The purpose of Felipe Oliveira Baptista's presence at couture fashion week isn't really to shock or be sumptuous or decadent - all the things that people love/hate about haute couture.  Baptista proposes a different side to couture - clothes that are beautifully crafted and entirely stands up with its own vision that doesn't need to veer into costume territories to fulfill that vision.  People can gasp and ooh/ahh over Dior but I was more distracted over the details going on at Baptista.  The oil spill patterns on the dresses and leggings and more interestingly, from a distance what looks to be shoulder fabric panels turn out to be a smattering of feathers up close.  A beautiful bit of thrifty economising on materials there, seeing as a dress covered with feathers might not nearly look as lovely as small spray of them on the shoulder or on the hips...