Quinntessential Style: Vendredi en couleur: blanc

Only in Paris...

...do you receive Fashion TV with a relatively standard cable subscription (and this is no ~~Style Network~~ of the US). This station plays fashion show after fashion show, right now focusing on this past week's runway shows in NYC for Spring-Summer 2012 Ready-to-Wear. Now, when vegging out in front of the television for a few hours is needed, I won't feel too guilty because I'll be culturally and fashionably enriched at the same time! For those of you not graced with this channel, they do have a website where you can access streaming runway shows and view the different channels for different countries: www.ftv.com. (pretty cool.)

Coco in White

What does this have to do with Vendredi en couleur? I have Fashion TV to thank for my color inspiration this week. White is running rampant through the SS12 RTW New York shows with flowing white fabrics mixed with structured white ensembles. Diane von Furstenberg claimed "I did something I've never done before - I started with white," opening her show this season with five white looks featuring slouchy dresses and relaxed translucent jackets. New York saw another all white opening during the Nicholas K show and with Cushnie & Ochs' "Space Age meets 'Mad Men'" collection.

For the Fall 2011 Couture shows, the big shots like Givenchy, Elie Saab, and Valentino proved to us that although summer is on the outs, white isn't going anywhere. Forget the fashion faux pas of "no white after labor day". This passé style law is speculated to have been established by the re-entry into the city by the elite on Labor Day, who then stowed away their summer whites as a farewell to their estival holidays. Laura Fitzpatrick for Time Magazine wrote that this rule has been in challenge since "as far back as the 1920's [when] Coco Chanel made white a year-round staple."If we were to respect this American taboo worldwide, France and the United Kingdom wouldn't be wearing whites past mid-spring as their 'Labor Days' hit in the beginning of May, and besides, haven't you heard of winter white? I think it's officially time to put this rule to rest.

So, without further ado, I re-introduce you to: White - for all seasons.

Givenchy Fall 2011 Couture: I'm in love with these elegant open-backed dresses.

Elie Saab Fall 2011 Couture. This collection is absolutely stunning, please take a second to look through the entire show. The models walked right out of a fairytale.