Fashion Week's top looks and trends that made our list. By Christene Barberich & Piera Gelardi
Leave it to the Londoners to turn up the volume on any glimmer of a trend. Instead of a play on plaid, it was tricked-out camping looks (Peter Jensen) and gothish day dresses (Luella). And a continued turn toward even more modern, body-conscious cuts was translated in skin-tight super-future tube dresses (Marios Schwab) and Marix-like suiting (Jens Laugesen). Much of it may not be wearable, but we love the willingness to take chances and bring some revelation back to the runways (Gareth, we heart you). Check out the looks that made our London list.
1. Tattered Elegance—The long flowing evening dresses with hints of deconstruction, symmetrical slashes, and bits falling from the shoulder suggested a truly modern gown that had been through one-too-many good times—and still looked completely gorgeous. From left: Giles Deacon, Ann-Sofie Back, Giles Deacon
2. Blurred Vision—There was something so insanely smart about muddying the look of florals and the season's more cheerful shades with a dark and blurry veil. Like psychedelics in solitary confinement. From left: Sinha-Stanic, Erdem, PPQ
3. Prairie Girls—Sort of Amish meets millennial hippie, the season's prairie girl had plenty of edge to counter-balance the bohemian femininity. From left: Top Shop, Jens Laugesen, Erdem
4. Micro Jackets—Not just short, but really short, these little jackets brought emphasis to the waist in a new way. From left: Modernist, Marios Schwab, Modernist, Jens Laugesen
5. Caped Crusaders—Another trend we're happy to give props to, the season's capes all had thoughtful twists, whether it was a funky neckline or a newsprint-style textile. From left: Ann-Sofie Back, Christopher Kane, Topshop
6. Star Trek Couture—If there were ever a reason to cut back on the carbs, these creations would be it. Call us crazy, but a long-lean body-stocking accented with extra-terrestrial armor just seems apropos of the millennium (even if we're not exactly "there" yet). From left: Marios Schwab, Louise Goldin, Marios Schwab
7. Sharp Shoulders—Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl comes close to the bold, power-bitch look conveyed by these sharp shoulders. But even she didn't have the dark, underworld edge that these right angles suggest. From left: Jens Laugesen
8. Structured Knits—Sweater-dressing will always be a fall/winter standby, yet this season's knit dresses with defined shoulders and silhouettes seemed the most appealing by far. From left: Louise Goldin, Central Saint Martins
9. Accent Patterns—Adding a Native-American trim or print to the inseam of a legging or the edging of a lapel was just the right way to bring contrast to a monochromatic look. From left: Aquascutum, Louise Goldin
10. Exaggerated Collars—Soft rounded collars in floppy folds framed the face and neck in an ultra-fantasy way. From left: Aquascutum, Krystof Stronzyna, Aquascutum
11. Modern Mille Feuille—Various forms of intricate layering turned on the wow factor, whether it was on a little cocktail dress, a peacock-esque gown, or a dramatic waist-hugging jacket. From left: Nathan Jenden, Biba, Giles Deacon, Roksanda Ilincic
12. The Little White Dress—Loads of designers played up looks in summer-ready pales and neutrals, but it was the handful of short, shocking white dresses that more than confirmed angelic can still have plenty of attitude. From left: Christopher Kane, Richard Nicoll,
13. Extra Padding—That puffy effect has been showing up here and there over the last few seasons, but we're really into the sculptural stylings that emerged this time around in 3-D T-shirts and Victorian'esque jackets. From left: Giles Deacon, Louise Goldin
14. The Dark Little Mermaid—Possibly the polar opposite of the baby-doll look, the floor-sweeping mermaid silhouette is once again, slightly other-worldly (and other timely) in all the best ways. From left: Meadham Kirchhoff, Giles Deacon, Christopher Kane
The looks and trends that made our list.