Monique Lhullier Will Make You Wish You RSVP'd to That Ball

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There was a lot going on in terms of color, shape, and pattern at Monique Lhullier's Fall 2013 show, so we'll go ahead and tell you the take-away upfront: Her calling card—the gown—owned it and has already received red carpet shout outs from several critics. But the first looks sent down the runway were daytime to cocktail looks, from dresses to trousers to jackets in white. (The background to the show mimicked malachite, an opaque stone in a green similar to Pantone's pet color, emerald, but richer and striated with a darker shade. In short, those whites really popped). Some really interesting gold digital prints followed, but they''ll probably get over-looked because oh my god gowns.

And about those gowns: Since everyone likes a good art deco motif, the majority of the collection involved geometrically patterned beads of dizzying complexity, feathers, and all things shimmery. As for silhouette's, when waists didn't drop, tent-like gowns and mermaid styles took over. The peplum dress over trousers of the same fabric stood out for its that's-weird-but-I-kinda-like-it-maybe quality. We'll see if it takes this fall. So take a look below to preview next year's red carpets, and be sure to check out the shoes: They're Monique's first take on Fall footwear, and they kind of rock.

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