Fall/Winter 2012: The Top 10 Collections

Sarah Burton turns winter finery into a winter fantasy with her kinetic collection for Alexander McQueen. In it, she explores the organic process of a pod opening by simulating it through growing volumes and the use of feathers, fur, and multiple layers. This stunning presentation was the fashion critic’s favorite due to its expressive and jaw-dropping silhouettes.

Nicolas Ghesquière’s high-concept collection was in perfect keeping with his futurist design aesthetic. From spacey printed sweaters to metallic pantsuits, the weirder it was the more we liked it. He played with giant sleeves and even bigger shoulders creating a cartoonish silhouette, but it was the new fabrics he experimented with that were the most interesting aspect to this collection.

In what was Bill Gaytten’s best collection as interim designer for the house of Dior, we were treated to true Parisian chic in the form of cinched waist jackets, flirty skirts, and paneled leather dresses. The muted tones and rich, soft fabrics were a dreamy touch to add to this sophisticated presentation.

Dolce and Gabbana’s elaborately gilded collection hearkens back to the extravagance of Victorian courts. Gold embroidered dresses, capes, and coats blended in with the lace frocks and wallpaper florals. They abandoned their usual flash and frippery for a more studied and serious collection, and the retail results have been remarkable (this is, reportedly, one of their best-selling recent collections).

This may have been Raf Simons’ last collection for Jil Sander, but it was also his cumulative curriculum vitae – one responsible for landing him the coveted role as creative director of Dior. This delicate, graceful presentation relied on blunt-cut shapes, powdery pastels, and modern cuts. It represented garment craftsmanship at its finest. It is safe to say that he changed the brand for the better.

Kenzo’s FW12 collection was powerful, youthful, and audacious. They played with eye-popping prints, a broad palette of colors and delightfully mismatched layers. They’ve ridden the post-collection buzz to new brand highs with the most stylish stars in the industry clamoring for their graphic, bold pieces.

Lanvin was in full celebration mode this season in honor of Alber Elbaz’s 10-year anniversary with the house. Elbaz revisited some of his best looks, but trumped his own previous incarnations by adding lavish, oversized ruffles and ornate beading to many of the looks. His prints were more subdued, but he complimented his collection with peeps of shaggy trim, brightly colored gloves and chic fur coats.

From the carousel of Marc Jacobs’ imagination comes a spirited collection of offbeat British jetsetter looks. Towering hats topped the traveler’s heads as they walked down the runway with porters in tow. Picture someone with an endless budget, an innate sense of style, and a thirst for train travel and you have the Louis Vuitton FW12 girl.

Prabal Gurung’s collection starts off noir and moody, with clinging silk black dresses and two-tone frocks made of paneled black and rainbow sheen. He then courts every shade of blue imaginable in a myriad of liquid prints on skirts, dresses, and pantsuits. The tone changes drastically in the middle as angelic, white-and-gold garments came down the runway.

Stefano Pilati’s last collection for Yves Saint Laurent was a startling, gothic, sensual parade of bonded leather-trimmed pieces, forest green toppers, and an onslaught of controlled, tightly-tailored suit separates. The vision he presented was powerful and uncompromising, allowing the YSL woman to be both a dominatrix and a CEO at the same time.