Couture fashion is in its own world, where some of the most elaborate, exquisite, fabulous styles are created.

For the Fall season we have seen the runways packed full of super special ensembles, from renowned designers such as Christian Lacroix, Elie Saab, Chanel, and of course the designer synonymous with the word couture - Jean Paul Gaultier.

Christian Lacroix

There are some terrific names that strutted their stuff on the Fall 08 runway, but let’s start off this look at the hot new couture fashions with one of the top designers, Christian Lacroix.

Lacroix is an expected part of any couture runway and looked forward to by all. For the upcoming season Lacroix brought us bright colors, blacks, and everything in between.

Sent out for Fall were corseted, bejeweled jackets, leg-of-mutton sleeves, frothing tulle skirts, lace-veiled eyes, and jet-encrusted mohawks.

As always, Lacroix’s runway definitely brought a lot of excitement and enthusiasm, and everything about it was utterly unlikely and delightful.

Elie Saab

Another designer infamous in the fabulous world of couture is Elie Saab. Known for more feminine fashions, the runways of Saab are always entertaining and full of interest.

Elie Saab is definitely one of the go-to designers when it comes to haute couture, and the runway for Fall was full of off-the-shoulder swags, bunchy jutting bustiers, and fabric rosettes.

The look here was lovely and very ladylike, which definitely stood out in comparison to some of the much funkier looks on the runway.

Hair was swept in a romantic style while the eyes smoldered with a combination dark smokey eye and cat’s eye, and together this created a terrific balance.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Who could write a couture review without mentioning the effervescent Jean Paul Gaultier?

This time Gaultier presented excited onlookers with a leather framework of saddle epaulets and harnesses strapped over a fur coat that set things off, continuing on with the flamboyant equestrian look.

There were many other fantastic looks to check out as well however, and Gaultier, who is renowned for his interpretion of the trench and tux suit, brought us some delightful versions of these styles as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Fall 2008 couture fashion shows, the designs living up to everything I thought they would be, what about you?

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This is truly a striking take on a classic shape - the Zoe handmade aluminum sandal.

These shoes riff on the classic wedge only there is much more of an architectural look here, with the area of the wedge being…well…non-existant.

There is really no better word to describe these shoes than unique, and they would definitely make a statement with any ensemble.

Architectural shoes are all the rage this season, with the Spring/Summer 08 runways full of heavy, architectural shoes.

If you are interested in snagging a pair of these ultra modern heels for yourself, you can do so through Zoe for a price of $3,940.

Personally I couldn’t condone paying this much money to get a pair of these shoes, regardless of how architecturally interesting they may be, but what do you think? Would you be willing spend nearly $4,000 to get a pair of shoes like these?

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There are a few rising stars in the world of fashion design that stand out today, but no one’s star is shining more brightly than Eugenia Leavitt, whom the Toronto Fashion Incubator recently crowned as their 2008 TFI New Labels Fashion Design Competition winner.

Her winning collection featured clothes that were trendy, sassy, and hip, and you can view the entire collection for yourself here.

Eugenia Leavitt’s clothes definitely mix classic designs with contemporary fabrics and are truly striking. Her look is characterized as being very feminine, and always classic.

This is absolutely one fashion designer that you should keep your eyes on…I sure will be.

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I’m sure all of you have noticed the huge gladiator trend that is flooding the fashion world these days, and more than anything we are seeing this look in footwear.

You can find everything from strappy gladiator sandals to knee-high gladiator boots, and although personally I am not a huge fan of the boots, I could definitely see some of the sandals working well with the right outfit.

There are some gladiator-styled shoes that are way out of the park in my opinion and which I simply could not see working well regardless of how fashionable the ensemble to go with it may be, but here are a few pairs that I think are very fashion forward.

So maybe I like to be subtle when it comes to the gladiator footwear, as you can see with this pair by the wonderful fashion designer extraordinaire, Michael Kors, but they are really fantastic nonetheless.

These black gladiator sandals are great for taking on the day, comfortable and stylish at the same time.

Featuring a burnished vachetta leather upper, thong toe with brasstone stud detailing, adjustable buckle at side, leather footbed with flat stud detailing and pebbled rubber sole, these hot sandals would work with almost any outfit for summer.

These gladiator sandals by Balenciaga are a bit more dramatic, but I could still picture them perfectly with a cute white sundress or even a casual denim skirt and blouse.

While the Michael Kors pair above are priced at $150, these are quite a bit more expensive at $695, but are definitely stylish and worth the money if you think you would get good wear out of them.

You can really spring forwad with these must-have leather sandals by Balenciaga, featuring a braided, strappy leather upper, rounded open toe, double buckle straps along the ankle, fringe detail at heel, and leather lining.

As long as you chose the right dress or shorts to pair with the gladiator sandals I think it could end up being very cute. What do you think?

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If there is any celebrity today who wears the 80s style and does it well, it is English model Agyness Deyn.

Well known for her wacky sense of style and quirky 80s fashions, Deyn always manages to pull off every look no matter how funky it may be.

We see her a lot in black and white striped ensembles, such as the one she wore fabulously to the Empire Awards, and she can now boast on being the face of Giles Deacon’s Gold range for New Look.

We love her penchant for classic 80s style, and it definitely makes her stand out from the crowd because there are few celebs who follow the same fashion trend.

Most female celebrities we see are constantly trying to keep up with the latest and greatest fashion trends, but Miss Agyness likes to stick with the styles of the past and yet makes them all fashion forward and definitely stylish in today’s world.

Agyness Deyn definitely sticks out in our heads and is one woman who we should definitely watch out for because she is more than making her mark in the fashion world.

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For this Style Icon article I chose a couple - Blake Lively and Penn Badgley. Could you get more adorable? These two are more than just super sweet, they are also incredibly fashionable and hip.

One of the things I love best about this duo is that…they are so darn cute…ok off that topic, they are in such a compatible state when it comes to their fashion.

Their looks always mesh well together and you just can’t take your eyes off them whenever you see them out and about.

Let’s start with the beautiful Blake. Unlike some of the more…er, revealing female celebrities…such as Paris Hilton and Tara Reid who seem to like to show it all off, Blake is much more conservative and demure.

Although she is always covered up enough to be classy and casual, she is still very much the sex kitten and we love that about her.

Turning to Penn, he too is very modern-chic but casual and approachable in his style.

He looks sublime in everything from a rainbow colored scarf to a lavish suit and tie, and quite frankly, even if this guy was dressed in a paper bag he wouldn’t be hard to look at.

Whether they are dressed down at the beach or dressed to the nines for a walk down the red carpet, these two are definitely eye-catching and their style, apart and together, is incredible.

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For those of you out there who adore authentic vintage clothing, you are going to love the true retro fashions offered at ModCloth.

A smaller Canadian-based company, this is a business well worth checking out if you love the pin up styles of Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren.

They feature everything from dresses and bottoms to swimwear and accessories, so everything you need to fill your wardrobe up with gorgeous classic pieces you can find right here - and at an affordable price.

One of the best things I love about ModCloth is that you can even pay with Paypal, which just makes it that much simpler, in case you don’t have a major credit card.

They offer an array of styles, a few in particular that I really loved and which I wanted to share with you here.

Make sure that you check out their website for more information and to check out their entire line of apparel and accessories for yourself.

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It’s summertime! Whether you are still trying to lose that last 5 pounds or not, there will be the perfect pair of shorts out there for you.

Shorts are all the rage this season, and although the style of shorts always variates from one year to the next, this year there is practically no style that is not accepted, as long as they are bright and fitted.

Liz Claiborne

This is the perfect pair of shorts to prove that you do not need to have Gisele Bundchen’s legs to pull off this look.

These cute orange Hawaiian print shorts are a delight, and are longer so you can cover up those problem areas if you are concerned with that.

For just $45 from Liz Claiborne you can snag a pair of these hip shorts for yourself, and feel comfortable wearing them everywhere from the beach to a BBQ dinner on the patio.

Try pairing them with a pale yellow tee or a bold red or blue blouse if you want to be daring.

Bongo 58

These shorts are just to die for. Sure, you are used to seeing denim or printed shorts, but what better way to jump into summer than with these red hot short shorts?

They would like fantastic with a plain white tank top and chunky necklace for daywear and then if you want to switch it up, pair them with a graphic tee and cute headband for the warm summer nights.

Perfect for showing off smooth tanned legs, these Bongo 58 shorts, available at Bealls for just $12.99, are affordable and a terrific addition to your summer wardrobe. They are even available in a few different colors.

Victoria’s Secret

Victoria’s Secret features these adorable shorts with a light blue pinstripe.

The side buttons add that little bit of extra detail which make these shorts dressy enough to wear on the day to day, even to the office if you pair them with a cute shirt, fitted blazer and the right shoes.

You can check out the Victoria’s Secret website for more on these and their hundreds of other shorts available this summer season.

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So I was doing an article on the world’s most extravagant handbags and I have to admit I was pretty impressed with the selection, even though the price tags of some of these bags went as high as $100,00 and more.

However there was one that I was honestly distraught over, mainly with confusion, and knew I had to do a bit more research on it.

Louis Vuitton is one of the most renowned designer names in the world, and I am definitely a fan.

The Urban Satchel however, which is one of their most recent and definitely most talked about releases, honestly has me baffled.

The handbag, covered in everything from an empty pack of cigarettes to a package of gum, sweetener wrapper, bandaid…

I understand fashion and realize that many of the most exquisite and desirable fashions are a little bit kooky, but this is just too much for me. Are people just riding along with it because they think the Louis Vuitton name could never do any wrong?

No matter if you live in New York or LA, I simply could not imagine anyone feeling sexy or fashionable wearing this horrid bag.

I have read some of the comments of the public on this bag and surprisingly, almost all were positive towards the bag and considering it as the must-have look of the year.

To me it looks like someone dropped their bag in a garbage compactor or left it in a bar overnight, but what do you think?

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So I didn’t really care for her look at the MuchMusic Video Awards this year, but besides that, Rihanna has definitely become a style icon in my eyes.

When she first came out with songs like Pon De Replay and Music of the Sun, she was definitely hot, but not so much a celebrity that stood out in terms of style.

Over the past year or so however, Rihanna has definitely made a dramatic change in her looks. She has a new haircut, a completely new and unique style, and as of lately I have not seen her step out wearing anything but first class fashions all the way.

She gives us grown up glamour to the nines but sex appeal at the same time, and this is a look that all women strive to achieve.

Just take a look at her in this sexy hot pink number here, all I can say is…wow.

Although early on in her career she seemed to have a sort of molded fashion sense, where she almost just put on whatever she was told to, it seems that she has really come full circle and is finally doing her own thing - which we love.

These days it seems she just can’t go wrong with her fashions…ahem, besides the MMVAs but that is just my opinion, everyone else I know thought she looked fantastic…and from her earrings down to her sky high heels, Rihanna always looks drop dead gorgeous.

Rihanna has certain god given features that are so unique from all the other female artists we see out there today, and she is truly something special.

She’s got more than just great looks and fashion sense though, she is a reigning talent and one of the key players in the music industry today, and that’s why we love her, and why Rihanna is, without a doubt, a true style icon.

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