palette was all muted greens, mauves, and mustards—sometimes mixed together, like the print Lhuillier developed for a ruffled blouse and peasant dress—and nearly every piece had some sort of special detail. On a silk blouse, it was a strip of gold lace around the neckline to mimic another shirt layered underneath; on a poppy lace dress, it was a sweet flared hem.The biggest shift for Lhuillier was an emphasis on stand-alone pieces rather than full looks. “I think women are shopping for special items they can wear with jeans and can go from day to evening,” she explained. “No one has time to go home and change before an event anymore.” She pointed out a sparkling Lurex midi skirt, which you could wear with the lace top in the lookbook or your own cashmere sweater. A particularly striking pair of turquoise jacquard pants had the potential to attract new, edgier customers who might shy away from dresses. The collection could have used a few more trousers like those;Diane Krugerrecently wore a sapphire bustier-and-pants ensemble from Lhuillier’sSpring ’16 collectionto a LACMA gala and no doubt inspired lots of women to try the evening pant.
9 December 2015
Bridal trends come and go, but flowers are always a beautiful place to start with a new collection.Monique Lhuillierenvisioned a lush garden in shades of ivory, blush, and lilac for her Fall ’16 gowns, adding soft texture with floral appliqués, beading, and embroidery on otherwise simple silhouettes. Long-sleeved gowns with nipped-in waists will appeal to a range of brides, but there were more playful styles, too, like a removable ball skirt over a lace minidress, which has emerged as a mini-trend this season. Overall, there was a welcome sense of restraint; even the most opulent gowns seemed light and easy to wear, with layers of tulle creating volume in lieu of padding, boning, or dramatic trains.
12 October 2015
Monique Lhuillier’s front row was an apt description of where her brand is headed these days. Bella Thorne, Ashley Madekwe, and nearly a dozen other pretty young things were decked out in the velvet floral dresses and tea-length party frocks that defined the designer’s latest Fall and Resort collections. Considering that “youth” was one of the themes Lhuillier name-checked at a preview last week, those are just the girls who will want to wear Spring’s super-bold looks on the red carpet.Lhuillier has certainly never been afraid of color, but in this collection she turned the vibrancy up to the max. Bright poppy, lipstick pink, electric blue, and tangerine silk gazar made for sweet, sculptural shift dresses as well as more directional looks, like an emerald tunic over skinny jacquard flares or a turquoise bustier top with a trailing sash. Either of those pant-centric ensembles would be an unexpected choice for, say, a New York movie premiere or press call. Structure was a big message, but a parade of feather-light gowns in paint-splatter prints (and minimal embellishment) lent a more ethereal, artsier tone. The accessories were also hard to miss; it’s still a new category for Lhuillier, and here she made the case for matching your shoes to your outfit with jewel-like Lucite wedges and embellished sandals. It felt as though she designed them specifically with the red carpet in mind.
13 September 2015
Flowers make their way into almost every Monique Lhuillier collection, but Resort in particular conjured up visions of a lush, sprawling garden. "I really just wanted everything to feel more relaxed," explained Lhuillier. You could immediately sense her laid-back, uninhibited approach: Instead of a strict palette or theme, there were lots of ideas at play, from intricate embroidery to electric cobalt lace to dizzying surreal prints. It felt fresh and fun, especially as things are shifting away from minimalism toward quirky, individual taste.In some ways, Lhuillier was reacting to Fall, "where everything was covered up and close to the body," as she put it. One way she broke that down was by focusing on two-piece ensembles instead of her signature dresses—see the white gazar midi skirt covered in a toile-like rose print and matching bandeau. That sweet, tea party vibe gave way to a kaleidoscopic digital floral print that was so vivid it almost felt 3-D. The designer employed it for a sweeping ball gown and a matching trumpet-sleeve cape. Her more daring clientele will no doubt take it for a spin on the red carpet. The freshest pieces, though, were the ethereal, delicate embroidered tulle dresses covered in butterflies, flowers, and twisting vines. They were feminine and kitschy in the best way—and eminently wearable, too, begging to be paired with nude stilettos or flat sandals alike.
3 June 2015
Founder: Monique LhuillierYear established: 1996Known for: Unabashedly lavish gowns with a knack for smuggling in colors other than the traditional white and ivoryFamous brides: Britney Spears, Reese Witherspoon, Carrie Underwood
20 April 2015
Monique Lhuillier made a name for herself designing couture bridal gowns and red-carpet dresses, so it was a surprise to not find any princess skirts or tulle in her Fall collection. The new silhouette was practically the opposite—slinky, curve-hugging, and cut on the bias. "It's all about fluidity," she explained. "There's no corsetry at all this season. It's about liberating this woman and keeping it closer to the body." Far be it from Lhuillier to completely strip down, though. Copper burnout velvet, dense allover beading, and a camouflage-floral jacquard added glamour without the heft. In lieu of the circle skirts and neoprene she showed for Spring, Lhuillier added soft structure with padding at the shoulders. On the hanger there was a glimmer of an '80s flashback, but when the first models stepped out on the runway, the effect was happily subtle.Lhuillier said she was thinking about the '20s when she started designing the collection, but the most interesting looks had a hint of '70s glam rock. See the draped silk charmeuse dresses in teal, amethyst, and saffron; the jeweled black tights; the star-embroidered bodysuits layered under tailored coats; and a whole crop of colorful shearlings and mink chubbies. They didn't really jell with the more ladylike dresses that opened the show, but when Lhuillier revealed her muse for the season—Kate Moss—it all made perfect sense.
13 February 2015
Red-carpet mainstay Monique Lhuillier has been thinking about daywear for a few seasons now, but Pre-Fall was her first collection that you could really wear from sunup to sundown. "For me, Pre-Fall and Resort are about building staples in your wardrobe," she said. In the past, that meant lacy LBDs and full midi skirts best suited for an upscale luncheon. This time, Lhuillier introduced wear-everywhere denim trenchcoats and forgiving jogger pants. "Everything is a little sleeker and more relaxed," she said. "It's restrained." After whipping up hand-beaded, sequined tulle gowns for nearly a decade, the need to scale things back is understandable. Plus, Lhuillier can cut more than a gorgeous dress; those joggers were very wearable and in allover bordeaux lace they still fit with her established oeuvre. Similarly, the designer's cropped jackets—in sporty double-face knit, pony hair, and leopard-print fur—could be layered over jeans on the weekend or a cocktail dress at the opera. Even the black-tie-ready gowns felt considerably laid-back; simple silhouettes with blown-up, abstract orchid prints had up-to-the-minute ease. That isn't to say Lhuillier's signature embellishments aren't still making headlines: First Lady Michelle Obama recently wore a sparkling blush number to the Kennedy Center Honors gala at the White House.
11 December 2014
Monique Lhuillier has mastered the art of the beautiful evening gown, but for Spring '15, her focus shifted to daywear. "I really wanted to grow that category and dress my customer earlier," she said. Her inspiration stemmed from a recent trip to Harbour Island in the Bahamas. "When the sun rose over the ocean, the sky turned beautiful shades of blush and lavender, and there was this reflective quality to the water," she explained. "I wanted to instill that sparkle in every piece." The concept was straightforward on a neoprene dress printed with a shimmering sunrise landscape, while an iridescent silk voile skirt and a cellophane-like silk mikado dress were a bit more avant-garde.Lhuillier also experimented with new techy fabrics, like the "liquid satin" on the bust of a cocktail dress, which resembled metal when it caught the light. There were even luminous threads on the cuffs of a sheer lace blouse; layered over a black bandeau, it was one of the collection's most accessible pieces. "There are a lot of separates, so you can just buy a few items to update your wardrobe," Lhuillier explained. Of course, for her, separates don't quite translate to casual. Even the playful rompers and hip-slung shorts were done in a structured, high-shine gazar. They didn't exactly lend themselves to a trip to the grocery store, but they did have "garden party" written all over them.A group of evening gowns closed the show, and to the undiscerning eye, they were typical Monique—lots of intricate beading, flower petals, and sequins. But underneath each A-line skirt was a rainbow of sherbet-colored tulle layers, which created the same multidimensional effect as an island sunrise. It was those details that made this one of Lhuillier's more memorable collections.
5 September 2014
Monique Lhuillier covered a lot of ground with her wide-ranging Resort lineup. On the one hand, the commercial nature of the season calls for zeroing in on best sellers, which in Lhuillier's case means offering plenty of glamorous eveningwear. (You'd be hard-pressed to find a red-carpet event without at least a couple of starlets in her pretty gowns.) Still, the designer has been using recent pre-collections to expand her growing daywear and cocktail categories, which she successfully articulated here. Resort opened on a comparatively casual note with a boxy shift cut from buttery suede in a vivid shade of pool blue. Moving into a series of black-and-white looks with architectural-inspired shapes, Lhuillier whipped up sophisticated separates like a structured cap-sleeve top paired with a full skirt in embossed gazar. Meanwhile, a vacation-ready caftan, strapless maxi dress, and fluttery halter-neck tank conveyed a convincing sense of ease with their languid silhouettes and soft, sunburst pleating. "You don't want to be so nipped in or constrained all the time," said the designer.Focusing on shorter hemlines, Lhuillier created a sweet cotton pique frock featuring side cutouts and an allover ombré heart print, as well as a standout navy number with a dramatic, bow-like drape in back. Those styles would be fresh teamed with flat sandals, but there were plenty of stiletto-worthy moments, too. As is often the case, many of Lhuillier's formal confections boasted all-out embellishment and intricate lace, but it was the relatively restrained gowns that had more modern appeal. Highlights included vibrant, color-blocked tea-length gowns and a fuchsia skirt with tiers of tulle that was shown with a matching T-shirt-like cape. All in all, the new collection felt recognizable while simultaneously pushing Lhuillier's aesthetic forward.
4 June 2014
Monique Lhuillier does "pretty" very well, but for Fall she wanted to give her collection a darker edge. "A bold, dramatic twist," was how she described it. To achieve that, she looked to a foreboding reference: the skull. Although in general, Lhuillier's skulls were so subtle one would have to be told they were there to catch them. Look closely enough, and they could be found in the embroidery of a gold lace bolero, which was paired with a matching strapless cocktail dress, as well as a lace-and-tulle mini that went from white to Barbie pink at the collar.The skull was more obvious on a digitally printed neoprene dress. In that case, the rendering wasn't lovable, but the silhouette—a high neck and a bell sleeve with a midi trumpet skirt—was. Worn with a pair of current-looking mules, it would have fared better in plain black. Indeed, Lhuillier's LBD—a fitted, mid-calf style with a slight sweetheart neckline—blew away her grander gowns. The ball-skirt styles—black, embroidered with fuchsia baroque flowers—will please her loyal eveningwear customers, but the real red-carpet standout was a blush-colored beaded number with long, sheer sleeves and a high-low hem. It was pretty, yes, but worn with little blush lace booties of Lhuillier's own design, it was also irresistible. And the designer knew it. "I had to throw one angel in there," she said.
8 February 2014
In recent seasons, Monique Lhuillier has focused on addressing the day-to-day needs of her customers, who remain loyal to the designer's red carpet-ready evening gowns but are also requesting smart separates and cocktail attire that still feels special. At a showroom preview, Lhuillier described her latest Pre-Fall lineup as "a bit more streamlined and urban." She demonstrated a flair for tailoring with a navy tuxedo cape, slimming boot-cut trousers, and a mannish topcoat that complemented a graphic shift featuring allover harlequin diamonds and a tough leather harness detail at the neckline. Lace is always a strong category for Lhuillier, and she showed it in a variety of charming ways here, notably on a delicate bomber jacket and a long, cutaway shirtdress that looked modern paired with pants. Elsewhere, she took the doily stuff in a more familiar, feminine direction with long-sleeve sheaths and A-line frocks that collaged together pieces of appliquéd lace in a rainbow of pretty jewel tones. In addition to those after-hours standouts, Lhuillier's fans will also go for her new collection of shoes, which included—for the first time—several pairs of elegant flats. "More than ever, women are conscious of being comfortable," she said.
10 December 2013
"Women have busy lives. Their clothes need to be real," said Monique Lhuillier at her studio the day before her show. With reality in mind, the glam gown designer thought about the key pieces in a multitasking wardrobe—shirtdress, T-shirt, sweater—stripped them down, and remade them in deluxe fabrics. Real equals versatile, so the beaded collars on lace shells and a beautifully printed Chantilly lace shirtdress were detachable—for those real-life moments when a snazzy collar just won't do—and the opening confections in sheer cloque came with matching petal pink bandeaux. A guipure lace "sweatshirt" in bright poppy delivered on Lhuillier's promise of gourmet standards; cut like a blouse, it had a touch of structure but no stiffness.By now, Lhuillier has proved that she's more than just gowns. Her daywear is always considered and restrained, and she extends a level of handicraft to her pieces that makes even a romper feel like an occasion. But she's got major game when it comes to gowns, and this season was no exception. Still, the best evening look today was actually a silk linen gazar bandeau in hot pink, worn with a very full draped ball skirt in persimmon. A sliver of skin appeared beneath the bandeau and above the skirt's high waist. Sexy and super-sophisticated, it would kill on the red carpet. A panoply of gorgeous dresses followed—some beaded, some printed, one covered entirely in quivering organza flowers—but nothing quite matched that look for its supreme simplicity. Starlets, queue up.
6 September 2013
"Resort is a little less fussy, so I gravitated toward cleaner shapes that felt easy," said Monique Lhuillier of her new collection, which was inspired by Palm Springs. The designer, who is best known for her bridal confections and eveningwear, focused instead on modern separates, including several pairs of relaxed trousers and casual, yet polished lace T-shirts. Daytime sheaths featuring graphic prints like a warped houndstooth and a fuchsia brick motif were embroidered with scraps of leftover lace for a multilayered, textured effect.Meanwhile, Lhuillier amped up some of her more standard cocktail fare with the addition of cool capes, explaining that she liked the idea of "arriving at an event with the full ensemble—cape included—then peeling off that layer for an entirely different look." Her stock-in-trade gowns felt sleeker and sportier. A curve-hugging column in sapphire-colored lace had flattering tonal panels that snaked down the side, while a full-on sequined number fit and draped like it was jersey.
11 June 2013
Monique Lhuillier doesn't trade in fashion for mortals—the sorts of people who stoop to wear snow boots in the front row. Instead, she designs for clients whose earliest obligation of the day arrives around cocktail hour; she outfits women who feel most themselves at red-carpet events.It's only minimally confounding that these women don't really exist. Even VIP show attendees Lydia Hearst, Bridget Moynahan, and Connie Britton probably have to take out the garbage at some point. The secret to Lhuillier's success is that for every awards show beauty who slips into one of her gowns, there's a mother of the bride in Texas searching for a dress that comes with its own sense of magic.This season, Lhuillier found inspiration in a piece of malachite. The gemstone's deep green striations appeared at the end of the runway as the show opened with a series of winter white looks. Digital prints of feathers looked like knitwear on a floor-sweeping gown, without the weight. "It's kind of like stepping into heaven a little bit," said Lhuillier.Concessions to daytime ended there—on to cocktail hour. A roomy A-line dress came pebbled in copper sequins before the embellishment disappeared in favor of printed takes on Baroque beading. A few close-to-the-body lace dresses hit a new length for Lhuillier, ending just above the ankle, a hemline the designer said "feels newer" (it's also an ideal way to showcase her shoe collection, now in its second season). Lace catsuits with beaded dusters and cigarette pants with high/low tops offered convincing eveningwear alternatives.But we're really here to talk about the gowns. Saturated malachite prints on chiffon and faille cried out for red carpets. The lace across the back of a fluted black gown made the model look tattooed with a giant spiderweb (the gown is already on hold for an event). Black jet beading traced Art Deco trails over the nude chiffon body of another stunner. The second half of the show felt like a parade of potential Oscar gowns.All the detailing could get a little heavy. A purple silken-fringed gown teetered on the edge of dowdy, but the red version had the dynamism and allure of a flame. Minimal, it's not. But that's never been Lhuillier's goal. She has both feet firmly planted right where they belong: on the red carpet.
8 February 2013
2012 was a big year for designer Monique Lhuillier. Her namesake shoe collection made its debut in September and she opened her first New York store a month later. Still, Lhuillier had the future on her mind when designing her cool new pre-fall collection. In fact, the inspiration was thousands of light-years away. "I was going for a sci-fi, celestial feeling," Lhuillier said. For day, a sculptural gunmetal and copper tweed dress with a crystal neckline and a forest green leather frock with a cutout back were mixed in with tailored separates in an abstract galaxy print. The night sky was represented in a series of ombré pieces that faded from a deep blue to a silvery steel. Lhuillier played with texture on a "chic and easy" sweatshirt in a woven animal-skin pattern. The same fabric appeared on a long, strong-shouldered coat.Cocktail dresses were treated with lace and draped strategically across the bodice. Metallics weaved their way through other frocks in the form of cut-up leather and burnt copper embroidery that was layered over nude chiffon. Elsewhere, Lhuillier created the illusion of graphic prints with crystals and beads meticulously hand-sewn onto the garments. Celebrity stylists are bound to fight over the last look, a column gown with a voluminous layer of tulle covered in blue and silver sequins. For the lucky girl who shows up on the red carpet in that number, the future's looking bright.
16 December 2012
At a Monique Lhuillier show, there are gowns and then there aregowns. The latter are the ones that seem impossible to make—so great the number of beads, so vast the quantity of tulle—and are designed for occasions that come with camera crews. As usual, Lhuillier's show closed with a clutch of these stunners, but it was the cocktail looks that preceded them that gave the collection a splash of modern vitality. A splash because Lhuillier was water-inspired this season (sailing around the Mediterranean will do that to you), and her arresting digital prints had aquatic subjects like an abstracted crane, rounded fish scales, and an oversize koi. A pair of slim white pants in crepe georgette with a turquoise scale print looked even slimmer thanks to the curvy way the image wrapped down from the hips and in at the knee. And an ink-blue tank dress with a fluttering hem popped like an art piece, its mirrored wing imagery making strong graphics from top to bottom.Lhuillier worked a peplum throughout, on strapless, belted tops and in wavelike curves that swooped out from the waist and met between the legs on sexy, sculpted leather dresses. The collection's lines were strong, but the quibble here is that we saw a lot of the same silhouette. A tighter edit would fix that next time and help eliminate the very real problem of glam fatigue. When a floor-skimming, sequin-shouldered, gold-dusted frock embroidered to look like it's covered in shimmering coral comes sweeping down the runway, you want to be ready to take it all in.
7 September 2012
Monique Lhuillier has taken her namesake collection in another new direction. Following a trip to the dark side for Fall, the designer wanted to create an "escape" for her customer, so she made Resort "fun, playful, and modern." First thing on the agenda: a neon color palette. Fuchsia, lime green, bright yellow, and electric orange were infused in most every garment, from a simple eyelet dress with a pop-of-color slip to a voluminous (and almost blinding) gown covered in silk organza flowers and nipped at the waist with a leather belt.Lhuillier toughened up her offerings with "not-so-pretty" (her words, not ours) silhouettes and quirky twists. She also played with embossed lamb leather made to look like crocodile skin, as well as some bold, artsy prints. Abstract florals, drippy paint strokes, and graphic hydrangeas found their way onto a range of tailored shorts, dresses, and trousers done in a sporty scuba material. Overall, the clothes were punchy and fresh. They'll do well in her first New York store, set to open at the end of August.
4 June 2012
For Fall, Monique Lhuillier envisioned a tougher girl than Spring's counterpart. "Darker," the designer said in her showroom a few days before hers how. "More sultry." The palette was red and black—"Itisthe Year of the Dragon," she pointed out—and prints were inspired by lava and volcanic stones. One of Lhuillier's goals was to create an illusion of linearity, so she used waist-narrowing leather corset belts to deflate volume throughout. Overall the silhouette was lean and long—thanks, in part, to the teetering, patent-heeled Manolo Blahniks that played up the collection's bondage feel. Long sleeves were a constant, too, skinny enough that they required zippers for getting in and out. How's that for foreplay?Back to the prints. The fiery pattern on the opening dress had been printed directly onto lace (much to the consternation of the Italian mill), stripping the fabric of all its dainty connotations. Sequins accounted for other embellishments. They formed the shimmering gold epaulets on an evening-appropriate jumpsuit with a sheer mesh back. The jumpsuits were part of Lhuillier's effort to expand her non-gown offerings, but fear not: There were lava-hot dresses, too. Leather and organza strips made up the skirt of one while metallic paillettes in the shape of licking flames glittered along the entire length of another. A gown with a red organza skirt that was anything but linear closed the show. Celebrity stylists, get on your marks.
10 February 2012
Monique Lhuillier seems to be entering a blue period. After a body-hugging, athletic Spring show that found her working largely in cobalt and indigo, for pre-fall, she revisited the color, offering wasp-waisted cocktail fare and a few of her voluminous red-carpet confections in shades of royal. Here, they were joined by black, cream, and a hit of lavender, as well as some retro but still snappy tweeds. The message at Lhuillier has lately been as much about day as about night, and she created plenty of options that could err to the dressy side of office life. (Though wearing your tweed skirtsuit with only a lace bustier, as shown here, will earn you a trip to HR.) Craftily, the designer offered ways to bring day into night, like a long lace cardigan of sorts that, when worn over any of her simpler frocks, dials the glamour up considerably. And blue mood or not, it's hard to imagine she's not smiling at the prospect of her first New York store, opening on Madison Avenue this March.
12 December 2011
With hair in sleek ponytails and electric blue eye liner stretching to their temples like racing stripes, Monique Lhuillier's models looked like a particularly fine class of first-round draft picks. Lhuillier was focused on the body this season—most notably, on the athleticism that makes the body worth focusing on—and she fused elements of sport into her couture aesthetic. Bold color-blocking and sculpted seams lent an aerodynamic edge. The first look out, a strapless, seamed, blue and black corset dress, was as tight as a scuba suit, but much more appealing. Harness detailing appeared throughout; bodices were banded with leather, and sides were slashed open to expose sections of sheer black lace. An off-the-shoulder, cobalt blue cocktail dress wrapped in twisted tulle elicited actual sighs of desire from the front row.For serious ball-gowning, Lhuillier's closing numbers came out in eye-popping cadmium yellow and in a graphic graffiti print. They were unexpected and a little daring for the red carpet; they would kill at a museum gala. At the end of the show, Mandy Moore turned to her front-row seat mate, the singer andDancing With the Starswinner Julianne Hough, and said sincerely, "That was fun!" We couldn't have said it better ourselves.
9 September 2011
At her Resort presentation, Monique Lhuillier said that she "wants to start dressing [her] client earlier in the day—we're talking before 5 p.m." So the designer known primarily for her red-carpet getups showed an abstract zebra-print shirtdress cut from a techno taffeta fabric that was as lightweight as tissue paper, along with a chambray skirtsuit with ruffled trim that would work for the office. While the collection had a casual intent, "it simply wouldn't be a Monique show without gala gowns." Many of the evening looks had skirts so voluminous you could hide a small child underneath. A dramatic, strapless number in a Monetlike print combined pretty sunset shades; another, in petal pink, gave off the appearance of torn ribbons and bows. Those lavish gowns may be fit for a princess, but a silk chiffon look with a high slit in that abstract zebra print could be worn with either heels or flat sandals. It was a cool compromise between casual and dressy that Lhuillier ought to embrace more often.
7 June 2011
"Fall is all about sensuality," Monique Lhuillier said a few days before her show, explaining the dark, sultry tone of her newest collection. "And besides, women feel beautiful in black." So black it was for most of the first 22 looks, until—voilà!—a silk organza blouse in ecru, bedecked in ribbons, made an appearance. There had been a few instances of cheetah up to that point, but the print was so blurred and abstract it read almost like a dark, textured solid. A strapless chiffon A-line cocktail dress in bloodred followed apace—and there was your palette.Lhuillier used the absence of color to play with texture, most notably employing lace to conceal and reveal. For day it was embroidered over seemingly nude sleeves on a black blouse or on the bodice of a wool crepe cocktail dress. Elsewhere, a short black jacket in taffeta jacquard was frayed along the edges of its tiered, triangular hem; it added an edge of unexpected toughness to a collection that could quite easily rest on the strength of its gala gowns. And those gowns? They were stunners. A Chantilly lace corset number had a naughty bondage detail: lacquer braided belts that looped under and around the bodice to form a crisscrossing halter in the back. But that was tame in terms of sheer drama. The skirt of one red-carpet contender was made of gathered tulle and about a thousand ostrich feathers. It elicited more than a few front-row gasps.
13 February 2011
Monique Lhuillierraided the garden last season. For pre-fall, she picked up the floral inspiration as well, though Spring's screen-printed gowns have mostly given way to more abstract florettes and blossom-evoking frills. The waist was a key focal point for Lhuillier: It was spotlighted in her daywear—pegged, high-waisted wool crepe cigarette pants and sash-tied dresses—as well as in her specialty, evening, with a selection of nipped-in gowns. But the collarbone received special attention, too—with all the layers of organza and tulle that wrapped around bodices and skirts, the shoulders were bared as often as not. Drama is the stock in trade of the house of Lhuillier, and this collection had plenty, played up by bold, jewel colors, including the emeralds and plums that we've been seeing throughout the pre-fall collections. When giant volume and bold color met, the result was occasionally siren-loud. But awards season is coming up, and red-carpet regulars love Lhuillier for just that reason: Neither she nor they are shrinking violets.
12 December 2010
"Welcome to the Garden of Eden," Monique Lhuillier joked, gesturing around the hotel suite, strewn with flower-decked dresses, that served as base camp before her Spring show. "We have the angelic side, and the naughty side." Of course, naughty chez Lhuillier doesn't mean bondagewear or black leather; she makes lush frocks for very lush occasions. A serpent print among the blooms was the most devilish temptation—although it was by no means the most decadent. That honor would go to the drop-waist ball gown with, up top, a nude corset bodice (overlaid with net embellished with raffia paillettes) and, down below, a full skirt of poppy-red organza strips dusted with sequins. It was only one of the knockouts that sprung up under Lhuillier's green thumb. For black-tie nights, magnolias were hand-painted on organza and woven into jacquard; for day, a chic pair of high-waisted candy-apple red pants was paired with an organza blouse with origami fans rippling across the front. Still, evening will always be what Lhuillier does best. Pray, like Cinderella, for an invitation to the ball.
12 September 2010
What would the strong, refined female subjects of Lillian Bassman's portraits from the fifties and sixties wear today? That was the starting point for Monique Lhuillier's latest collection, and her propositions were mostly believable. For day, the designer offered nubby tweed suits, a sleek space-dyed knit T-shirt dress, and linen shifts with fabric-covered beaded trims. For evening, she showed pleated organza gowns in every color of the ROYGBIV spectrum, but the real showstopper was a Lurex jacquard peacock-printed number. Bassman might have got a kick out of that one.
8 June 2010
There was not a trouser to be seen at Monique Lhuillier's impressive show. Dress after dress marched out at such a rapid-fire pace it was hard to clock the detailing on one before another took its place. Working an Asian-warrior theme, Lhuillier's red-carpet soldiers were dressed to kill.Short, embellished looks came out first. Dragon-printed, lacquered matelassé worked on a long-sleeved, high-necked mini with gold-garnished cuffs. The same print on a cheongsam-ish trench looked too "dragon lady"—but, for the most part, Lhuillier avoided any triteness in a theme that could easily have been interpreted as a cliché. Mostly this was due to the freshness of her leggy silhouettes. Yes, these were all very-special-occasion dresses, but the best were lightened up by their glam embellishments, not dragged down. A halter in blood red dripped with gold leather chain embroidery; the model looked like she was in a very beautiful, flower-festooned cage. A few shredded-wool coats could have been skipped. (They potentially could have made a nice contrast with all the glossy dresses, but instead they just looked hairy.) Once the long dresses appeared, it was hard not to think Oscar—as in Hollywood, not de la Renta. A silk jersey column in deep plum would look perfect on Julianne Moore, while the strapless burgundy gown with a sweetheart neckline—made from hundreds of hand-stitched swaths of organza—would go very well with a gold statuette.
14 February 2010
Monique Lhuillier's signature ball gowns went missing for Spring, but pre-fall sees her returning to more familiar red-carpet territory. She said she was inspired by Old Hollywood glamour, and she did present a number of frocks worthy of a spot on best-dressed lists at the Oscars come March. Among them, a strapless nude crystal-embroidered number in laser-cut tulle, a body-hugging sequin look with a gold-to-black ombré design, and a third featuring a sequin bodice and a dramatic rosette-covered chiffon ball skirt. Lhuillier sprinkled in some less formal attire—including a pair of opulent yet wearable coats, one in brown matelassé with a beaded trim and another in tweed with an oversize black paillette detail—but she wisely focused on the elaborately constructed special-occasion pieces her customers know and love.
24 January 2010
Monique Lhuillier opted for the second time to do a low-key presentation instead of a full-blown show. It was a slightly muddled affair.After last season's dreamy ballerinas, Lhuillier was on to bolder ideas: sharply defined structure and the rich embellishment of those perennial fashion icons, the Masai of East Africa. She worked her ideas down two different paths, with full, almost New Look-esque skirts for cocktail hour on the one hand, and on the other—for high evening—breezily draped jersey gowns with rope belts, some dripping fringe. There wasn't a ball gown in the bunch—a Lhuillier first. (Cue Rachel Zoe and co. tearing out their hair.)There was obviously supposed to be an organized evolution of ideas here that would flow smoothly from a sunshine-hued, fringed cocktail frock with an intricate macramé halter neck through sparkly tailored tweeds to an easy elegant evening. But without the benefit of a runway show, the concept got caught in a bit of a bottleneck.Confusion aside, piece by piece there was actually much to love. A smart celeb stylist prepping for Emmy night has probably already sunk her claws into an ultrachic tiered black gown with a gold bullion neckline, or a bright yellow column with a draped bodice and high slit that was genius in its simplicity.
9 September 2009
Inspired by midcentury couture techniques, Monique Lhuillier focused on draping and fabric manipulation in her mostly black, white, and red Cruise collection. Standouts included a scarlet asymmetric-hemmed cocktail dress with a laser-cut rosette detail and a navy off-the-shoulder gown with cascading chiffon panels. You won't find any separates here—Lhuillier wisely stuck to eveningwear this season, choosing to focus on the pieces (read: special-occasion dresses) her customers look to her for.
11 June 2009
For the first time in ten seasons, Monique Lhuillier broke with her usual 30-some looks at Bryant Park in favor of a mini-presentation at the Plaza's Oak Room. As the designer explained, there's the economy, but there's also the looming Oscars. (The gown guru is headed back west shortly.)Lhuillier's brat pack of eleven models sat or stood in gossipy clusters, like petulant girls bored at an adult's party. The designer wanted to address both sides of our recessionary needs. The collection, themed Modern Ballets Russes, had a lot of that "something special" that many designers now believe is key. There were horsehair-stiffened skirts on full dresses and, of course, embroideries aplenty—one froth fest of a gown definitely suffered from a surfeit of specialness. Meanwhile, quieter pieces—like an open-back black silk jersey column (very Tilda in Lanvin)—could be accessorized umpteen different ways.Et voilà, value!The edgy styling with its artfully snagged body stockings and tangles of necklaces added an interesting layer to Lhuillier's wholly unedgy vibe, but ultimately it was distracting, and it became hard to tell what the dresses will really look like. That and the fact that there are apparently 20 more looks back at the showroom really mess with a pundit's red-carpet betting. Well, I'll venture a guess anyway. My money's on an elegant navy jersey number with copper paillettes and a keyhole cutout. Are you listening, Angelina?
11 February 2009
Monique Lhuillier is banking on the customer looking for that special purchase. The designer injected her evening gown-heavy pre-fall lineup with many of the elements—fan-pleat rosettes, crumb-catcher necklines, elaborate folds—that her successful bridal collection is known for. Standouts included a strapless tea-length ball gown done up in ostrich feathers and a space age-y darted cocktail sheath in ultra-luxe stampati satin. Between the upcoming awards season and the Frick ball in February, which Lhuillier is sponsoring, we predict a busy few months for these frocks.
14 December 2008
"It's about tropical-island getaway," said Monique Lhuillier before her show. But before one could envision a sand-crusted, wild-haired bohemian beach muse, the designer added: "but for the chic Monique woman." And properly chic they were, coming down a sisal runway. Lhuillier's eveningwear is usually faultless, if a little safe, and Spring continued in that vein. But here she lightened things up, trading heavy beading for airy tulle appliqué or a fresh and earthy wheat print that was lovely on flowing white chiffon. Queen of the night though she may be, Lhuillier is venturing further into day—the result of customer demand. There was a tailored dark denim pencil skirt topped by a billowy blouse, and a sleeveless wave-print trench with shorts that was surely the sportiest thing her runway's ever seen. We're not sure where a nipped-waist, sleeveless denim shift with armholes edged in chunks of gold beading fits into a schedule, but it was nicely done all the same.
8 September 2008
Monique Lhuillier stuck to the classics by which her fans—both celebrity and civilian—swear. She cut her shift dresses, skirtsuits, and evening gowns in slub linens and quilted brocade for a look that was, in her words, "rich and textured, but with a more natural finish." Meanwhile, bone beading, leather trim, and elaborately jeweled necklines added a British colonial feel.
3 June 2008
With Super Tuesday and the Super Bowl parade both today, optimism is thick in the city's air. Backstage at Monique Lhuillier, the designer expressed confidence about an equivalent contest for red-carpet specialists like herself: the Oscars. "I hear the strike is almost over," she said. "And we did really well at the SAGs with America Ferrera and Marcia Cross."That sunny outlook was also evident in Lhuillier's Fall collection, which she described as "over-the-top." And it was, at least to the degree that this designer will allow herself to go. 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.As for those red-carpet numbers, a sculptural organza gown was indeed OTT. One of the elegantly fluid, judiciously jeweled gowns, on the other hand, might strike just the right balance on Academy Awards night.
4 February 2008
Monique Lhuillier is a party girl. Always has been, always will be—but the new boutique owner also has a head for business. So for pre-fall, she set about making "no-fuss clothes that everyone needs in their closet." Everyone, that is, who has something to celebrate. Lhuillier's taste for the night life is most alive in her red carpet-destined gowns, made in deep jewel tones. In keeping with the longer lengths making appearances elsewhere, there was also a light-as-a-cloud tea-length tulle number that tied at the shoulders. And for a starlet's "glam night out"? Knee-length dresses to kick up her heels in.
15 January 2008
With pastel visions of Ladurée macaroons dancing in her head, Lhuillier was in a sweet and delicate mood. "I wanted to embrace femininity," she said after the show. In contrast with last season's set, which featured a giant architectural curl of brushed steel suspended over the runway, Spring's had a painted backdrop of porcelain flowers.Lhuillier said she had found herself draping directly onto the dressmaker's form as she worked on the collection. And so there were cocktail frocks and evening gowns wrapped gently around the body, ending in asymmetrical necklines that were vaguely Grecian (but thankfully not overtly Grès). As is to be expected with a confectionary theme, there were sugary moments, including the frothy tulle looks and a tiered nude gown painted with tiny flowers. To her credit, these somehow weren't fussy.The designer offered a few points of difference: a couple of requisite L.B.D.'s; slim, unembellished chiffon dresses in dusty colors; and the terrific big-night alternative of high-waisted black trousers and a ruffled blouse. Similarly simple was a fluid silk-jersey dress that approximated an ultrachic toga with an assymetrical flat-ribbon strap. Corsets were also part of the story, paired with high-waisted pencil skirts for day and adding structure to airy gowns for after eight.This was classic Lhuillier, and it underscored why she's an eveningwear presence to be reckoned with. Instead of tricks and just-for-the-runway gimmicks, she gave us uncomplicated elegance. The proceedings may have lacked a directional element, but in this case it was a forgivable sin.
10 September 2007
"Industrial" and "modern" are hardly the buzzwords you expect to hear from a designer whose romantic gowns regularly survive the red-carpet gauntlet, a process that tends to discourage forward-thinking looks. Still, this season, Monique Lhuillier had architecture on the brain, the result, she said, of seeing the Disney Concert Hall on a daily basis. (Frank Gehry's masterpiece neighbors her Los Angeles office.)The designer didn't really follow through on her intentions, though. Little in the collection approached the stark quality of the brushed-steel, Gehry-esque curl hung above the runway and, in fact, Lhuillier's choice of fabrics like gold lamés and brocades played it quite rich. Still, the motif was echoed here and there in flat gold hardware and circular seaming, edged prettily in chiffon, on both plain wool coats and metallic pencil skirts. Elsewhere, boxy coats with bracelet-length sleeves gave a futuristic-by-way-of-the-sixties feel.Lhuillier says that she wants to be known as more than a red-carpet designer, but as a series of slim gowns with jeweled belts paraded past, it was difficult to think of anything else. The sole exception to the celebrity-stylist-friendly fare was a convoluted animal-print ball gown, layered with tulle and then embroidered. A better option? A strapless number in a lovely emerald satin—chic and Joan Rivers-proof.
5 February 2007
Monique Lhuillier played it safe for spring, in a collection that reprised many of her past designs. Neat, jabot-fronted cocktail dresses reappeared, as did illusion necklaces—a familiar trope. The designer's exploration of color was more promising; her palette of forest green, bordeaux, and black orchid was an interesting choice in a season of flowery pastels. Lhuillier also experimented with fabrics, using unexpected materials like roughly textured linen raffia for evening wear. Loyalists will certainly be able to make a wish list from this collection—which included many pretty and appropriate gowns—but overall, spring found Lhuillier stuck in a repetitive rather than innovative mood.
11 September 2006
New mother Monique Lhuillier designed her fall collection, she said, in a "nesting phase," and though the show didn't move her aesthetic forward, it was good to see the L.A. native feeling at home in the tents, effectively displaying her strengths.Lhuillier loves the nightlife, especially if there's a red carpet involved, and her gowns, as usual, were award-show friendly. A black, re-embroidered lace sheath with an exaggerated collar framing the face was a definite entrance-maker. Tulle shrugs hovered at the shoulders of dresses like puffs of smoke, and a blue corseted trumpet gown with Juliet sleeves had a Cinderella-at-the-ball prettiness. Soft makeup and upswept hair added to the glamorous effect.The accessories were another story: The less said about the "jewel-on-a-tulle" necklaces the better. Day silhouettes, which included swing coats and bell-sleeve jackets, may well have achieved the "more covered-up look" Lhuillier was after, but there was no hiding their vintage-style heaviness. It would also be nice if the designer traded the sixties for another decade next season. But daywear isn't what people come to Lhuillier for; it's her special way with a gown that keeps them lining up for more.
6 February 2006
Monique Lhuillier's career has taken flight, which could be one explanation for the decorative bow-tied birdcages that hung above her runway. Following in Vera Wang's footsteps, Lhuillier's clean, pretty, bridal-tinged take on evening is gathering notice and, importantly, red-carpet-caliber customers, who will have plenty of dresses to choose from this spring. The pregnant California-based designer showed a seamless collection of them, starting with a smart white gazar cocktail number with a tuxedo-style halter and building to a showstopping taffeta gown with a voluminous hand-tufted skirt in "blue haze." A sleeker stunner was in platinum satin, with cowl detailing at the neckline. Flowing chiffon dresses had narrow jeweled belts at the waist, and a ball skirt with ribbon-embroidered flowers was topped, simply, with a necklace-beaded ivory cashmere shell. The palette was soft, and restraint was an important factor in the success of the collection. Without it, ballerina cocktail dresses dotted with caviar beads, and bodices, straps, and armholes that glittered with crystals, would have been too much. But there wasn't a mistake in the bunch.The designer wrote in her program notes that this collection was "very emotional" for her, explaining that her expectant state has left her feeling "reflective, giddy, and passionate." Her audience seemed to have a similar reaction.
12 September 2005
Inspired by a book about the jewels of an Indian maharaja, Monique Lhuillier delivered an absolute gem of a collection for fall. She took a subtle approach to her theme, via a palette of persimmon, olive, and curry, one paisley print, and hand embellishments, some including semiprecious stones.Lhuillier is an increasingly popular pick for red carpet events, so the beauty of her eveningwear—particularly a print gown with jeweled harness, a leopard-print chiffon, and a full-skirt strapless green gazar—came as no surprise. But the consistent excellence of the daywear was newsworthy. The opening look, a metallic polo skirt dress accessorized with chestnut-size beads, set the tone of modern elegance. A black Chantilly lace blouse with puff sleeves paired with a ruffle day dress made for a perfect update to the LBD, just as a light four-pocket lace jacket and pencil skirt imbued the suit with subtle sexiness. And you couldn't possibly go wrong with the designer's fox collar tweed overcoat or, for that matter, her plum metallic tweed trenchcoat. Almost all the looks were cinched at the waist with a pretty black bow—the perfect finish to this gift of a show.
7 February 2005
Monique Lhuillier has classic tastes: She loves a tweed jacket, a floral print, a frothy, frilly gown—and she does them well. It's no surprise, then, that her spring show contained all of these elements—but against her chosen theme of California dreaming, Lhuillier's own strengths looked out of place.The white linen jean pants and coat that opened the show, as well as the tropical-print bathing suits and cover-ups, conveyed the beachy message. But things got downright confusing when lace and tweed were paired with safari-esque khaki (not very California) and when multi-tiered gowns in Laura Ashley-like florals shared the runway with beautifully minimal examples, like a stunning asymmetric pleated bias number. The problem here was that Lhuillier's theme didn't play to her best qualities. Next time, she'd do best to stick closer to home.
9 September 2004
Despite her very French name, Monique Lhuillier is a West Coast-based designer who started out in bridal before showing her first ready-to-wear collection in 2003. Her dresses have been appearing with increasing frequency on the red carpet, but, as her fall show demonstrated, Lhuillier knows how to appeal to a demographic beyond just celebrities.Trading in the flirty florals she favored for spring, the designer mixed a little bit of naughty in with the nice. Delicate corsets peeked out from under cashmere cardigans and Chanel-y ribbon-trimmed tweed jackets, while a chocolate velvet tuxedo had a sexy, sophisticated edge. Not all her silhouettes worked. Sleek, super-narrow looks (exemplified by a double-crepe suit and a lovely A-line dress with lilac cummerbund) shared the stage with full-skirted and ruffled pieces that were more prom than cocktail. The real stars of the collection were Lhuillier's coats: Her bronze lamé trench and fox-trimmed embroidered overcoat would catch the eye of any paparazzo.
8 February 2004