Structure has come to be the theme of most Milan fashion shows for their Fall 2008 collections, but Donatella Versace gives even this popular fashion trend a twist that’s all her own. Striking a balance between structure – something that usually ends up looking simply formal and stuffy – and chic is rarely easy, but quite a bunch of garments on the Versace runway made it to that middle ground. It’s not exactly young-looking, but you’ve got to admit that those clothes do look gorgeous enough for a second look on your next high fashion shopping trip.

The runway saw an abundance of short coats and dresses on the Versace models, and that just about screams “next fashion trend!” for all and sundry. With the emphasis on the shoulders (a good number even had pads), some of these pieces would easily be a retro look. On the other hand, the daring cuts and the surprisingly bold colors also make them look very current. Although the show started out with tried-and-tested black and gray, more and more color began popping up as it progressed.

Versace’s evening gowns certainly deserve a mention, what with so many red carpet wearables sashaying down the runway. Volume was definitely given an emphasis, especially when you look at all the dresses with relatively plain fronts and surprising amounts of cloth on the back. Like the casual portion of the show, the evening wear was a Technicolor affair with yellows, silvers and nudes. Perhaps it just goes to show the versatility with which the Versace fashion house has reinvented itself from its very bling-y roots to its chic and sophisticated present.

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Those who cherish the androgynous looks of style icon Victoria Beckham, most of the times like to dress like her. Well, it doesn’t mean she always goes for such neutral looks. Look at her stylish corset attire that she sports quite often with her mesmerizing black numbers. You will find that these skin fitting corsets make her look even more gorgeous especially for evening parties. You can very well carry forward her trait and get yourself a pairs of black corsets from Dior. Amazing varieties of corsets from Dior clothes are displayed this season and your silhouette will definitely get a great boost!

One more plus points of Victoria’s style is her stunning comprehension of apt accessories. Victoria’s love for leather Gucci handbags can well be adopted by her imitators. You may go for the sensational clutches or evening bags, the huge collection will leave you spoilt for choice. I am sure you will thank Pop Diva Victoria for influencing you with her love for leather. You also may not go for exotics just like her and stick to leather and make your own fashion statement. 

If you adore the fashion guru Victoria to the extent of copying her shoe style, I must say you are on right track. Even if you are not a Victoria lover like me, you have to be pretty influenced by her legs and shoes adorning them. More than any apparel, shoes have to have meaning if you want to stay ahead in the race. Spot Victoria in the latest fragrance launch ceremony sporting Antonio Berardi thigh-high latex boots with no heels! What a glory! If you want to go for little affordable option than Antonio, you can definitely have such thigh-high option from Gucci or Prada. If you have seen the sensational and crazy catwalks exhibits from Prada this year, I am sure you are pretty much head over heels on their latest shoe collections. Well, copying Victoria is no harm but if we can copy in our budget, no one is going to blame us!

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I know with the steaming hot cup of morning coffee, you are contemplating what’s in trend for today? Well, it is truly rewarding to know about the latest celebrity trend to make our own style statement, at least not to go “out of trend” with the latest updates! I think the designer fashion trends that we were discussing are still at their best and many fashionists are keen upon choosing designer trendy styles for making their presence felt. This doesn’t mean they are just copying someone like Narciso Rodriguez for his wonderful Prada clothing style for fall 2008. 

But why not to copy someone as high esteemed as Rodriguez when you find an apt combination of style and demeanor in his clothes? With the accessorized look getting hot this season, the coats are “in” again with the fur being most selected material. Also soft wooly materials as in Claudia Schiffer’s high buttoned up knit is gaining fast popularity. No doubt the elegant coats make you add amazing sex appeal to your slim silhouette. Couple this apparel with Gucci shoes, the latest “fringed Devendra” style and get that most desired look.

Yes, the accessories make you look just what you are. They depict your personality to a great extent. This is the reason clumsy accessories take away the whole crux of the apparel. In today’s corporate culture, you have to be very precise about the formal as well as non-formal accessories like matching shoes and handbags. I know again we are copying Rodriguez with his apt shoe presentation like Miu Miu or prada shoes this fall, but it’s okay. He is just a person who thinks similar to us, isn’t it?? Let’s have fun this fall by wearing something both of us desire and both of us conceive pretty well!!

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For somebody who made a personal collection for the season that was seen as over-the-top, Jean Paul Gaultier created a very mature collection for Hermès in Fall 2008. Hermès for this season looks like a woman of the world – literally. The outfits are very travel-friendly, looking like the things you would expect any globetrotting jetsetter would wear. It’s grown up and refined yet very, very chic.

Garments in this collection were meant to travel well. There were a lot of loose skirts and pants that looked comfortable enough to sleep in, yet fashionable enough for, say, photo ops at a local attraction. It’s not a perennial fashion trend for designers, but it’s something you can’t help but appreciate on a 16-hour flight. There were a lot of loose pants, presumably to add that extra touch of comfort. If you’re looking for tight, form-fitting stuff, you’re not going to find it here.

Layering was a big thing for this collection, and the runway photos are telling. Most of the looks are defined by the outerwear – knit cardigans, car coats, crocodile-pattern blazers and trenches were the stars of this show. Heck there were entire looks that comprised only of a coat and shoes! This seems to be Gaultier’s signature for the season; his personal line was also very outerwear heavy, and made even greater use of shearlings and faux fur.

Once you get past that, however, you’ll notice that the collection is just a set of garments that any fashion-forward Frenchwoman would have on her fashion shopping list. It was fashionable and chic, yes, but hardly revolutionary.

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For most people, the term ‘designer fashion’ inspires images of anorexic models wearing outrageous-looking and outrageously priced clothing. Tomas Maier’s designs for the Fall 2008 collection of Bottega Veneta would like to differ. In an industry where explicit luxury and outright opulence are common, Maier’s designs for the season are refreshingly uncomplicated. You won’t be hearing about any of these pieces as celebrity fashion statements anytime soon, but you’ve definitely got to appreciate the simple beauty that Maier evokes.

Except for the outerwear that made it into collection, there was little actual tailoring or construction done on the garments here. Most of them, like the knee-length shimmering black number that was cinched at the waist, look like they were merely draped and then accessorized. The designer says that he was going for that ‘effortlessly put-together’ look, and his technique was a smash success. Most of the pieces are very simple, yet stylish and versatile at the same time once worn.

Next to the draping, the outerwear would probably be the biggest element in the collection. Save for a little black bolero, all the jackets and outerwear in Maier’s designs were very mannish. There was even one – a black peacoat worn collar up over charcoal pants – that looked like it came straight from a menswear store. It was a surprising touch that provided great contrast to the feminine shapes of the draping techniques used on the soft, delicate fabrics.

There were few details and embellishments in the whole collection. The designer apparently wanted the fabrics and the draping speak for themselves. In this case, both made a major statement.

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If you are wondering what style to adopt for this season, you must be busy watching for the fashion shows. And the fashion shows depict one fact very clearly that the fashion accessories form the most major part of any ensemble. Well, it is obvious that bad accessory has an amazing power to destabilize even the greatest of attire. Thus, if you are a person who keeps track with the latest fashion trends, your accessory portion of the wardrobe has to be updated along with your clothesline. Watch out for latest accessory trends and decide your choice.

The Gucci clothesline has introduced the latest accessories to suit your dazzling attire. Here I must tell you the thing that is no more “in” this season. Thus if your wardrobe has some delicate and smaller accessories like ornaments or purses, they have no place in today’s seasonal items. Go for bigger and bulkier accessories for this Halloween and opt for Gucci handbags that will look conspicuous on your stylish clothes. Also the chunky necklaces will go well with the warmer clothes this fall. The fashion legends like Jil Sanders also depict this point through his collection this fall. 

Also high dramatic collars and men’s collections with heavy tops are “in” this season. No wonder the Dior clothes have come up with classy and contemporary clothesline with warmer and heavy outfits. Also the women accessories like Gucci handbags are bulky and heavier this season. You can opt for Michel Kor’s trendier and designer clothes too. You will find the most modern styles and restrained color usage in Kor’s style. In some of his designer outfits, you will also find that he has re-invented the vintage and retro look with amazing clarity. Couple it with the modern chunky accessory and get a unique look this fall!

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The contrast between Paulo Melim Andersson’s girly designs and previous Chloè creative director Phoebe Philo’s grownup aesthetic is very pronounced in the fashion house’s Fall 2008 collection. However, Andersson blends the influences of Philo’s details, Karl Lagerfeld’s prints and an unusual fabric choice to create a very unique collection.

Chiffon was used a lot for the garments in this collection, which made for very flowy and floaty looks. Light and delicate chiffon isn’t your typical fabric choice for fall and winter when most designer fashion is made with heavier fabrics to withstand the colder weather. Remember, though, that Chloè caters to the upper end of the high-end fashion industry, and fashion trends and sensibilities are different at that stratus.

Andersson made a dazzling display of garment-making techniques, from appliqués all the way down to ruffles. There were prints, embroidery and sequins to boot! Each outfit is undoubtedly very pretty; the designer sticks to his target audience of young and wealthy girls with his designs. When you take a step back, though, you can’t help but think that the collection is too visually busy as a whole. It’s dazzling alright, but there’s such a thing as too dazzling.

If you’re a fashion shopping fanatic, you’ll probably agree that it’s not Andersson’s best collection. There were still some high points to it, though. Although Chloè garments for this season might not exactly rival Prada clothing, it certainly gives this season’s Prada shoes a run for their money. Just like Miuccia did for both her collections of Prada and Miu Miu clothing, she capped most looks off with a pair of unusual and rather quirky shoes. It’s a small thing, to be sure. But because you don’t see 3D-detail booties and cuffed stilettos everyday, feel free to be excited.

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Top designer Karl Lagerfeld is known for using men’s styles, pieces and tailoring on his apparel for women, and he doesn’t disappoint for Fall 2008 with the collection that bears his name. Famous for manufacturing garments that directly rivaled Gucci and Prada clothing, Lagerfeld expresses a fairly common point of view with a style that’s in a class of its own.

With all the mannish pieces that made their way down the runway, you couldn’t have been blamed for thinking that you’d walked into a menswear show. Although masculine clothing and techniques resurface as a fashion trend every now and then, few have plumbed the depths of this style as thoroughly as Lagerfeld. It seems that every two or three collections of his heavily feature this element.

Juxtaposed with the masculine pieces were very feminine garments such as the frilly skirt and oversized bowtie that accompanied a breasted suit, an all-black ensemble that opened the show. Similar outerwear was paired with form-fitting pants or a pencil skirt to give the overall outfit a more feminine appeal. As the show progressed, however, the outfits became increasingly more feminine until an asymmetric black number concluded the collection.

Smart would probably be one of the best words to describe Lagerfeld’s collection. The outfits were elegant when they were minimalist and chic when they weren’t. Although the designer stuck with a color palette that was almost 100% black, gray and white, the cuts and the techniques on the garments compensated for the lack of color.

A lot of textures and technical items can be observed in the collection, but not right away. That probably speaks of the expertise of Lagerfeld as a designer, that he can make even the complicated look so straightforwardly beautiful. Not to mention. acessories like prada handbags or classy Gucci shoes can just add another charm to the apealing looks. Ah.. Why not to walk with a style!

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Designer Vera Wang has been known to turn to a very wide variety of inspirations for her work. For Fall 2008, she seems to have gone to both ends of the spectrum, giving her collection two very distinct looks. One is a very street-friendly vibe, full of outfits that you could actually wear for gallivanting all across Manhattan. The other is a very drape-y look that feels like it comes straight from the 1950’s and a Diane Von Furstenberg collection.

The very wearable, street-wearable portion of the collection was composed mainly of loose, dramatic tops with a lot of movement worn over tight, tight leggings and heels. Of particular interest was the outfit that opened the show – a gray scoop-neck top with a lot of fringe cascading in front, worn under a cropped fur-collar jacket. You could easily pick out which pieces were meant to be part of that streetwear feel because they looked very sculptural, just like the photo on the left.

And then there was the dressier part of the collection that featured a lot of loose fitting skirts and draping, collarless tops and outerwear. Perhaps the accessories – a drooping bucket hat there and stockings everywhere – helped add to the illusion of the era. The designer kept from looking too vintage by manipulating fabrics to give the pieces new details. Huge florets in organza, dream-like skirts in tulle and cascading ruffle details added a touch of novelty and trend.

Few of the outfits in the collection will probably make it as the next celebrity fashion item, as it takes a certain kind of person and occasion to wear most of the designer’s items. But even if Vera Wang didn’t exactly make the must-have collection of the season, she nonetheless succeeded in making a lot of things that were very, very attractive (and wearable to boot).

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Now, Marni might not exactly be world-renowned for their accessories in the same league as other big fashion labels like Louis Vuitton, but you might want to take a second look at the high-end brand for Fall 2008. Their runway show for the season yielded a very interesting, if eclectic, mix of accessories that you might want to get. Kate Moss hasn’t gotten any of these yet though, so it’s unlikely that any of them will become celebrity fashion statements in the near future.

‘Chunky’ would probably be the most straightforward word to describe the accessories at Marni for the season. If you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you’ll remember that Gucci made a similar statement this season. The difference, however, is all in the depth. Whereas Gucci stuck to relatively 2D items like flat pendants and small charms, Marni went for big, voluminous necklaces and bracelets that explode into color. Even the shoes at Marni fit under the ‘chunky’ category; they were either thick-heeled, platform-toed or both.

It’s interesting to note that the similarity to other brands’ elements doesn’t just stop at big accessories. Most of the Marni handbags had a lot of structure to them – a major fashion trend nowadays. There was also a chain handle bag that looked a lot like some Prada handbags and oversized Gucci handbags of this season.

The colors were about as interesting as the shapes and volumes of the accessories. There were demure lavender shoes, huge red-and-white color-blocked necklaces, and golden yellow patent bags. The necklaces, bracelets and shoes, in particular, came in a variety of colors that can easily be called quirky and offbeat.

When you first look at them, Marni accessories might not seem like the most glamorous or edgiest that you’ve seen. However, they’ve got this infectious charm and exuberance about them, and those are two things that this very sober season desperately needs.

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