Much of what we've seen on the Fall 2009 catwalks might be be trim and deliberately sculptural but outerwear seems to be taking on a more relaxed, retro feel. In Milan forties style coats were noticeable for their cinched waists and round shoulders. Would these look right with something sculptural underneath? We think some experimenting is in store.
Despite Tim Gunn's best efforts it seems the Fall 2009 season is fully stocked with statement fur. We saw plenty of unabashed examples in New York and although London's offerings were less plentiful, Milan has compensated with some of the most statement-making options yet. Whether by way of bright color of sheer volume, these furs are certainly hard to miss.
In London, modern and minimal looks ruled and graphic transparency was a major trend. Like luxe turned inside out, transparent, colorless fabrics communicated a need for something special without even a hint of vulgarity. This season London was all about the personal, forward-looking fashion statement.
People say the Fall 2009 season is all about styling and this trend--of wearing black turtlenecks under color--couldn't serve as a better example. This look adds drama and depth to outfits that might otherwise look flighty, out of season, or just too optimistic. It plays up that layered tidiness that we've been seeing so much of for the past few seasons and it makes something interesting out of classic separates.
Marc Jacob's 1980's club scene throw-back might be the pinnacle of Fall 2009 fun, but smaller designers are still doing their part. Colored metallics have cropped up quite a bit so far and add a dose of nighttime glamour to the collections. If you can't afford to have your trousers embroidered in Swarovski crystals you can at least have them rendered pink and shiny, right?
Little cocktail dresses have never been a hard sell, but that seems too easy an explanation of why so many have cropped up during the recession. There's also something like "bionic girlhood" at work here, and perhaps that's tied in to the "glamazon" theme (aka hyper femininity) that these brands have nearly perfected in the past few seasons. All we know is that if designers like Erin Fetherston are pulling out silhouettes like these, we can hardly wait to see what Paris has to offer.
We just had to wait until after Valentine's Day to say this--we're thinking red is the hot color for Fall 2009. Not only have head-to-toe red looks come together from Lyn Devon and 6119 Ilana Sunderland, but, last night, Ruffian sent their red-clad models down a matching runway. Combine the monochromatic examples with the glimpses of it at Rag & Bone (and color is hard to come by with those gents), the transparent instances at Verrier, and the ruby prints at Karen Walker, and you've got yourself a pretty strong case for the color.
No, we're not talking about our grainy photos, we're talking about instances of real-life affordability on the catwalks. Last night, at Catherine Holstein's presentation, we were told that the designer's price point has lowered this season. While there were some murmurs of criticism, most of the young gals were talking hurriedly about which pieces they would buy. As for other examples, we saw Abaete's Payless range on the catwalk just a few hours ago. To us, the chain-wrapped ankle boots and platforms looked just as chic and, at times, difficult to walk in, as anything.
Recession or no, it's pretty obvious that those nipped-in waists from Marc Jacobs' Spring 2009 collection will influence the waistline of a fall collection or two. What better way is there, after all, to tidy a mixture of patterns or layers of separates? So far, we've seen eye-catching examples at the Stockholm and Copenhagen shows. Our favorites, above.
Talk about shopping your closet, a standout scarf can turn a basic outfit into something really special. Whether the scarf adds a bolt of color, a touch of texture, or over-the-top volume, this easy addition makes such a difference. We especially love them paired with little frocks and slouchy basics. Our favorites from Copenhagen Fashion Week, above.
