clothes with a point of view
What will get women back into the stores? Designers came up with a range of answers for Spring, lower price points being one of the most compelling. But this wasn't a season of "safe clothes." There was less talk of "brand DNA," and the best collections had a tangible sense of adventure. Representing some intriguing opposites (utility chic and 24-hour cocktail dressing, the city and the country, sport and lingerie dressing), here are Style.com's favorites.
1. Balenciaga
Saying au revoir to the eighties, Nicolas Ghesquière went back to the future and the streets, arming his tribe of urban warriors with hooded vests, sporty skirts, and the sexiest leather jeans around—all spliced together in ways that defy both the imagination and the copy artists.
2. Balmain
Christophe Decarnin found a way to put a new gloss on the tight, tattered, T&A formula he's made his own—mixing tailcoats, army surplus shirts, and leather cargo pants with chain-mail minidresses and sequined loincloths. The look is so hot, it's probably illegal in several states.
3. Celine
Good news for women looking for practical yet utterly polished clothes: Phoebe Philo's back. Leather tees, high-waisted trousers, and a sophisticated new take on leotard dressing are the keys to her contemporary—and in a way, daring—brand of minimalism.
4. Chanel
Lily Allen sang with her band, but forget the theatrics. Karl Lagerfeld, at his playful best, took Chanel rustique. In the imaginative mix: nubby tweed suits (this time with thigh-split skirts), frothy chiffon party frocks worthy of Marie Antoinette, and, yes, clogs.
5. Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci nailed it for Spring, marrying the gothic, rocker sensibility that has made fans of Madonna, Rihanna, et al. with real-world chic in the form of graphic black and white suitings, draped toga dresses, and striking tribal prints
style.com
What will get women back into the stores? Designers came up with a range of answers for Spring, lower price points being one of the most compelling. But this wasn't a season of "safe clothes." There was less talk of "brand DNA," and the best collections had a tangible sense of adventure. Representing some intriguing opposites (utility chic and 24-hour cocktail dressing, the city and the country, sport and lingerie dressing), here are Style.com's favorites.
1. Balenciaga
Saying au revoir to the eighties, Nicolas Ghesquière went back to the future and the streets, arming his tribe of urban warriors with hooded vests, sporty skirts, and the sexiest leather jeans around—all spliced together in ways that defy both the imagination and the copy artists.
2. Balmain
Christophe Decarnin found a way to put a new gloss on the tight, tattered, T&A formula he's made his own—mixing tailcoats, army surplus shirts, and leather cargo pants with chain-mail minidresses and sequined loincloths. The look is so hot, it's probably illegal in several states.
3. Celine
Good news for women looking for practical yet utterly polished clothes: Phoebe Philo's back. Leather tees, high-waisted trousers, and a sophisticated new take on leotard dressing are the keys to her contemporary—and in a way, daring—brand of minimalism.
4. Chanel
Lily Allen sang with her band, but forget the theatrics. Karl Lagerfeld, at his playful best, took Chanel rustique. In the imaginative mix: nubby tweed suits (this time with thigh-split skirts), frothy chiffon party frocks worthy of Marie Antoinette, and, yes, clogs.
5. Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci nailed it for Spring, marrying the gothic, rocker sensibility that has made fans of Madonna, Rihanna, et al. with real-world chic in the form of graphic black and white suitings, draped toga dresses, and striking tribal prints
style.com
instead of using their 'high profile' to shine a light on some lesser known, creative, hard working designers, they go with the same names over and over again.. many of which did nothing special this season, imo. 
