1. Balenciaga
Nicolas Ghesquière swapped the robotic for the classic, reinterpreting Parisian chic via suits with draped peplum jackets and swagged satin "sari trousers." The result: a soft, feminine counterpoint to the season's prevailing androgynous mood.
2. Bottega Veneta
With buzzwords like "quiet luxury" suddenly spilling from the lips of the most flamboyant designers, Tomas Maier, the king of understatement, chose this moment to produce his most glamorous collection yet. Billowy goddess gowns were begging for a red carpet.
3. Donna Karan
A focused Karan went back to her roots, rethinking eighties uniform dressing for the oughties. Commanding jackets with bold shoulders marched down her runway with narrow, stretchy skirts. But she wasn't all business: A slip of skimmy, twisting silk jersey had the ease of a latter-day toga.
4. Dries Van Noten
In a season when many defaulted to the safety of black, Van Noten proved once again that he is fashion's master colorist. His deceptively simple, vaguely 1940's clothes came in the strange yet beautiful hues of a Francis Bacon painting.
5. Erdem
Reasons to party these days are few and far between, but among the best are Erdem Moralioglu's colorfully printed, brilliantly executed frocks. London's on fire with new talent, and he's one of the young designers blazing the way.
6. Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci worked both sides of Fall's romantic/rough divide in a collection that asserted his range. On the one hand, there were fierce warrior woman getups in feather- and goat-hair-embroidered black tulle, and on the other, a trio of the season's most decadently glamorous all-white gowns.
7. Haider Ackermann
With draping taking center stage, the underexposed Ackermann's effortlessly elegant bias-cut skirts, worn with second-skin leather jackets or Edwardian satin tail coats, proved he can stand with the biggest names in Paris. He has a deft hand for mannish tailoring, too.
8. Lanvin
More than ever, Alber Elbaz knows what women want: a timeless classic, but one that packs serious wow potential. That came courtesy of his signature internal drape and bias twists, not to mention a king's ransom of glinting crystal studs.
9. Marc Jacobs
Nobody did Fall's eighties trend better than Jacobs, who boogied his way through that decade at New York's long-gone, much-lamented nightclubs. His neon coats, bold-shouldered blazers, zip-up party dresses, and acid-wash high-waisted jeans are a guaranteed good time.
10. Prada
In a satisfying bit of fashion irony, the countryside inspired a city-smart Prada collection that helped define some key trends: forties-inflected skirtsuits, coat-dresses, and kinky over-the-knee boots. Leave it to Miuccia to add her own perverse twist to the season's discussion about sex.
Marc Jacobs and Prada do not belong in the slightest if you ask me!
whats going on with fashion least favorite season to date where is Jil Sander and John Galliano let alone McQueen. Lanvin should have been higher as well
well, my top 10 can't be style.com's top 10, but..:sigh:
