Bring Me Back.

Riccardo Tisci's Givenchy couture collection for Fall 2010 has spine, quite literally. Influenced by Google-spotlighted birthday girl (and legendary artistic orthopedic patient) Frida Kahlo, the collection is heavy with artistry built on bony imagery. The colors of the collection keep themselves ivory-based or metallic, like bones and metal braces. The patterns and intensely detailed elements of the dresses make strong use of skeletal structures. In their phenomenal fullness, Tisci's collection has inspired Style.com to do something I've always wished they would do for each and every piece they show; they are giving us a rear view. In the photos shown as the detail view of the looks, the cameras are pointed at the models' posteriors. This is the right direction for the site to head in. Missing the back of a couture ensemble is missing half of the look. To some that is enticingly open-ended, to others (read: me) that is frustrating. Thanks for finishing the full picture Style.com, I can only hope you keep bringing it back.

All photos courtesy of Givenchy via Style.com.

Sculpt Me A Little Something To Wear.

Fashion as sculpture at Gareth Pugh.

Gareth Pugh is exceedingly talented. His draping skills verge on sculpting. He backs leather with neoprene and makes it stiff enough to structure. The folds of his garments flow onto the body or move away from it with a grace that keeps its hard edge. Really, it's quite an accomplishment.

Wearability; Sweet, sweet wearability.

But, the reason why Pugh is poised to last lay beyond his fashion-as-fine-art skills. The man who made Sasha Fierce's stage costumes as pret-a-porter day wear has upped his wearability ante quite a bit this season. There are the garments that you will need a lot of panache to put on, but then there are also those that will let you wear them without your stage persona confidence. Pugh is one of the few this season who has successfully straddled that line of sellable and impressive. His clothes may do well on a retail floor, but they are still designed to be interesting.

J'taime. J'adore. Mon Amour.

Viktor and Rolf style their show with snaps on their iPhone.

Let's get real for a second: New York is exciting because it kicks things off and has Rodarte. Milan goes the chic sweep route with Miuccia, and London is always where the cool kids are, but nothing--I mean nothing--compares to Oui Oui Paris (say that like "par-eee") during Fashion Month. The city of lights has the right ambiance, it just does. We in fashion fandom are getting ready for the big shows and the designers are too. WWD's got coverage of the final countdown. Here's a look at what the heavies are doing to get ready for you.

Rick Owens adjusts (l); some last minute observing at Dries Van Noten.


Gaultier gets a last look at a look.



Giles Deacon tweaks wires and a furry head??!! Bring it on.

Paris, I'm ready for you. Allons-y.

Body Required.

These clothes were meant for curves.

Mama Miuccia, I (and my hips, boobs, and belly) would personally like to thank you. You did something unprecedented today. Your whole entire collection was meant for a body like mine, one that curves and fills fabric and makes boys dream of milk maids. For the first time on any runway I've seen, the skinny models looked like bags of bones playing dress up while the ones with some body to them looked divine and luscious and ripe.

Stickly looked sickly on the Prada runway.

I'm proud of my curves (now) and I know this next statement might spark some fires, but here goes. While I've always championed the fuller figure, I've had to agree that the clothes most designers make look better on rail thin bodies. I've seen various designers dabble in sending a more voluptuous girl down their catwalk among the petite things, and they've looked out of place, and awkward. Not always, mind you, but most of the time. The difference in Prada's Fall 2010 show is that the skinny things look out of place and awkward, proving a long standing belief: It's in the cut of the clothes. Skinny doesn't automatically mean perfect for any outfit--quite the contrary. In these voluptuous pieces the too thin look deflated and lacking. Thick fabrics, belted, A-line silhouettes, and '50s/'60s shapes are meant for someone with a bit more to them, and it showed.

These thick knits would look better on a thick body...calling Ms. Hendricks!

I don't want to make naturally skinny girls feel badly about their bodies at all, but.... Yay! It just feels so good to have an entire show of victory for fullness. The truth is that most of the young things on the runway are skinny because they are 15, or they subsist on smoke and caffeine.

Be proud of your body. Dress it up pretty and proud. If you don't know how, Mama Miuccia will help you!

Give Me A Collar, And Make It A Big One.

Christopher Bailey just rescued me from a very unfortunate case of Fashion Month doldrums. In a season of misfires so far, his collection was actually quite good. His wide collared jackets, beyond-thigh-high boots, and see through lacy combos are that coveted mix of fresh and forever that make his collection sure to fly off of shelves come next fall.

Actually, Burberry doesn't even have to wait a whole season to see the fruits of their fabulous labors. Bailey's entire magnificent collection was available for pre-order via the same website that streamed it live for any fan to catch on their glowing screen. It was as close to an interactive showing as we've had so far this season. Point and click couture. Nice work, Bailey.

Pretty Palette.

Looking at the full view of the Marios Schwab collection is an exercise in aesthetic pleasure. His palette for this season's show was a perfect mix of rich and pretty. Dusty jewel tones were cut with stone-colored neutrals to build a refreshing new mix. See?

The fabrics are as pretty as tapestries up close too.

Sister, sister.

The Olsens get my vote for sister team of the season (sorry Laura and Kate, see my post below). This dress alone earns them the spot:

The sleeve length, the color, the belted volume--it's all so modern but comfortable. It's wearable without being boring and their focus on fabric quality for their line The Row is super smart. They made only 19 looks for this season's presentation, but rather than feeling spare, they were all part of a well edited collection. It's also worth noting that this dress, while shown in the fall collection is perfectly wearable for seasons a bit closer to now, like Spring. That's smart. The idea of doing away with the futurama of fashion's presentation schedule is cropping up more and more. It would be a sea change in the industry if you instituted a wide-spread shift, but if designers can design, make, and deliver clothing a bit closer to real time, they'll benefit from our ever shrinking attention span. We want the trends when we see them. In other words, now.

If Fall dressing is actually more on your mind, this belted wrap coat over black pants looks like a warm bit of heaven.

Nice job MK &A. I now forgive you for New York Minute.

It's Not A Good Time To Be An Animal.

Naysayers do not utter another sound! In fact, make no animal noises at all lest you risk your hide. Fur is flying down the runways, and feathers and leather are stampeding behind it. I'm not a PETA postergirl by any means. In fact, my days as a vegetarian in 9th grade were shadowed with the guilt of blood on my hands. My father made his money selling leather jackets so even the pennies spent on veggies were earned through meaty murder. I now give it less guilt-ridden thought and I've grown into the opinion that qualtiy leather is actually a responsible choice in a world of fast fashion: It lasts, it's warm, it wears well. So, I'm not opposed to designers using leather or even fur in the right ways. But this season? This is ridiculous!

There is probably some really great market research out there that has led to this fur frenzy. I'm sure that women are willing to pay a bit more for what they percieve as a luxurious statement piece or something that screams aloud the price they paid for it. When you see fur you think wealth. If you are going to spend a chunk of change on your coat, you might as well announce it, right? To be fair, without product information I can't tell if any of these pieces are faux, but fake fur is a faux pas and I'm not so thrilled that it's going to be lining the racks of Forever 21 come fall.

Puff: The Magic Jacket.

Down jackets are getting a little full of themselves lately. They think they're high fashion or something, jumping from ski slopes to runways on the backs of models. I've never been fond of the puffer's shape (think: fat-making) but have always loved its generous warmth here in the upper east.

Puffers on the Men's Fall 2010 runways for Jil Stuart, Thom Browne, Etro, John Varvatos, and Emporio Armani

So, I'm glad designers are taking it and making it something a bit more special. A little quilting can go a long way in the winter, and forsaking fashion for warmth doesn't always appeal to vain city goers. But, as Bill Cunningham found out this week, you can always count on this city's denizens to keep things snappy, even coats originally based on a camping store's sleeping bags. Here, watch his interesting piece on the puffer:

See that? From sleeping bags to high end shopping bags. You just never know. Puff away.