Kabuki Slashers And Elizabeth I: New York Fashion Week Fall '08

Hey there! It's Mad Pawn from over at VelvetDiceBag, and I'm dropping in for the next little while to periodically keep you guys up to date on what's going on at that most-glamorous of worldwide events: it's frickin' Fashion Week, guys!

New York's Fashion Week has just wrapped up, and London's has just begun. But before I tell you what's happening over in the United Kingdom, here's a debrief of what went down in New York:

Some trends for Fall '08, according to New York: Kimono Jackets, goat hair, embellishment in bewildering places, short-heeled shoes, plaid.

Biggest Disappointment: Marc Jacob's self-described "inspiration-free" melancholy extravaganza.

Mad Pawn's Picks: Top 10 Collections from New York
1. Rodarte—Inspired by "the connection between the Kabuki tradition and that of modern Japanese horror films." Gothy knits, dresses that looked like they were dyed with bloodstains, bondage-inspired shoes, dense torn fishnet stockings, texture, texture texture. Excellent from beginning to end. A picture of the finale gown is to the right.
2. Marchesa—Unbelievably detailed minidresses and evening gowns inspired by Elizabeth the First. Breathtaking dresses bursting with hand-sewn fabric flowers, and some structured enough to look like plate armor. Oscar ladies, take note.
3. Jonathan Saunders—Inspired by Brancusi sculptures and classic science fiction, the collection was all about angular movement and zippers and pulp-fiction uniform structure.
4. Ohne Titel—Inspired by Hillary Clinton and somehow still painfully stylish, these outfits were variations on the idea of the female suit, with gypsies and Peruvian knits and paper ephemera thrown in for good measure.
5. Ralph Lauren—Elevating log cabin wear to high fashion. Three words: lumberjack plaid gowns.
6. Naeem Khan—There's gotta be one designer who turns the glamour up to 11. Incredibly intricate (and expensive) gowns and jackets in black, white and gold.
7. Derek Lam—I never liked his stuff before, but... wow. Pure elegance. What fashion's all about. Inspired by the struggle between bourgeois values and an exuberant inner spirit.
8. Ruffian—Sometimes you want elegance, and sometimes you just want to be cool. Ruffian accomplishes this with a chic collection inspired by rebellious school girls. Classy punk.
9. Diane von Furstenberg—The mistress of prints does it again in a collection inspired by 40s-era Berlin, Shanghai and Manhattan.
10. Carlos Miele—He really shines in the eveningwear, putting out one beautifully tendrilled-gown after another. It's all punchy but quite quite graceful.

That's it for now. See you in a few for some London reporting, and some Project Runway gossip!