recession spending

the collections that will count come spring

Making clothes has always been one part fortune-telling—what will women want to wear in six months' time? With the economy in shambles, designers' prognostications are more divergent than ever. Our top ten shows run the gamut from elegant pragmatism to giddy opulence. In other words, there was something for all tastes and styles.

1. 1. Ann Demeulemeester

   Ann Demeulemeester left her comfort zone to create what rates among her strongest collections to date, one that had bold shots of color, glittery crystal embroideries, and bunched and wrapped toga dresses, as well as cool, drapey jackets and waistcoats for her rock 'n' roll fans.
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2. 2. Balenciaga

   Nicolas Ghesquière pushed fashion further into the future with a collection that explored Balenciaga codes via matte and shiny textures. His tissue-fine metallic pleated jackets worn with covetable motocross pants looked like sci-fi armor for a twenty-first-century style-bot.
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3. 3. Chanel

   In uncertain times, a name like Chanel is something you can believe in. Karl Lagerfeld rolled out all of the house signatures and then some, including tweed, done for Spring in a painterly blown-out check. Result: fashion that's 100 percent impervious to a shaky economy.
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4. 4. Dolce & Gabbana

   Leave the S&M and bondage references to the amateurs. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, avowed experts in the subject, abandoned their trademark corsetry (OK, well, not completely) to make the season's most convincing argument for languid, louche pajama dressing.
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5. 5. Dries Van Noten

   Fashion's most artful realist had another hit on his hands with a mostly black and white collection of shifts, suiting pieces, and one fabulous gold Lurex skirt that was less exuberant than his last two efforts, but never, ever boring.
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6. 6. Givenchy

   Riccardo Tisci knows his fan base. This season, he gave them plenty of the drop-dead sexy fare they've come to love: expertly cut yet utterly feminine suits, bondage detailing, and Spring's must-have nudes in the form of this tunic-skirt combo with peekaboo transparent paneling.
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7. 7. Lanvin

   From beginning to end, love-at-first-sight clothes that truly have it all: gorgeous color, voluptuously sexy volumes, and, best of all, an easy, no-corset-necessary construction that makes them a joy to wear. Bravo, Alber Elbaz.
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8. 8. Louis Vuitton

   If Marc Jacobs has it right—and when has he not?—the sagging economy will leave women hungrier than ever for that special piece. Louis Vuitton had them in spades, from très parisienne forties-shoulder jackets and spangly sweaters to feather minis, and don't forget the eye-catching bags and tribal-art jewelry.
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9. 9. Marc Jacobs

   He may call Paris home, but the good old U.S. of A. is Marc Jacobs' first love, and his ode to Americana, complete with bustled prairie skirts, glam motorcycle jackets, a nod to his own grunge moment, and much, much more, just might be his most genius collection ever.
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10. 10. Ralph Lauren

    Harem pants at Ralph Lauren? Believe it. With North Africa as inspiration, the designer produced a savvy, beautiful collection that delivered the trends—there were also camp shirts and safari jackets—without jeopardizing the polish and pragmatism that are the hallmarks of his all-American style.