Although canary yellow and shades of cream dominated many classic collections (as seen in Mulberry and Richard Nicoll), there was plenty of fall nostalgia in the air as well. Christopher Bailey’s collection for Burberry Prorsum most notably fell into this category with an outdoor catwalk that showcased violet and royal blue trench coats, navy and plum mid-calf skirts as well as oversized parkas in mustard and olive green. BFC/Elle Talent Launch pad winner Zoë Jordan, of Irwin and Jordan fame, took it one step further by creating leafy textures out of deep orange and bronzy silks. Elsewhere, Vivienne Westwood opened up with a trio of moody looks: charcoal silk tops, black check skirts and midnight leather.

For the new season, designers approached the female power suit with renewed enthusiasm—think: fewer boundaries and more flair. Inspired by Pierre Soulages’ paintings, John Rocha’s black-and-white collection of gothic headdresses and deconstructed gowns also included a sleek sleeveless double-breasted vest with fluid, wide trousers. Margaret Howell’s lightweight two-piece suit featured sailor pants with minute buttons down each side. The s/s ’12 suit was also taken to shorter and brighter heights. At Fashion East, Maarten van der Horst created short suits in cupcake green, peach and lilac, whereas designers Louise Gray and Peter Jensen opted for vibrant, graphic prints.

Even a cursory glance at any of Copenhagen’s street style blogs is sure to stir a twinge of envy at the way the Scandinavians turn out stylishness. Sure, Henrik Vibskov, Noir and Wood Wood have already made names for themselves beyond Denmark’s borders, but here are some fresh Nordic labels that stood out during Copenhagen Fashion Week. These up-and-comers are well-worth watching—both for their innovative promise and the immediate looks that will invade international streets during the spring/summer ‘11 season.

Most Wearable: Ivana Helsinki
Ivana Helsinki’s summery looks defy Helsinki’s cold climate. Wearable short dresses populated her runway—from the slouchy shirt variety to babydoll anda handful of effortlessly chic little black numbers. A maritime theme was also evident in a simple navy and white horizontally striped dress, an oversized cardi lined with anchor and a dress tied at the waist with a slim white rope belt. Sweet but not saccharine, girly but not cloying, these dresses are perfect for summer walks on the waterfront.

Most Classical: Undorn
With a neutral, almost unobtrusive palette, Undorn showcased well-mannered chic, echoing the softer looks featured by Garance and Hanneli from their street style finds. Though not exactly reinventing the wheel, the label’s slouchy brown trousers, waist-tied dresses (with a faint kimono influence) and classic button-downs would do right by any gal.

Most Playful: Designskolen Kolding
Designskolen Kolding has a flair for both the dramatic and the geometric. The label’s latest collection featured oversized shoulders (like a modern take on a legionnaire uniform), dresses with cutout sidebars, Eastern-influenced long jackets, accordion-armed tops, long capes and an amazing balloon-animal proportioned coat that looks like it was designed by Jeff Koons. The result offered just enough exaggeration to be noticeable, but not so overdone as to be ridiculous—in other words, proportions that tip the scale just right

Most Summer-Staple filled: American Retro
American Retro’s pale shades of creamy beige and dusty rose are soft without being pushovers. Floral prints for dresses and shorts in a perfect 1996 throwback, two-toned pastel overalls and lace-overlaid tops and dresses felt spring breezy, while a few leather items (not-too-tight trousers and zipper jackets) rounded out the collection with a sturdier edge.

Most Sahara Nights: Vilsbol de Arce
Visbol de Arce’s collection was characterized by amazing turbans and every tone of khaki. Although most looks appeared sandstorm-ready — from paperbag waist wide-leg shorts to unstructured russet-colored jackets, stone-grey jumpsuits to billowing kaftans — the spurts of orange and the large tribal necklaces kept the ensembles from blending too readily with the nearest dune. The calm color palette and airy, loose fits promise to be cool and collected attire for even the most scorching of heat waves.

Most Bonkers: Simon Rasmussen
With models strutting down the catwalk while pushing junk-filled shopping carts, Simon Rasmussen’s homeless hoarder runway theme evoked Ben Stiller’s Derelicte aesthetic in Zoolander. The deliberately rag-tag collection featured burned and tattered denim ensembles, a graffiti-defaced white suit worn with frumpy plaid house slippers, plastic bag shoes, a taped-up duvet-cum-overcoat, teddybear skinned shorts with heels, necklaces that look like a yardsale strung into one continuous tchotke-filled ring, variously-hued blue work shirts patchworked into a jumpsuit and haphazardly collaged object pinned on a jacket worn with grey sweatpants. Some see spring as flowers and sun, but Rasmussen’s vision of the fair season has gone haywire, unhinged and thoroughly off-kilter.

Most Colorful: Peter Jensen
UK-based Danish fashion designer Peter Jensen is perfect for when the sun is shining and you want to wear something that matches the brightness of the day. Men can enjoy his yellow, beige and orange colorblock anorak, super ‘70s cerulean blue jacket and trousers or olive green pants with a bright red rain jacket. Women, meanwhile, can get into a festive mood with his copper button-down sleeveless dress or a billowing long dress that’s available in deep purple, periwinkle and magenta. All the runway looks were worn with tube socks, and either bow-adorned party sandals or black clogs.

Most Clean Cut Guys: Soulland
Soulland offered a lot of long-sleeved button-downs and shorts for the country club habitué as well as stone-grey wool blazers, toggled short sleeve sweaters and blue pseudo-working class smocks. Shorts and shirts in the same evergreen or navy color, meanwhile, only served to furthered the boyish preppiness. The collection was somewhat less successful when it veered into egg salad colored button-downs and pants, but, then, egg salad never did anyone any favors.

Most Rocking Guys: David Andersen
Once you get past the Flock of Seagulls hairdo, it’s easy to see that David Andersen has created a collection that’s rocker guy incarnate. Black staples abound among looks that are polished but not high-maintenance—think: leather jackets, chuck-’em-on vests, slim pants and shiny dark shorts. While these styles have been seen before, Andersen atypical elements—ripped sheer tights underneath perfectly cut black shorts, a chain-link tunic paired with slim black pants—keep things rolling. It’s the kind of staple cool you don’t have to second-guess.

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.

What happens when one of street culture’s most influential magazine joins forces with one of fashion’s emerging “street couture” labels? The formulation of The Wood Wood X Vice Pop Up Store. Vice, a Canada-born magazine that serves as the nucleus of international hipster lifestyle, and Wood Wood, a cult-label created in Denmark by 3 friends, have come together to embark on this unique project from May 30th to June 10th.

With the help of Berlin-based Pool Gallery, the magazine and fashion label have united to curate a “lifestyle endeavor” that consists of a temporary store and gallery, where sought-after goods are both exhibited and displayed to the general public. Both companies share an appreciation for subculture mentality, art, pop culture and consumerism, making this joint venture the perfect marriage of ideas.

Located in Vienna and taking place during the 9 Festival For Fashion and Photography, an annual event organized by Unit F büro für mode, the WWXV Shop will provide some optimism and colorful fun to the “otherwise dark, brooding and super-serious fashion scene in Austria.” The WWXV Shop makes designers such as Jeremy Scott, Eastpak, DRKSHDW by Rick Owens, Carin Wester, Happy Socks, Henrik Vibskov and Peter Jensen available to the Austrian market for the first time. A first for both Vice and Wood Wood, this is bound to be one must-attend event. But be fast—limited qualities are available—and as with the magazine and the clothes, be sure to expect the unexpected.

Shop location: Gumpendorfer Straße 23, 1060 Vienna Austria
Hours: Mon-Fri: 12pm-8pm / Sat: 12pm-6pm / Sun: 12pm-8pm

—Yale Breslin

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