AnOther decade in fashion.

Kate Moss apparently wasn't satisfied with 4 September covers (W magazine, British Vogue, Russian Vogue and V magazine) so has landed her 5th with AnOther magazine. But - as seems to be in trend at the moment - there are multiple cover alternatives with Vanessa Paradis, Natalie Portman and Katie Holmes also sharing the limelight.

AnOther magazine’s Autumn/Winter '09 issue is marking the end of a decade of style and inside those covers they will explore 28 famous women each dressed in one of 28 designers (who define the decade). Each pairing will encapsulate a unique fashion moment of the Noughties. Can't wait. 

Mango's fresh faces.

So Scarlett Johansson is the face of Mango's Fall ’09 campaign and was apparently chosen for not only her beauty but also "her extraordinary personality, which embodies the ideal of the urban, enterprising, daring woman that we target. Johansson is the epitome of an elegant, sensual woman who is at the same time both creative and inquisitive."
But Mango has also decided to feature some other young faces alongside her in their Fall catalogue who they consider perfectly reflect the "essence" of the collection.

Daisy Lowe, the Americans Leigh Lezark (a famous New York DJ and member of the group The Misshapes) and Riley Keough (daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and chosen as the model for Miss Dior Cherie), and the French model Marie-Ange Casta, have posed in the new collection and each brings a fresh look to the garments with their "undeniable personality, originality and unique style." 

Neurotica Lookbook.

After posting of the partnership between Neurotica and Topshop last week, the Lookbook has now arrived. Ooooh! Topshop do it with style as usual.

Loeffler Randall

Loeffler Randall have shared this behind-the-scenes look at their photoshoot for Fall '09. Their new website, is lovely and reflects the design of their clothes, but when are they going to open stores?

Just Cavalli Fall '09

Kate Moss has again features in the latest campaign for Just Cavalli, this time for Fall '09 with younger male models. 

Mark Fast for Browns.

Browns have teamed up with knitwear designer Mark Fast again for AW09 to offer a limited collection online. With body con being back, "Fast is bringing a touch of rebellion to his fall collection that is seriously sexy with a hint of punk." 
My favourite item is this double layered black knitted dress with a fringed bolero. The detailing is gorgeous with a racer back and ladder stitches across the bust. (And all for a mere £2,080.00!)

adidas SLVR Label A/W 2009

"A complete collection of innovative pieces designed with care and rigor. adidas SLVR is pure, streamlined form, stripped of excess; it delivers effortless dressing for those who appreciate design. Rigorous simplicity. Total versatility. Pure understated style."

I really want...

...thee bag of the season, Alexander Wang's 'Coco' duffel bag. But at £795 (never mind the fact it keeps selling out), I think I'll need to settle for a high street alternative as I'm sure there will be lots about soon enough.

Lily gets the Karl treatment

Lily Allen has come a long way since her sneaks, prom dress and gold bling combinations. 

The first pictures of her Chanel handbag campaign shot by Karl have finally hit the web. The black and white shots show Lily looking distinctly Lagerfeld-like, wearing monochrome neat tailoring and fingerless gloves (which are set to be huge this Fall '09).

Topshop AW'09 Lookbook (behind-the-scenes)

Stella McCartney ft. Bambi

Shot by photographer Ryan McGinley in a forest in Worchestershire, Stella McCartney’s Fall 2009 ad campaign features beloved Bambi characters. Of course McCartney has always been pro animal rights so it is fitting that if anyone was to go down this direction it should be her. The effect is quite beautiful.

Topshop AW'09 Lookbook

Topshop New Season

On my recent visit to London, I of course swung by Topshop Oxford Street. Launching their New Season's collection, the store had everything (and I mean everything) that we can come to expect from Fall '09. 

Shaggy knits, exciting hosiery, lace and sheer fabrics, glam embroidery, oversized bullet proof statement jewellery, thigh high boots, bondage shoes... and this was all just in the window display! Topshop has hit the nail on the head yet again. 

Explains itself.

Christian Lacroix Fall '09 Couture

One of the most wearable couture collections Christian Lacroix has ever created, this season's last couture installment was possibly a commercial plee for financial backing. The Lacroix business went into administration and all but 12 workers were laid off. (Due to legal issues, the models had to be paid and were reportedly paid €50 each.) The ateliers loyal to Christian donated their time in order to pull off a collection to follow (though by no means match) the opulent fantasies he has been creating since 1987.

As the whole audience stood in ovation for him walking out with a model donning his bridal creation, Christian (who had personally financed the collection himself) stated, "I didn't want to cry. I want to continue, maybe in a different way, with a small atelier. What I really care about is the women who do this work."

Without access to extravagant hues and embellished materials, he pared the collection back to mainly black and midnight blue (a huge trend when placed together for Fall '09), concentrating on shape and wearability. 

Footwear Fall '09

This season's footwear is anything but bland, whether studded, crystallised, ruffled or cut out, there are so many new styles to explore.

Possibly the most important style for the upcoming season are the thigh-high boots which were seen all over the runway. I still have a pair of Topshop black suede ones from a couple of years ago although they are flat so no doubt I'll be tempted to invest in a smarter pair. My favourite ones were from Hussein Chalayan, second from the left. 

Designers really went all out when it came to designing the platform and heels this season. It's all about interesting forms and a new spin on giving height including  very vertical needle thin heels.
Black PVC, snake skin and lots and lots of straps. Perhaps a tougher look to the gladiator sandals of Summer. Can't wait to see what the high street has to offer. 

Textile Trends for Fall '09

(More trends from Stylesight.)

It is no surprise that knitwear was strongly featured in the Fall '09 collections. Knitwear has really come unto its own over the past couple of years with new techniques and forms being adopted. The knit evolution sees the upcoming season mainly featuring extremely shaggy knits in heavy layers and earth tones. 

I'm happy lace reared its head again. Traditional techniques have been used but with playful detailing like the blue shoulder pads showing through in this Givenchy dress and the black piping at Louis Vuitton.

Taking inspiration from underwear and lingerie, sheer layering can be seen in cotton, silk and polyester chiffon. 

Tapestry and upholstery brought a touch of luxury to the catwalk. A rich, textural quality is added using traditional techniques like embossing and flocking. 

Leather! Leather, leather, leather. Moving on from the heavy presence of tight, leather trousers/leggings and biker jackets, leather comes onto its own next season taking the form of seperates and dresses. In each case, the leather was clearly soft and supple to the point where it could be used as an alternative to wool in garments.   

The fur debate. I have never agreed with the use of furs in fashion, but that's a whole other blog post. Fur could be seen in the majority of Fall '09 runway collections whether it was used as a slight detailing like at Dior; with other furs at Lanvin & Fendi, or colour treated which was massive at Michael Kors and Gucci. 

Artificial furs were also present and are likely to be huge on the high street come September so if, like me, you don't want to wear the real deal, don't worry there will be plenty of faux alternatives.  

Colour trends for Fall '09: Part II

Of course the pop coloured brights of the '80s still have such a presence all over the catwalk. As with the blocking of the last couple of seasons, the same has been done again but this time round they have been partnered up with grounding neutrals such as black, navy and creams. If you're scared to go all out, small detailing will work just as well. It will be Fall after all.

A mixture of crimsons, coral, scarlet etc are always great for brightening up your Autumn/Winter wardrobe. Also noticeable is the emphasis Muiccia Prada has placed on the over-sized boyfriend cardigan (here even coming through the shorts). No need to get rid of last year's.

Shades of emerald and jade were seen all over the Fall runway collections. Love the Stella McCartney dress on the left. Chanel (far right) were key in pushing this look with even their accessories. I also saw that they have brought out a similar shade of nail varnish to match.

Organic Erosion is all about texture and earthy elements. Pure golds and silvers have been replaced by bronzes and more aged golds, which appear to have been left to oxidise or be chemically treated. 

Layering  and mixing is key with these darker, again earthy dark tones. Like the greys and the cosmetics, there is still a warmth to the moss green and maroon colours used and again partnered with furs.

Colour trends for Fall '09: Part I

I can't claim credit. I have collected some of the key colour palettes taken from RTW collections from Stylesight. So here they are in all their glory:

Monochrome geometric patterns continue to be big but are more exaggerated and over-scaled than before with harsh contrasts.

There was a luxe survival feel to a lot of the collections; a return to a nomadic look with layers of furs and skins thrown together in different layers in earth tones.

Mixing of different grey tones top-to-toe was key but without the cold minimalist feel from the '90s. 

Usually no-go colours were placed together in unexpected ways. This was most evident with the navy & black combinations. Not only that, but the textiles were often entirely different in surface texture and created a new aesthetic.

Continuing on from the apricots, pinks and blush colours of Spring/Summer, the cosmetics are a more exciting way of looking at neutral colour palettes. The greys and brown tones add richness for Fall.