Smoke, light, shadow, crystal, and butterfly wings were all starting points for the Peter Pilotto Spring 2009 collection--but don't expect anything flighty or sweet. A microscopic look at nature is what brought these inspirations together and it manifested on the runway in the form of a rich color palette and a remarkable array of textures. Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos are the designers behind the Peter Pilotto label; the two met while studying at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Now, you can find their designs at such fashion-forward places as Opening Ceremony in New York and Dover Street Market in London. To see the runway gallery of Peter Pilotto's Spring 2009 collection, click here. To see our photos from the showroom, click the link below.

Last night we attended a press preview for some of our favorite designers from London Fashion Week. There, in one tiny pop-up showroom, were the designers of Felder Felder, Louise Gray, Aminaka Wilmont, Peter Pilotto, and Natascha Stolle standing affront their Spring 2009 collections. Needless to say, we were overwhelmed with excitement. How did this fete manifest? The Centre For Fashion Enterprise, which is (now more than ever) a critical organization in the fashion industry. To put it simply, the organization sponsors up-and-coming designers for their first two to four years. The competition is fierce but their generosity to those who make the cut is unparalleled. CFE alumni include Basso & Brooke, Erdem, Marios Schwab, and Manish Arora--to give you a sense of their effectiveness in nurturing raw talent. We were so delighted to learn about CFE's efforts and to have been given the opportunity to meet the designers and see their collections. Our In The Showroom series continues...

Donatella Versace showed her Spring 2009 Versace collection in Beijing, China yesterday--first seen this season at Milan Fashion Week, the collection was re-shown with Chinese models and an identical stage. Versace arranged the show, in part, as a vehicle for humanitarian work. To see images from the fashion show, click here.  

It has been rumored that Mike & Chris is going out of business. A canceled sample sale started the snowball of gossip via Racked's infamous tipline.

Wal-Mart and Urban Outfitters both made it out of the third quarter with overall revenue growth. Their success can be attributed to a combination of low price points and well-timed advertising campaigns.

...and the Commes des Garcon madness ensued. WWD takes us through the adventure play by play and, Network Partner, ShinyStyle, has tug of war videos and photo galleries.