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• February 27, 2009
• Trend Spotting

Our Top 10 Runway Trends from Across the Pond

By By Erin Donnelly and Piera Gelardi

As you've no doubt gleaned from our photo diary, London Fashion Week was a pint- and curry-fueled whirlwind of shows, parties, wicked street fashion, Oyster card swiping, and Kanye sightings. But it wasn't all a blur. As we skipped from show to show, several trends leaped out at us as a precursor of things that will soon be appearing on our credit card bills. Though many of New York's trends—cut-outs, furs, saturated colors—made their way across the pond, the London runways provided their own unique perspective on where fashion is headed. Judging by the trends below, we're just happy to go along for the ride. (Which means this economy had better start picking up—we've got some major shopping to do!)





1. Head-to-Toe Prints—We've come to rely on that British flair for madcap graphics, and this season's smattering of all-over prints—including Josh Goot's sweet-meets-slick marbleized suits, Erdem and Peter Pilotto's rich mix-and-match florals, and Danielle Scutt's red, white and black optical swirls—didn't disappoint. It's less moving wallpaper, more Anouck Lepere. Above, from left: Danielle Scutt, Erdem, Josh Goot, Erdem, photos via nymag.com.





2. Femmebots—From Giles' metallic lampshade skirts to Richard Nicoll's silver-plated trousers and bustiers to Louise Goldin's leather-on-knit body armor, we detected a definite "take me to your leader" vibe. Futuristic, but feminine. Above, from left: Giles Deacon, Richard Nicoll, Giles Deacon, Louise Goldin, photos via nymag.com.





3. Trompe L'Oeil Hourglass Shapes—No curves? No problem! Contouring seemed to be a big buzzword this season, with contrasting panels adding the illusion of cinched-in, womanly curves at shows like Jaeger. Above, from left: Jaeger London, Erdem, Mary Katrantzou, Christopher Kane, photos via nymag.com.

4. Line Drawing—Piping, too, came out of its cage to add contour and visual interest, from Ann-Sofie Back's Hellraiser-like pattern to Christopher Kane's sleek black velvet lines which popped against his wispy nude creations. Above, from left: Christopher Kane, Josh Goot, Ann-Sofie Back, photos via nymag.com.





5. Galactic Prints—We got a starry-eyed surprise at TopShop Unique, Peter Pilotto, and Marios Schwab (who even threw in 3-D glasses to view his collection inspired by crystal fissures), where the embellished prints were out of this world. So many fun options for those holiday parties in our future. Above, from left: Topshop Unique, Marios Schwab, Peter Pilotto, Topshop Unique, photos via nymag.com and style.com.





6. Winter White Lace—Out with the sultry "La Dolce Vita" black of seasons past, in with the virginal winter whites. Lace took a softer, more antique, almost bridal turn, peeking out in sheer creamy sheets that recalled old christening gowns. Above, from left: Aquascutum, Paul Smith, PPQ, Basso & Brooke, photos via nymag.com.





7. Picture Sweaters—Bill Cosby's reign of terror continued at shows like Ashish and Peter Jensen. We actually have a soft spot for these quirky knits—perfect for jazzing up a basic pair of jeans on the weekend. Above, from left: Eley Kishimoto, Issa, Ann-Sofie Back, Peter Jensen, photos via nymag.com.





8. Sharp Shoulders—New York's voluminous puffs gave way to angular, epaulet-esque shoulders at TopShop Unique and Julien Macdonald—think linebacker meets West Point meets Sean Young in Blade Runner. Let's just hope we don't get stuck in any doorways. Above, from left: Julian McDonald, Topshop Unique, Julian McDonald, Armand Basi, photos via nymag.com and style.com.





9. Rocker Minidresses—Though we saw plenty of lowered hemlines in New York, we knew we could trust the Brits to deliver body-conscious minidresses with a dash of that trademark trashy-but-not-tragic flair. The result: an unapologetically sexy stash of form-fitting long-sleeved frocks that we'll be huffing and puffing to get into. Above, from left: Marios Schwab, Peter Pilotto, Louise Goldin, Mark Fast, photos via nymag.com and style.com.





10. Knots—The "Knotty by Nature" street style trend we spied a while back is getting love from the runway, with Roksanda Ilinic and company sending down scrunched-up twists of fabric. We love a trend we can DIY. Above, from left: Issa, Noir, Roksanda Ilincic, Issa, photos via nymag.com.




More Posts:
It Brits, Street Style, Parties, Shows, and More from London Fashion Week

Our Top 15 Trends from New York Fashion Week