While fashion’s come & go, they do serve as a sign of the times we live in and work as a time capsule of sorts full of memories, moments and merriment.
Looking back at the sartorial world of 2011, what comes to mind may be the abundance of too much too fast (so much fashion, so many news outlets, too many designers) -that’s why we’ve complied a shortlist of the good, the bad and the boring.
From Missoni madness to celebrating fallen designers, it was definitely a year full of fashion surprises and feats.
Fashion Designers Ride the Merry-go-Round-
From who will take John Galliano’s job at Dior (above, post Galliano) to the comings & goings of chief designers at Balmain, Chloe, Cacharel, Vionnet and more, there was plenty of gossip churning the rumor mills this year. Designing collection after collection is a hard job after all… READ: House of Dior Homage in Paris
Color Story-
Seasonless new interpretations of neon were hard to miss this year as they popped up on every street style blog and runway that matters and made for wonderful updates to any wardrobe. Christopher Kane’s neon lace printed pouches were one remarkable little way to play with color this past fall. READ: How to Wear Neon
The You-Can’t-Miss-Them Shoes-
Prada’s stacked brogue looked like nothing we’d ever seen or could have imagined before, that is until we saw almost every fashionista around town doing an awkward rocking walk in them. Nonetheless, they are the most memorable and still slightly covetable shoes of the year. READ: Flatforms
Missoni Mania-
Missoni’s range of fast-fashion goods for powerhouse Target had us compiling wish lists weeks in advance and while items were sold out within seconds nationwide and most of us missed out on scoring something covetable, there’s no underplaying how cool of a collaboration it was. READ: Missoni for Target
Ladies Take Charge-
Women designers from the likes of Hannah MacGibbon at Chloe (above), Phoebe Philo at Celine and Stella McCartney took the lead on virtually trailblazing all the best wearable trends over the past year leading us to believe that the best designers for women are women. READ: Shopping the Trends of Fall 11
Ombre Tresses-
From hipsters in Brooklyn to Hollywood’s young elite, fashion minded girl’s had a vision of ombre hair on the mind and while we don’t really have an opinion on the do, it does make for a welcome alternative to highlights when done right. READ: Hair Tips
The Most Important of Nuptials-
While most people’s attention lay on the marriage of Prince William and his gallantly glossy bride Kate, the real Kate that got our attention was model Kate Moss who wed musician Jamie Hince this summer in none other than a custom John Galliano gown. And what’s more charming is the tear-evoking standing ovation Galliano is said to have received at the wedding. READ: Royal Wedding
Savage Beauty Breaks Records-
The breathtaking, exotic vision of the late Alexander McQueen drew hundreds of thousands of people at the Met this year and created staggering lines around the block for months on end making us think it should duly go international. READ: Savage Beauty
Prints Please-
The other day the provenance of the now seen everywhere head-to-toe print trend lead us to write a how-to guide on how to get the trend right because let’s face it, its one we welcome open-armed. After all, it makes a much more realistic style to consider than the likes of other hits from season’s past i.e rompers and boho maxi dresses and scuba body-con mini’s. READ: How to Wear Prints
Celebrity Goods Grow Up-
While Kanye West’s debut runway outing was down-and-out at best, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen took The Row to another level with their Fall 2011 collection boasting a trove of subtle, elegant forever-chic finery. And from them, the going only gets better with two ranges of newly launched handbags and fine jewelry and several collaborations to boot. Who’d have expected such a remarkable taste level from two pint-sized Hollywood veterans? READ: Celebrity endorsements, is it the beginning of the end?
-Naveed Hussain