The fashion industry has just completed the run of Fall Fashion Week – an industry event that occurs between January and March where designers and fashion houses showcase their collections for the upcoming Autumn/Winter. New York, London, Paris, and Milan are known as the “big four” of fashion week. The shows open in New York, continue in London, move on to Milan, and end in Paris.
New York Fashion Week, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz began on February 11, 2010 and ended on February 18, 2010. Throughout the week designers and houses such as 3.1 Phillip Lim, Anna Sui, Alexander Wang, Calvin Klein, Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Elie Tahari, Halston, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Narciso Rodriguez, Rodarte, and Zac Posen showed off their collections to the hungry eyes of fashion’s elite. Donna Karan celebrated her 25 year anniversary with easy, lounge-like pieces that her multiple lines where founded on.
Many collections featured a plethora of knits and thick textures. Michael Kors featured luxe pairings of fur and gray flannel, while Jacobs allowed for a reiteration of classics stating “sometimes beautiful is enough”. This trend continued in Milan, where Miuccia Prada showed a sexy version of Fifties-era knits and skirts, think secretary chic. Gucci premiered a strong, steamy collection helmed by Frida Giannini, reminiscent of the days of Tom Ford. And Donnatella Versace, as always, went flashy and colorful, while Dolce & Gabbana was inspired by Domenico Dolce’s father and brought a new taste of sensuality.
Paris Fashion Week brought Karl Lagerfeld with Chanel, premiering faux furs on a runway of ice. Alexander McQueen’s final collection was breathtaking, with gilded dresses and the powerful woman of McQueen’s dreams at center stage.
One trend, helmed by the likes of Marc Jacobs, head designer for his own namesake brand and for Louis Vuitton, is the “curvy model” idea, featuring models Alessandra Ambrosio, Elle Macpherson, and Bar Rafaeli. Prada featured the likes of Miranda Kerr and Doutzen Kroes. When comparing these women, who are admittedly closer to the figure of the average woman, to the models, many of whom are between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, regularly cast in high fashion shows a staggering image. Will the fashion world’s ideal woman, described by many as a “coat-hanger”, change?