Monique Lhuillier New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2014 Collection Review.

Beginning with Bridal wear in 1995 Monique Lhuillier has come a long way and is now a celebrity favourite in both the bridal and red carpet markets. Lhuillier has a list of A-list clients as long as her arm including Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry and Catherine-Zeta Jones and it is easy to see why from analyzing her 2014 Fall/Winter Collection at this year’s NYFW.

I am going to kick things off with the pieces which blew me away the most in Lhuillier’s collection. Although Lhuillier showed off separates including tops, skirts, jackets and pants it is undeniable that her strong point lies in the realm of dresses. From gowns to cocktails the dress world is definitely where Lhuillier’s talent lies and seen below are some pieces which prove this. Even though dark/gold and bejeweled seem to be what Lhuillier focuses on in this collection my 2 favourite pieces that she show-cased vary from the norm. Our overall favourite here at Landofpod has to be this stunning white cocktail dress with gorgeous pink embellishments on the upper part which finishes the garb off perfectly adding a final touch of elegance:

Next on my list and my 2nd favourite from the show is a bit different and most certainly more Gothic than the pretty designer usually presents on the runway which is probably why it resonates with me so much. Seen below is a well structured, mid-calf length Gothic dress with a high neckline, long, elbow-length sleeves and a dark, skull print making it a clear standout for me:

Next we will return to the more prominent theme of the show, namely embellished variations of the black dress. Here we have an intriguing fringed piece with lace detail at the top and a belt sinching the model in at the waist, a strapless bejeweled beaut with sheer, black fabric from the knee down and a stunning strapless gown with beading on top and an amazing tiered, shear ruffle effect flowing from the waist down:

Finally in the best in show section we have this gorgeous dull gold cocktail dress with wide, baggy, long sleeves, a beautiful gold pattern, black detail at the bottom and a belt to finish off the dress. Paired with the see-through, lace ankles boots this look is most certainly another winner:

Unfortunately for Lhuillier, not every outfit hit the mark and her major downfall, in my opinion, was found in her separates. Although there were some which worked, many of them proved to be underwhelming. Here I will show you guys 2 of her separate looks which left me wanting more and 2 more which failed to hit the mark:

Winners:

2 gorgeous, black, patterned, edgy outfits which outshone the rest of Lhuillier’s separates.

Losers of the night:

The 2 worst outfits of the evening which left me feeling underwhelmed and uninspired.

Finally, and perhaps controversially, there were a couple of looks in Lhuillier’s collection which reminded me a little too much of Elie Saab’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2014 Collection. Even worse than this, each of the similar pieces failed to reach the stratospheric standard set by Saab thus making me ponder why Lhuillier let these pieces walk the runway when not only did they come across as slightly copycat, but also weren’t executed quite well enough. Below are 2 of the dresses from Saab’s collection (on the left) paired with 2 from Lhuillier – see for yourself if you agree.

That’s it for my review on Monique Lhuillier’s NYFW Collection – as always let me know if you guys agree or disagree and comment, like and share and for all of the latest fashion buzz make sure to follow this blog!

Here is a link to my review of Elie Saab’s S/S Haute Couture Collection if this post has inspired you to check it out: Elie Saab 2014 S/S Collection