Marc Jacobs distilled his experimental, statement-making ways into simple, yet utterly beautiful wares. Having already built an empire conflating ideas, decades and references into cool American sportswear, Jacobs sent down easy A-line wool skirts and dresses, coats with sloping lapels and large buttons as well as serious three piece power suits. He hit on important trends of the season such as beige and grey colors, fur (as accents to many of his coats and bags) and velvet (in trousers, skirts and floor length gowns).

Ohne Titel was also in a pared down mood, resulting in a modern combination of commerce and creativity. Although trousers, military jackets and coats were relatively more wearable last season, there were unique flourishes such as silk dress made from different, randomly arranged materials and swingy dresses made from power netting. The duo behind the label, Alexa Adams and Flora Gill, also produced some of the most covetable accessories this season with geometrically paneled leggings and wide leather belts.

While Adams and Gill used leather as accents, Joseph Altuzarra used the material to make a loud and sexy statement. Leather dresses, pencil skirts and body suits evoked Catwoman with panels that seemed to be sutured together. Altuzarra’s fall collection is a departure from the softer, feminine wares of last season, but it is certainly a welcome shift judging by Carine Roitfeld’s approving nod by show’s end. Alexander Wang also recieved kudos for reworking the pinstripe suit into mini dresses with lace, long skirts featuring geometric, peek-a-boo cutouts (a huge trend this season) near the waists as well as tailored cropped tops. Nonetheless, the enterprising designer—whose business is already worth $25 million—had less than favorable responses overall.

Thakoon, meanwhile, presented a winning combination of voluminous fur, luxe wool and textured fabrics in carefully arranged layers for each eye-catching outfit. The beauty of this collection lies in Thakoon’s skill at making layers—an important trend when not overdone—look effortless. This dexterity marks his return to top form after an erratic last season.

After years at Bill Blass, Nepal-born Prabal Gurung proved that his aesthetically accessible take on high-end womenswear needs to be taken seriously by the gatekeepers of fashion. This coveted acceptance was also sought after by Victoria Beckham, who produced glamorous clothes that stand on their own merit rather than relying on her celebrity status.

After several seasons absent from the fashion scene, Pheobe Philo’s return to Celine was certainly welcomed by fashion folks last season in Paris. Philo has a way of designing what women want at a given moment, providing utterly chic and modern wares for her loyal customers. And, as Cathy Horyn pointed out in a recent New York Times article: “behind every good collection is Phoebe Philo.” Even designers such as Phillip Lim, Reed Krakoff and Derek Lam came a tad too aesthetically close to Celine’s spring/summer ’10 outing, hinting at percolating trends toward a straightforward, frippery-free manner of dressing.

The Olsen twins’s tightly edited collection for The Row was uncomplicated yet irresistibly hip—keeping in tune with this minimal design spirit. Marios Schwab, meanwhile, gave Halston’s signature draping a decidedly younger luster, and Matthew Ames used leather and soft colors to anchor voluptuous silhouettes.

Some designers, however, simply stuck to what they know best. Sophie Theallet didn’t veer away from the reliable femininity that helped her clinch the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, while Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein used form and materials to convey his sculptural turn. Proenza Schouler’s J Brand collaboration yielded painted graphic jeans, which, along with updated American classics such as bomber jackets, toggle coats and cocktail dresses, have sustained the brand’s desirable status among the hip, deep-pocketed set.

American style can mean many things to many people, but New York Fashion Week’s varied new look is both grounded in its past and compelled by its future.

—Robert Cordero

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.

The beachwear collections are always one of the highest points during São Paulo and Rio fashion weeks. The powerful national industry includes 2,300 companies, which collectively delivered 273 million beachwear pieces in 2007 alone, so it’s no doubt that beachwear is a serious business in Brazil. In fact, the presentation of beachwear brands will be a delicate competition between the newly born Claro Rio Summer and Paulo Borge’s Rio and São Paulo fashion weeks as well as Heloisa Simão’s Rio Summer.

Rivalries aside, the beachwear summer ‘10 catwalks presented powerful proposals that tended to explore the whole ’80s power dame trend. This leveled up the bikini cuts, prints and accessories to a beach couture stage where only labels such as Rosa Chá, Lenny, Clube Bossa and Adriana Degreas used to exist. This season, classy upscale beachwear seemed to be spreading to most beaches and runwaysᰬincluding chunky golden strap details as seen in Cia Maritma, or sculpted pleats on tops and briefs. Also, Brazilian beaches will look even hotter with the many fetishist bandage-style ensembles presented and with the great amount of wet-looking materials, such as satin and velvet as seen in Luiza Bonadiman, Lenny and Paola Robba shows.

In Rio, Lenny turned up the sexiness level with her precisely crooked cut-outs and tubes, while Bonadiman further matured her beachwear experiments with bikinis and one pieces that translate from sand to the lingerie wardrobe and ieven straight to top soirees. In São Paulo, Liana Thomas, Água de Côco, Paola Robba and Cia Maritma sent a similar message, but on a less provocative level. The looks featured pleated lycra in goddess-like styles paired with upscale resort pieces such as sarong pants and tunics. The ’80s revival even led to the use of padded shoulders on one piece.

The strong wave of sophisticated beachwear caused controversy in the media, prompting Fora de Moda’s Ricardo Oliveros to mourn over Blue Man’s minimal, graphically creative bikinis. For those missing a dash of simplicity, Salinas collection delivered retro-inspired cuts painted with a dramatic color palette and prints inspired by Pedro Almodóvar’s cinematic women.

Movimento’s show also turned towards a different feminine concept, playing it safe with Brazil’s exotic sensuality. The starring cast of models looked absolutely stunning with natural tropical leaves and flower headpieces. Tininha da Fonte, the designer in charge, cleverly chose a varied palette of botanical prints that in some pieces came as illustrations and on others were transformed into great abstract geometrical designs. Attention also goes to the butterfly-inspired prints on airy resort dresses and low crotch pants. The label also updated a deja vú trend for Brazilians in one version: mini tank-tops worn with strapped briefs.

—Flávia Mendonça

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