Celine brought chic and luxury to the runway with its Autumn/Winter 2010 collection.  Phoebe Philo created pieces that every young professional woman will yearn for come fall.  The color palette was simple and clean; black, white, cream, and camel, but that was where the simplicity ended.  It was elegant and modern without the harsh lines.  Leather  was featured heavily, but it was soft and appeared to have movement.  The use of lace and silk brought a vulnerability that would have been missing around all the leather and modern shapes.  It was not an overly conservative collection, several of the blouses were updated with tails, and some of the sweaters were sprinkled with sequins.   Celine proves that beautifully made clothes can rival mini skirts and skin any day of the week.

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.

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.

Versace’s Autumn/Winter 2010 collection had all the sensuality we’ve come to expect from the design house.  Strategic cut-outs and thigh-high slits were the recurring theme on this runway.  Even the boots had cleavage.  The color palette consisted of sunshine yellow, lovely lavendar, pristine white, cobalt blue and chocolate brown; it was was pleasing to the eyes, and will be a welcomed sight come fall.  There was even a touch of metallic in bronze and silver to bring shine to the collection.  Versace was not only about sensuality this season, it brought innovation to the runway.  Some of the wool coats had what appeared to be velour pattern sleeves.  Leather was woven throughout much of the collection, and it was mixed in with fabric to construct jackets and pants that stopped at the ankles.  It was always used for the trim of wool coats, like the cuffs, collars, and sleeves.  The leather bags and shoes completed the use of the material.  I loved that the final two looks resembled armour for battle.  It’s as if Donatella was letting it be known that she is a warrior, a metaphor for he willingness to see Versace through these economic times.

The opening look at Burberry’s Fall 2010 collection summed up the show in total, a model in a sheer dress, thigh-high boots and of course, a shearling jacket.  There is something intrinsically beautiful about the masculine jacket paired with a romantic sheer dress.  Shearlings ruled Burberry’s runway, and relegated the celebrated trench to a supporting role.  Though the trench may not have been the headliner, they showed they were a timeless classic.  They were updated with a military inspiration; my thought, ‘where do I enlist’?  It was an earthy color palette of olive green, mustard, tan, off-white, and grey with burgundy and navy mixed in.  The ultra sexy thigh-high boots served as a pant-like substitute to some of the barely there hemlines.  At the end of the day, it was a stunning collection with pieces we will all be coveting from now until the fall season.