We all know who was hot in 2009. Christopher Bailey brought Burberry back for a triumphant return to the London catwalks, and finished the year by winning Designer of the Year at the BFAs and getting himself an MBE. We were all waiting to see how Rihanna would make Chris Brown pay: apparently by wearing a collection of killer high-fashion outfits and attending all the hottest shows on the fashion week circuit. And we all got excited about Christopher Kane for Topshop and Jimmy Choo for H&M. But who will we be watching, copying and dressing in during 2010? Let’s take a look at the hottest contenders….
The designers we’ll be watching:
Those in the know think young, new designers will be the way forward in 2010. 2009 was all about the Big Guns making a comeback, from Antonio Berardi to Christopher Bailey and Matthew Williamson, but now there is a group of young designers making us all weak at the knees in a way that hasn’t happened since Christopher Kane and Giles Deacon hit the catwalks a few years back. We predict that 2010 will be the year of Peter Pilotto, Holly Fulton and Sophie Theallet. In November, Theallet won the coveted CFDA/Vogue funding, including $200,000 and a year’s mentoring from industry veterans. Her attention to tailoring and detail will therefore be able to make more of an impression on the fashion week circuit, and will almost certainly win a few high-level followers along the way. Peter Pilotto has also had a great end to 2009, winning the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent in Ready-to-Wear at the British Fashion Awards, and can count original supermodel Claudia Schiffer among his fans. His spring 2010 won high praise from critics, mostly for his signature flattering, short and well-cut dresses. He also works with great prints, using them to complement the cut or style of the garments rather than overbear them. Finally, Holly Fulton is also making a splash on the British fashion industry, with the rest of the world’s fashion followers to be tackled next year. She won an Emerging Talent award for her accessories, which are as strong as her ready-to-wear collections, featuring modern technological prints and which won the praise of one Ms Victoria Beckham. Definitely one to watch.
And still hot from 2009…
With Burberry staying in London for the February shows, Christopher Bailey does not seem to be fading into the fashion woodwork as the New Year approaches. We predict a fashion scrum for the autumn/winter 2010 show, complete with the entire roster of A-list celeb fans and fashion devotees.
Our fashionable muses for 2010 will be:
1) Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Fantastical fashion was all over the catwalks during the spring shows, from Kinder Aggugini’s giant cartoonish hats to Galliano’s ethereal, mystical creations. The hazy, Opium-induced fantasy world of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland provides another perfect imaginative pot for fashion inspiration. And with Tim Burton directing, and Johnny Depp starring, we know that the costumes will be as amazing as the storyline is. Roll on March!
2) Florence Welch. Although with her Machine, Florence kicked up a storm during 2009, her fashion was somewhat overlooked in favour of the ultra-groomed and glam facades of Cheryl Cole and Victoria Beckham. But as Marie Claire declares 2010 the year of the ‘hot mess’, we’re inclined to agree, we find the dishevelled, understatedly sexy style of Florence in her Victorian petticoats and mediaeval princess dresses much more chic for the new year than spending hours in front of the mirror trying to create Cheryl-esque waves. Other ‘hot mess’ muses include Ashley Olsen and her ‘couture bag lady’ look, and Daisy Lowe’s ‘I just rolled out of bed’ mussed-up hair and smudged eye-liner.
3) Carrie Bradshaw and the SATC2 girls. It seems to obvious to get excited about, but you know that come May, women of all ages will be cramming into theatres, not just to see what else exactly can happen to Carrie and Big’s relationship, but what will she be wearing when it pans out? Still shots from filming have been all over the internet for months now, and we’re pre-emptively getting excited about Halston Heritage and more Eighties style thanks to Miss Carrie strutting around New York in them.
4) The ladies of Nine. No need to pay attention to the musical storyline if you don’t want to (although any film with Daniel Day Lewis and Judi Dench in can’t be bad) but the sultry costumes worn by Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Marion Cotillard are so 2010 it hurts. Underwear as outerwear was in almost every collection, even in the innocent environment of a church thanks to Antonio Berardi. And with costumes that include corsetry, lace and vampy lips, we certainly know who we’ll be imitating for our party-wear this year. After all, who doesn’t want to look a little like Penelope Cruz?
