Marcel Rochas' Seagull Bird Dress

Once upon a time, in the year 1934, a couturier in Paris dreamt of an elegant little black dress. However, this was no ordinary dress. The dress in Marcel Rochas' mind was rather the opposite of ordinary. Attached to the front shoulder would be a seagull, one of its wings, particularly arched and curved forward. Perfectly running alongside any woman's face who had the brilliant opportunity to wear it. Like something straight out of a surrealistic painting, the dress was formulated, constructed and photographed for Harper's Bazaar- all in the year 1934. It's amazing what the past holds, isn't it?

Eileen Agar's Ceremonial Hat for Eating Bouillabaisse

Eileen Agar (born 1899) was a British artist whose paintings and photographs are often associated with the surrealism movement. Agar had an interesting life, as she achieved almost overnight success after the first International Surrealist Exhibition in London at the New Burlington Galleries in 1936. One of her most important contributions to the world of surrealism and fashion- both together and as separate things on their own is her Ceremonial Hat for Eating Bouillabaisse. The hat itself was constructed of a cork base, painted yellow and blue, and was decorated with an orange colored plastic flower, a blue plastic star, assorted shells, two types of coral painted green and pink, two star fish, twists of paper, a very large glass bead, a piece of jigsaw puzzle, a piece of tree bark and a large fish bone. Agar placed a high value on the hat, and kept it in her own possession until her death 1991. The hat is now in the Victoria and Albert museum in London.

Chanel Couture F 09

The thing about the Chanel empire... it's Karl vs. Karl. With one spectacular manifestation after the next it's a constant race to beat all previous efforts and shows with the latest. It's usually such an easy task for Karl Lagerfeld, but not so much this time. With the prior three collections having such a distinct essence - S 2009 couture, all white, F 2009 RTW, reinvention of the classics, and 2010 RST, glamorous Marchesa Casati and Venice Lido - what was the Fall 2009 Couture supposed to represent? Despite all this, I did appreciate the hats, hair, and accessories.