The first thing you noticed about Balenciaga’s Fall 2010 collection were the colors, a beautiful sorbet of flavors.  Like a sorbet it cleansed the palate of the shows that came before, there were no sparkles or bling to distract us from the quiet beauty.  Next fall we will be treated to orange, lime, blueberry and lemon.  All of these colors were once reserved for spring time, but this year they will help to usher in the cold.  Yes it is a departure from the old rules, but the future of fashion requires us all to break the rules.  Not only were the colors yummy, but so were the designs.  It was a collection of simple clothes made beautifully from the finest fabrics with the utmost care.  There was a space age theme that permeated the entire collection, namely the fabrics that were of a quilt like nature with raised texture.  It was also reflected in the models’ hair; they had an androgenous look that was extremely sci-fi.  The shoes had heels that were almost robotic, both beauty and innovation converged to make a work of art.  With that said, it was a youthful collection with fun stripes and graphic prints to make the Balenciaga girl futuristic chic.

The Olympics may be over, but that did not stop Balmain from going for gold.  Their Autumn/Winter 2010 collection revealed plunging necklines and micro length hemlines.  Both gowns and short dresses had slits that stopped almost at the hip bone.  Metallics are a house favorite, and it was served up hot this season.  It was signature Balmain.  The models strutted down the catwalk to old school hip hop.  Embellishments were plentiful, and there was great attention to detail.  Beautifully beaded gowns, dresses and pants made their way from the runway, and into our fantasy closets.  Pairing the gowns and dresses with laced up boots was a good call, it managed to give the collection an edgy vibe instead of merely a pretty aesthetic.  There was only one military jacket on the runway, yet I could not shake a military presence throughout the collection.   Exaggerated shoulders updated the looks to 2010, and it may have been those shoulders that had the models at attention.  The Balmain girl will be excited about her options this coming fall because she will be shimmering gold.  Though before fall, she might have to make a stop on the red carpet for the Oscars on Sunday; there were a few dresses in this collection that were meant for that runway.

Gareth Pugh’s Fall 2010 show had the audience in anticipation for the show to begin, the lights flashed as though they were lightning from the heavens.  Each look could have come straight from the future in intimidating black leather and chains, even if the leather were buttery soft.  Dare I say I felt a bit of fear and apprehension upon seeing the collection, but in the best possible way.  You know the way you get around the bad boy because he’s a little dangerous.  Well that’s the feeling I got from this collection, pure excitement and adrenaline.  At first I thought I would be bored with the lack of color, but that was not the case.  There was so much visual interest in the designs and fabric choices that the absence of color was a non issue.  Beautiful texture was all around and the origami folds, a work of art, especially on that fabric.  Some of the looks even managed to take on a futuristic Zen quality, but don’t be fooled because they look like they could still kick butt.  Weaving the linen and cotton fabrics in with the leather between looks softened the edge, and made the collection more approachable.  Though most of the pieces were  all black, the touches of gray brought a ray of light.   Arm length leather gloves and over the knee boots capped off this runway show.  It was so good that it was bad, and so bad, they even had a real life Bad Boy in the front row, Sean P. Diddy Combs.

Versus is the revived diffusion line from Versace, designed by Christopher Kane.  The fall 2010 collection was on fire.  Delicately pleated mini skirts in scarlett red, midnight black and caribbean blue took center stage.  The collection was eerily reminiscent of the 1950′s, even though the skirts were far more modest in their coverage back then.  One look had a cardigan thrown around the shoulders and it further highlighted the 50′s.  Some of the looks reminded me of the cigarette girls at the theater in the 1950′s as well.  Those were the sweeter looks.  Along the way, a darker side emerged in the form of bondage; strips of ribbon made up the upper half of a few dresses.  Black leather gloves reaching the upper arm paired with a black pair of knee-length boots and short black dress cried out dominatrix.  Among my favorite were the graphic T-shirts which were a nice complement to all the skin shown.  Christopher Kane revisited the past and brought back a very sexy future.  The collection makes up with femininity what it lacks in modesty.  There is something inherently sweet about the Versus girl, even as she takes control.  Who wouldn’t want to be a Versus girl come fall?

It was a story of translucent lace and feathers at Gucci’s Fall 2010 runway show.  Sure the design house also showcased their signature looks, you know, that polished put together Gucci girl.  Then those gave way to sheer lace.  They definitely turned up the volume on sexy in this collection.  The first looks were clean monochromatic, almost pristine sportswear.  It had all the luxury we would expect from Gucci.  Silks, wool, leather, and fur were among the first half of the looks.  Those were clearly the daytime looks because they were the polar opposites of the latter looks that got progressively more risque.  During the evening looks the lace, feathers, sequins and embellishments made their debut.  It was like a striptease, but it was a slow and sensual unveiling.  The models started totally covered up, then they shed layers of clothes to reveal more skin.  There should have been a warning label on the lace dresses because they were hot enough make you blush.  The first looks and color palette were very conservative with taupe, gray, brown, concrete, tan, camel and black.   As far as the accessories went, my heart fluttered at first glimpse of the thigh-high suede boots; it was love at first sight.  Other accessories included shoes, bags, belts and sunglasses, and most of those will be on many ‘must have’ lists come fall.