Ziad Nakad dreams up gowns for a magical Snow Crystal Forest

A romantic vision of modern goddesses in magical colours: from snow flakes white to a spectrum of smoky greys and glittering silver, wintry purples, velvet, tulle, lace, intricate embroideries and elaborate beading in soft reds and  powdery pinks, midnight blues, champagne and white.

For this Autumn-Winter 2017/2018 collection on show recently at the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Shows, Zaid Nakad, born of a Lebanese descent, dreams up gowns for "The Snow Crystal Forest",.

Celebrities and headline-grabbing society women seeking their memorable red carpet moment would be spoiled for choice as the designer known for combining sophistication and luxury with head-turning drama turns out design after design of show-stopper evening gowns.

Body-revealing femininity manifest through the use of cut-outs on the back and shoulders as each gown shines through extraordinary detailing, accentuating statuesque figures in a fairy tale.

And among the most alluring of his head-turning gowns on show at the Hôtel Westin Paris Vendôme are creations for brides, dressed like a queen or a modern day goddess in white and muted gold illuminated through dramatic sequence and embroidery  for a dramatic effect.

Photo Credit : Kirsty Sparow / Getty Images for Ziad Nakad

Jewellery and Body Ornaments from ABE by Ariane Chaumeil

Beauty and eternity are the meaning of my work. From them is born the collection « PAST TO PRESENT » 

ABE is by Ariane Chaumeil, a glasswork artist who makes jewellery and body ornaments with distinctive techniques: melting glass, sawing, bending, and welding metal, linking metal to form meshes as if she's working with a piece of fabric, and crafting with feathers; Ariane creates an antique look for her Autumn/Winter 2017/18 collection shown last week during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.

As she reflects, "I love this freedom of speech! So many years for reaching it… since my childhood; the thirst of discovering, the curiosity brought to me (from) so many artistic experiences, my first kind of intimate expression. I admire so much the perfection of masterpieces, the transcendence of freedom of speech, the beauty…

"Like many of my peers, my goal is to discover the world, to show my vision of the beauty and of the poetry through my creations. This is an introspection, and also a free interpretation of the world around," according to Ariane Chaumeil in Paris last week.

Angular crystal stones and tribal colours form Swarovski's new jewellery inspiration for Autumn/Winter 2017/18

The new season hones in on the crucial human-identity-defining activities of eating, working and travelling, under the influential notion of sustainability and ethical behaviours, with tribal patterns and colours to project the new inspirations for jewellery, according to Austria's leading crystal authority, Swarovski.

Richly fanciful textiles playing up theatrical and spectral decorations as
seen at Premiere Vision Paris fair in September 2016.
To read Swarovski's trend analysis, click HERE. 

Judging from designer collections recently seen on European catwalks, and at major international trade fairs, bold decorative elements and opulent surface treatments bordering on excess are the way forward in a world dominated by technology.

Crystal jewellery with edgy gender-neutral designs forge one of the key trend influences from Swarovski.
New for Autumn-Winter 17-18 include BeCharmed Beads and angular crystals, Dark Rainbow effects, amd metal tones.

For Autumn/Winter 2017/18, the overall title is "The Nature of Us".

Click HERE to read in full.

All photos © Lucia Carpio.