Festive Embellishment

The mood of the AW12 catwalks was adult and polished, with ornate embellishment taking centre stage. Sequins and shimmer have always dominated party wear, but this season designers took illumination to extremes. Karl Lagerfeld decorated his pieces with never-ending glitter and coloured diamond clusters – the perfect compliment to his striking crystal-adorned runway. From lurex-threaded knits to gem-studded eyebrows, everything had the shimmer factor.

At Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs glamorized black separates with incredible, iridescent appliqué shapes (below left), while Prada created a showstopper by adding prominent costume gems to a vibrant orange coat (below right).

Rachel Bilson embraces Chanel’s mythical glamour in her monochrome frock by the label- the rough-cut crystal embellishment adds edginess and boosts the neutral hue of the dress. Diane Kruger stunned at a recent film premiere with her Valentino Haute Couture Fall ’12 cocktail dress. The gold and leopard-patterned velvet bodice is chock-full of tiny glass fragments, exuding wow factor.

I’ve curated a selection of Yumi’s gorgeous embellished pieces – the scalloped edge dress, floral tunic and sequinned collar blouse –  for you to swoon over- there’s no doubt you will ignite the night in these (very top image)!

By Izzy Stocks.