THE BEST OF FRENCH COUTURE: CELEBRATING MAX CHAOUL

Tough these pieces may seem a bit whimsical, the French have such a solid history and foundation in couture craftsmanship, innovations like these can get away with being classic and fashion forward all at once. For me, that's what French fashion is all about: change as well as tried and true forms and techniques. Each season we look to Paris runways for a kaleidoscope of new and different combinations of fabric, texture; trends revived and new ones created based perhaps on something happening on the political or social scene. I've been watching Max Chaoul's work for years and am awed by his ability to produce so many different and inventive looks. His lookbooks are impressive and the Max Chaoul site gives a joyful dose of inspiration to anyone involved with fashion. I think of each visit to his site as a real lesson in couture even if I don't understand much French (yes the site is all in French).

The down side to this post is, if you live in the US you really can't find a retailer carrying Max Chaoul. I've contacted just about every bridal retailer here and in Canada. The website has more info on how and where to order gowns and the pages can be translated. Wearing any of these gowns would be an experience and I'd say if you love them as much as I do, it's worth a trip to Lyon, France.