wunderkind, paris, a/w 2009

just when i thought wunderkind's aesthetic was becoming a little too over-the-top and, like its name implies, sophomoric, designer wolfgang joop released a fun, fabric-mixed and pattern-infused line that reiterated the gray trend in a whimsical way. with kooky tiling and prison stripes taking the eye on a lsd-laced journey, and splashes of color that show no signs of desperation, wunderkind has at once created something that is effortlessly chic and artfully edited (and i'm not gonna lie, the top hat and beret combination made me smile irl).

admittedly, i had a hard time editing myself on this one, but there are some great looks you still haven't seen!

hussein chalayan, paris, a/w 2009

it's kind of unbelievable the amount of talent that comes out of central saint martins. it's freakish. hussein chalayan is just one of the many fantastic london-based designers to grace the paris runways this season, and his choice of brightly colored molded breastplates atop body conscious, neutral-colored dresses is a prime example of his indispensable creativity. a little reminiscent of lady gaga circa the tampon string picture, no? i don't mean to compare great design to a great tragedy, but sometimes an inane pop culture reference is the best kind of reference!

the collection speaks for itself, and you can see the rest here as proof!

chanel, paris, a/w 2009

chanel had close to 70 looks coming down the runway this season, but they were beautiful, well-varied and quintessentially chanel nonetheless. is this karl lagerfeld's personal "fuck you!" to the credit crunch? if it isn't, his foray into chanel bikes, segways and helmets definitely are!

click here to view all of the craziness for yourself.

haider ackermann, paris, a/w 2009

haider ackermann's new collection has what i consider to be the magic touch: an appealing convergence of beautiful draping and sensuous layering. much like new yorker yigal azrouel (another favorite designer for this season), ackermann has a knack for making jersey knits seem luxurious. though most of the designs for fall 2009 have the functionality of casual wear, i would defy anyone to try and tell me that these ensembles would not be appropriate for nights out or at events for the notoriously chic. as a final bonus, i am finally relieved to see his bold foray into low-cut tops, a trend that was tragically ignored this season.

see more here.

ann demeulemeester, paris, a/w 2009

i really can never get enough of ann demeulemeester. her take on basic black and white is always above and beyond it's normal associations, and this collection expounds upon that. peek-a-boo blouses under petite jackets, dangley knits, corsets with belts hanging off of them; does this not sound like a recipe for success? playing with volume and material is what makes demeulemeester's designs so enviable. notice the chiffon top in the first image, topped with grommeted twill? a perfect example. don't those leather shoes look like wellies with a handle on them? form and function are finally in unison there (the waterproofing, not the handle - i can't imagine what you'd need the handle for, aside from not touching the perfect shine of the leather with your bare hands). to make a long story short, seeing a bitch walk down the street in these outfits would make me drool - and i would never subject myself to that in public. that's straight up, semi-lesbionic dedication!

view the rest right here.

rick owens, paris, a/w 09

rick owens will always have my heart. i say this because he consistently releases well-constructed, timeless and, in a non-retrograde sort of fashion, glam rock-y clothing. i aspire to be all these things (especially well-constructed - botox, i defy you!), and it just doesn't seem fair for it all to be delivered to me on a silver platter, but shit, i'll take it. his color restrictions for this collection make you recognize subtle detailing you would normally take for granted, a truly brilliant choice. the grayish white ensembles are like apparitions of a holy being, while the black on black is decidedly dark and bauhaus (the band, the movement - it's all relative). high collars, sleek pants and fierce fucking boots all make this a recognizable rick ownens creation.

view more here.

a.f. vandevorst, paris, a/w 2009

when it comes to a delicate and sensible color palette, a. f. vandevorst assimilates it perfectly into their collection. the colors design duo filip arickx and an vandevorst utilize are not average hues you'll see on a typical runway: the lines between blue and gray, red and tan, black and blue, and even gray and green, are seamlessly rendered in a fabulous collection of both work wear and casual dress. i particularly love the juxtaposition of playful layering and futuristic accents (like the structured collar in the first photo, or the two-tone leggings in the fifth). mainly, though, these clothes look like a hell of a lot of fun to wear, and make me believe, despite what groundhog phil says, that spring is indeed coming, albeit fashionably late!

and - get ready for it - a dress compiled almost entirely of pieces of different colored furs. fabulously thrifty!

view the entirety of this collection here.