While animal-friendly faux fur alternatives have increasingly appeared in more collections, the real deal was all over the recent runways. Derek Lam knit fox into a black and white cardigan, Halston’s Marios Schwab embellished the sleeves of a sweater dress and Marc Jacobs used it on the lapels of a see-thru trench. Fresh off his Swiss Textiles Award win, Alexander Wang experimented with a number of different fabrics, backing a zip-away leather jacket and criss-crossing lapels with mink. Many of these looks will show up at H&M and Forever 21 too, albeit in decidedly less expensive manifestations. The heretofore fur-free designer’s unfortunate use of pelts in his show makes sense given recent supported from Saga, but thankfully some of it won’t be produced for stores.

Leather was the most common go-to fabric for fitted, asymmetrical jackets. It was also used in more novel ways, as in the case of men’s leggings at both Maria Cornejo and Rad Hourani. To wit, Joseph Altuzarra held high-slit pencil skirts together with straps of leather, lending the pieces a vaguely S&M vibe. Threeasfour, meanwhile, paired it with wool to create a collared, almost hood-like coat and Ohne Titel’s Flora Gill and Alexa Adams coupled it with silk to fashion a chic, patchwork drawstring skirt. In addition to singular pieces, expect to see leather—both real and faux—used as embellishment or in conjunction with fabrics like wool, cashmere and twill.

Velvet’s sartorial connotations ran the gamut—little girl party dress, “festive” formal wear, hippie-chic topper—but there’s little doubt we can escape it for fall. Elise Øverland showed a velvet menswear-inspired suit and tuxedo wrap dress, while Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs fashioned a lace and velvet cap-sleeved dress for their semi-eponymous label. In keeping with his naughty schoolgirl vibe, Peter Jensen’s take was admittedly cheekier (tartan bloomers), while Zac Posen’s conjured thoughts of chi-chi late ’70s holiday parties.

Cutouts continue as a reining trend. When strategically placed they imbue basic black with some much-needed sex appeal, but not-so-gym-toned flesh might be better kept under wraps in any of the season’s other trends. Max Azria’s designs for Hervé Léger have never been a go-to for the faint of heart, so it’s little surprise that his sheer-paneled cutouts came courtesy of some killer mini-dresses. Speaking of itty bitty, Halston incorporated the technique into Grecian-style party gowns, featuring artfully exposed flesh and miles of leg. Preen offered what was perhaps the most wearable take in bandeau bra topped silk and cashmere dresses that revealed the areas above and below the décolletage—and leaving just enough to the imagination.

Park Choon Moo: Following academic stints in industrial and fashion design, Korean-born Park Choon Moo launched her eponymous womenswear line in the late ’80s, before opening her first retail shop in the trendy Apgujungdong area soon thereafter. Quickly expanding her reach across broad swaths of the Asian market, she won over customers with a modern edgy-yet-elegant aesthetic. While meriting laudable comparisons to everyone from Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo to Ann Demeulemeester, the designs are undeniably unique. Fluid, layered and often deconstructed, the looks typically skew in favor of monotone palettes, occasionally punctuating black and white with bolts of bright color.

Black Coffee: Only a year after winning the Mercedes Benz Award for South African fashion design, it looks as though Black Coffee’s Jacques van der Watt and Daniça Lepen have officially arrived. Following a glowing review of their Summer collection from no less than Suzy Menkes, the two-time “Designer of the Year” winning duo decided to hightail it to New York. Known for its multi-functional, draped pieces, Black Coffee fuses modern luxury with a sense of history. Whether folding African fabric origami-style to create repeating patterns or topping off their beaded, color-blocked and embellished wares with helmets and nets, the duo imbue the line with character and charm.

Elisa Palomino: Elisa Palomino won’t be anonymous much longer. Having worked for years behind-the-scenes at Moschino, Dior and, most recently, DvF (where she still serves as VP of design), Palomino ultimately saw fit to go solo. Like mentor and friend John Galliano, the Spanish-born designer favors an ultra-feminine aesthetic—think marabou trim, panne velvet and layered chiffon in soft flesh and rose tones. Meanwhile, Palomino continues to teach at Central Saint Martins, where the students keep her engaged and inspired—a few former pupils are reportedly even serving as interns. Not to be outdone in the “kind gesture” category, Galliano’s also had his factory create Palomino’s new, sure-to-be-coveted ankle boots.

If it’s winter in the summer, and the toilets flush counterclockwise,
do models walk backwards on the runway? This was the question we set to
resolve at Sydney’s Rosemount Australia Fashion Week. The question is hypothetically silly but the fashion was not. While sun dresses and bikinis are stereotypically Aussie, this season saw a lineup of hard-hitting sophistication that could give even the punters of Paris a run for their Euros.

The breakout collection of the week came from newly graduated design
student Dion Lee, whose official debut collection exuded coolness. The seams of the geometric designs featured diamond cutouts and twists, giving the line a quirky edge. So much so, that fashion editors were seen the next day wearing his electric blue blazer—the standout of the collection
—and rumor has it that he’s picked up new agents in several countries.

Romance Was Born’s melodramatic show was something like an Australian version of Dior Couture. Audience members were treated to a view of the harbor, which framed an under-the-sea treasure trove setup, including a harp-playing mermaid and merman. The series of crochet octopuses, a red lobster and a string of bloomers with oysters and pearls exhibited the label’s penchant for fantastical fashion.

Sister design duo Ginger and Smart, meanwhile, showed the best collection of Australia-themed fashion. The duo’s clothes went above and beyond the call of sundresses and shorts, however; instead the collection showed a playful sophistication with black and white graphic minis, acid color prints on butterfly sleeves and a kite backpack that could bring out the kid in anyone. As for their business plan, the sisters took a clever shortcut: “We started selling fashionable candles in high-end boutiques where we wanted to eventually stock our line,” admitted Genevieve Smart.

Other notables included Karla Spetic, who showed a print of a child’s painting of the countryside and metallic scalloped tuxedo jackets,
Gary Bigeni’s reinterpretation of jersey in purple and turquoise with
drapes and twists as well as stylist-turned-designer Fernando Frisoni’s menswear, which was a take on simplicity in long jackets and linen sultan pants. Beyond the runway, there were openings for “It” girl Myf Shepherd, an appearance by Margherita Missoni for the Little Black Dress event and
a citywide blackout, which pushed Zimmerman’s worthy collection back
two hours.

But more prolific than the exposed zippers, the jersey tops, harem
pants and cutout parts seen all over the runways, was the presence of
bloggers and twitterers at every show. They were given equal respect as
the high-end glossy editors, sharing front-row seats with the top industry tastemakers. “Half of our job is to exploit the global press—this includes new media,” said Australia Fashion Week creator Simon
Lock, of IMG. “It means that every designer is going to get a piece of
the pie.”

—Misha Janette

The final days of LA Fashion Week saw two wildly different visions of the event’s future go head-to-head. Downtown LA Fashion Week and City of LA Fashion Week battled for the style spotlight, but the two events could not have been more different—one filled with high-wattage glamour, and the other with a little more grit.

After a three-day break following the previous weekend’s BOXEight shows, Downtown LA Fashion Week made its debut last Thursday. Held in the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen space in Little Tokyo, the event carried all the glitz and gloss that have been missing from LA Fashion Week for so long.

There were certifiable celebrities (Marisa Tomei, Nicole Richie, Liz Goldwyn, Rose McGowan, Zoe Saldana). There was red carpet-worthy vintage couture curated by Decades’ Cameron Silver (Yves Saint Laurent, Norman Norell, Christian Dior, Pierre Cardin). And there was a presentation from one of LA’s most respected designers, Louis Verdad, who unveiled his new Louver collection. The designer’s dark, dramatic pieces, which combined spikes and lace, long trains and leopard-print fur, were presented in an installation alongside photography and film of his past work, by August Bradley and Robertino Fonseca respectively. Founder Leanna Lewis refers to the event as “an environmental and cultural collaborative of fashion, art and music,” and the setting promises to be a good fit for some of the city’s more established designers in the future—Jasmin Shokrian, Rami Kashou and Kevan Hall immediately come to mind.

The following night saw the debut of the City of LA Fashion Week, otherwise known as COLA. The atmosphere couldn’t have been more different: after entering through a clandestine door in a Downtown alley, guests proceeded up a pot smoke-scented stairwell to a series of loft showrooms in which the reception and runway shows were located. According to a statement from the event’s organizers, a breakaway group of former BOXEight staffers: “While parties and other related affairs are enjoyable, we do not believe them to be integral parts of a fashion show. Instead, we focus on press recognition, buyer attention and the showcasing of innovative design.” Translation: none of DLAFW’s prized celebrities, no all-night afterparties with endless DJ lineups a la BOXEight.

But the party atmosphere still managed to find its way in, thanks to a hip crowd of buyers, bloggers, showroom owners and designers’ entourages, who wandered over from the neighboring Market Week. As for the clothes, the runways showed some of the most solid and buyer-friendly of the week: Sleek Scandinavian simplicity from Danish brand Eksempel, easy ‘40s-era glamour from Fremont, Japanese-inspired menswear from San Francisco’s B.Son, ’90s hip hop-tinged streetwear courtesy of Joyrich, and the holographic fantasy that is Brian Lichtenberg’s namesake line (with a twist of Yeti thrown in).

In its post-event press release, the Downtown LA Fashion Week organizers lauded their show as “the leader in events to replace Smashbox.” But the one question this season has raised is whether one overarching, headlining LA Fashion Week event is really appropriate for a city with such a multi-layered design scene. After all, while a gallery locale and A-list attendees are totally suitable for a Decades couture show, a collection (and colorful, club-kid crowd) like Brian Lichtenberg’s just feels more at home in a more low-key, informal setting. Then again, as the seasons progress and each event adds days and designers to its roster, there will surely be an overlap between each one, causing stress and confusion for the press and buyers. Only time will tell which events survive and which ones flounder, but the fact that so many organizations are giving it a shot proves there’s hope for LA Fashion Week yet.

—Erin Magner

London stepped up to the autumn/winter ‘09 plate with buyers, bloggers and journos already feeling the strain from the marathon city to city schedule. Fortunately the runway proceedings were inventive and upbeat—if somewhat short on embellishments—offering enough twists and surprises to keep show-goers happily engaged.

Peter Jensen and Ann-Sofie Back’s back-to-back collections stole the spotlight from big names such as Vivienne Westwood, Margaret Howell, Topshop Unique and Charles Anastase. The duo’s stunning design procession kicked off at a Marylebone venue packed with a star-studded audience including Kanye West and Jeremy Scott. For “Jytte,” Jensen took the mix ‘n match trend in a Nordic direction. The collection had a childlike aesthetic with a cozy, handmade touch perfect for a biting, Scandinavian winter. In contrast to this comfort-dressing approach, Back’s collection referenced cinematic horror classics such as Carrie, Evil Dead and Hellraiser. The tongue-in-cheek parade of ghoulish, white-faced models sported ripped jeans, stitched “Texas chainsaw” leather and dreamcatcher dresses.

Tailoring whiz kid Todd Lynn’s no-nonsense collection looked to the Edwardian era for an austere, high-collared monochrome display that included bold platforms by Louboutin along with leather and fur detailing. On a softer note, Richard Nicholl collaborated with cult artist Linder for a beautiful collection inspired by ’40s romanticism. The photographic prints in muted greys and pinks were particular stand outs, while futuristic silhouettes in a mix of elegant, luxury fabrics—caviar wool, velvet, cashmere—were instant crowd pleasers.

Having come into her own as a stale at LFW, Louise Goldin offered an enticing vision for a well-dressed future. Grid textured leather panels and a dark color palette had a touch of added glam with Swarovski crystals, while bodycon dresses exuded an armor esthetic. Goldin’s strong collection remained faithful to its theme of elegant protection from start to finish, promising a much-needed defense against the outside elements.

—Lena Dystant