Party Outfits: Men put on their party suits

Sensual gowns, detailed bustiers and chic necklines, sparkling, transparent sequins: before every party, the dress reinvents itself for an even more glamorous look. Includes interviews with Donatella Versace, Elie Saab, Raf Simons, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Giambattista Valli.Before every party, we ask ourselves endless questions about dress choice: should I wear sequins? Do I go for short or long? Designers have countless ideas for suggesting and reinterpreting dresses that so beautifully showcase women. This season, do not hesitate to pick out a rather short cocktail dress. A bonus is that teamed with accessories and a jacket, this kind of dress can be easily worn multiple times for different occasions. Take note of the return to a certain sensual glamour. This is translated onto dresses through asymmetrical shoulders, revealing legs through large splits, low-cut necklines and low backs. Some even choose to play with transparency. Another winning touch on a dress is the bustier effect. Women go mad for it and they pull it off brilliantly. Of course, parties allow us to wear daringly all that glitters: rhinestones, sequins and other glistening pearls are popular as ever. This season, originality lies in the choice of embroidery and other embellishments, like a piece of art. Lastly, you can even be adventurous with volumes, but not just anywhere. If you choose to emphasise volume on the top, go for simplicity and subtleness on the lower half and vice-versa. Interviews: Donatella Versace: My idea was to present the woman as super glamorous, with precise hair and make-up, details in the clothes, and using hoops and eyes which reveal and conceal at the same time. Elie Saab: It really was this desire to present a very delicate, fragile woman. That is why most of the dresses are transparent. Raf Simons: The bustier, of course, is a piece that is very pure in the way that it shows the body and the way it shows the woman, the waist and the breasts. And I thought it was in itself already a beautiful element to build on. Maria Grazia Chiuri: That’s the mix that we want to find in our dress; a really couture shape with elements of embellishment that reminds us of the natural elements. Giambattista Valli: I already had this idea of doing something extremely light, giving everything volume. We dress so many women around the world that it is no longer a question of season. It isn’t a question of the weather; it just has to be something that floats in the breeze, something dream-like. Music free of right/Bandit & Nikit 2012.