STYLE GURU STYLE: Edgy Elegance

When I saw Giambattista Valli’s spring 2015 couture collection, my mouth fell open. This collection is my childhood dream of being a princess and the edgy, urban style I wear now merged together to create something extraordinary. To say I’m in love is an understatement. Valli’s collection is defined by lace, floral, tulle, fringe, bows, sparkle and fur, but it never seems cheesy or overwhelming. The elements work together to flow from look to look telling a beautiful story of Janis Joplin meeting Coco Chanel. The collection and Valli’s design aesthetic is described as “edgy elegance” and that is exactly the personal style I strive to create. I knew immediately I had to recreate this look into something ready-to-wear.

I put this look together for a birthday dinner, but this is an outfit you could wear to class, work or just running errands. I started with a floral skirt from Forever 21. This skirt has the floral, tulle and color scheme elements of Valli’s Collection. Full, tea-length skirts add such a romance and elegance to an outfit. I need to invest in more for my spring wardrobe. Then I tucked in a simple black shirt to balance out the fullness of the skirt. Blazers and jackets are also an important part of this spring couture collection because they are used to play with structure and silhouettes. Blazers are a staple piece in my closet so I was excited to add my favorite black one. Every Fashionista should have a great black blazer, they come in handy so often. I finished the look with my favorite chunky necklace to add the sparkle and my new booties from Urban Outfitters.

Recreating this collection helped me see that couture can easily translated into everyday outfits. I felt like Carrie Bradshaw while walking around town wearing this outfit. It was exciting to see something so elegant and high fashion fit my style perfectly. I cannot wait to continue to use the collection to inspire my clothing choices. Take advantage of all the beautiful spring 2015 couture collections this season and don’t be afraid to transform couture into ready-to-wear!

Get My Look: 1. A full skirt. 2. A staple black blazer. 3. Perfect booties.

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