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While fashion used to trickle down direct from the runway, the proliferation of fashion blogs, street style photographers & the uprising of bloggers-as-celebrities has caused a turning of the tide.  This has never been as apparent as it was this year.  Mixing it all together has become even more marked as models’ off-duty wear makes them fashion icons — their often-imitated mix of haute couture & streetwear gives everyone new ideas as to how to rework their closet.

Here are a selection of the trends dictated to us as well as what real people on the street adopted as their own — for better or for ill!

Beauty from the runway: An emphasis on lips, dewy cheeks, natural make-up & smokey eyes.

Fashion from the runway: One-shouldered anything; color blocking, emphasis on shoulders; sequins, studs, metallics; tribal looks, texture, round sunglasses; hot pink, fur-&-military style (this started off slowly & picked up speed with the passing of Michael Jackson, King of Pop & military style gone glam).

Designers appear to have had enough of this recession talk & are striking back in the best way they know how.  Minimalism was punted to the wayside in favor of maximalism — everything was elaborate, decorated & embellished.

Beauty from the street: Cat’s eye make-up, really big hair, & false eyelashes.

Fashion from the street: Sequined everything; headbands, jumpsuits, skinny jeans, harem pants; Wayfarers in every color of the rainbow; gladiator sandals, high-waisted skirts, bows & ruffles (this definitely trickled down from the likes of Luella & Erin Fetherston but people took it to the street with incredible gusto); designer shoes worn with clothes from the high street; blazers, leather jackets, shredded jeans, ripped stockings & scarves.

Thankfully, ironic fashion seems to be dying out.  There are only so many hipsters-dressed-badly-but-deadpanning-it one can take before one starts to foam at the mouth.  Skinny jeans are beginning to be replaced by similarly form-fitting but luxe legwear — stockings, over-the-knee socks & pantyhose.  There has been a major return to femininity, with skirts & dresses becoming the new uniform.  Hardly surprising, too, when so many stores offered dresses & skirts in fantastic prints & flattering shapes.

2009 style icons: Michelle Obama, Alexa Chung, Erin Wasson, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, Emma Watson, Taylor Momsen, Rihanna & a proliferation of off-duty runway models.

We could hardly take our eyes off Lady Gaga’s over-the-top ensembles, Rihanna’s devotion to doing it her way & Taylor Momsen’s transition from pastel-lovin’ good girl to black-clad vixen.  We were intrigued by what models wore as they went to & from shows, & Michael Jackson was, of course, the most widely discussed, praised & imitated.

What fashion round-up would be complete without some predictions for the coming year?  Here’s what I see when I gaze into my crystal ball!

Predictions for 2010:

Black, black, black.  You will not be able to escape it, especially through fall & winter.  But never fret, you don’t have to dress like you’re on your way to a Sisters Of Mercy reunion concert (unless you want to) — just use black to anchor the rest of your outfit.  Black makes every other color pop wonderfully, so a little fuchsia, emerald green or royal blue will go a long way.

Hems are slithering upwards.  Skirts will be shorter & shorts will be truly itty-bitty — even in winter.  (Wear ‘em with wool stockings or cashmere leggings so as to avoid hypothermia, chilblains, frostbite et al.)  Now is the time to find a personal trainer you like & get the gams of your dreams.

More sparkles all the time. Sequins, glitter, lurex thread, metallic fabrics & studs that glint in the sunlight will be adorning the anatomy of everyone around you for a while yet.  Don’t worry about appropriateness, either — wearing a sequined cardigan to the supermarket is surely the best way of showing that the recession isn’t even a blip on your radar.

Sculpted shoulders are everywhere, ranging from the big linebacker look to the elegantly sharp & pointy (see also: perilous to the eyeballs of anyone you might hug).  This can be a tricky look to pull off, especially if you already have broad shoulders.  If you want to give it a shot, be sure to emphasize your waist with a belt so that you retain your feminine shape.

Leather & lace — has the potential to be v. 80’s Madonna, but shouldn’t be.  (Stay away from crimped hair & crucifixes.)  Leather pants, miniskirts & jackets are must-haves, & lace will be seen in every incarnation possible, from gloves to hair accessories to stockings.

Mega-footwear.  Oh, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways!  Yes!  Shoes get bigger & wilder & even more silly, causing physiotherapists around the world to rub their hands gleefully.  Epic heels, shoes covered in rhinestones (a la Alexander McQueen) & over-the-knee leather boots will be out in force.  Just practice walking in them in the safety of your home before you attempt it on the street!

Words by Gala Darling

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