La Mode et La Mort.

I know I said I would ruminate on various aspects of this seasons collections like how Marni, in a sad attempt to become ultra-relevant rather than stick to its own unique construction and ideas, regurgitated literally every trend from last season, or how Comme Des Garcons (and even Prada--what a dud! Oh and Margiela... and Vivienne Westwood [all my favorites have betrayed me! Dont talk to be about Balenciaga; I'm still in mourning]) might have strayed away from "clothes" per se, and instead sent... things down the runway.

I am not going to do those things. They speak for themselves and, let's face it, are a lot less relevant than what is ACTUALLY happening in the world; while art is a great form of escapism, I just cannot ethically justify turning away from the world's current state (it needs help, and I am Super-Man--or a Saint. Whichever).

That said, I would like to name the best collections from Fall 2009:

1. Junya Watanabe--Again, with fabric, he is one of the most impressive sculptors I have ever seen. Also I would have never thought that I could be convinced that Denim on the runway was a good idea. So impressive.

2. Marc Jacobs--For all the Marc Jacobs-bashing I do on this blog, I was infinitely impressed with this collection. The "house of mirrors," the construction and reflective-and-shiny-but-surprisingly-not-gaudy nature of the clothes were amazing and weighty eye-candy (also, anyone who can re-invent the stiletto is impressive).

3. Jil Sander--See below, this collection was amazing.

4. Gianfranco Ferre--This might have been a more pleasant surprise than the Jacobs. I had never really cared to look at a Ferre collection before and our chance-encounter proved quite fruitful; this collection displayed such a flair for a rigidly constructed garment, interesting silhouettes, attention-commanding fabrics, and great shoes.

5. John Galliano--The heavy-attitudes felt by the fashion world in the face of recession necessitated a joke; fashion people need to be able to laugh again (in the face of massive layoffs). Galliano showed one of the most interesting and hilarious spectacles of fashion I've ever seen: a tour of Europe through hat-culture (not to mention the clothes, which were also great).

Check these collections out; it's nice to window-shop (get it? Window, as in internet? Ha!).