Miu Miu RTW Spring 2009

"It's an investigation of our history, of our European past." With that big idea in mind, Miuccia Prada sent out a focused collection of nipped-waist dresses, as well as tops and skirts in pleated burlap or silk, most of them layered with a low, hip-slung apron. Sometimes the fabrics were dotted with fraying holes, as if moths had descended and started munching en masse. Other times it looked as if spray-paint artists had gotten their hands on them, dipping the ridges of a pleated brown frock in a rusty red or scrawling graffiti squiggles across the front of a skirt.

The history part came in with prints that looked like painted Roman tiles; they magnified as the show progressed so that faces in profile eventually abstracted into random assemblages of square dots. They made for an interesting juxtaposition with the images on the walls of the Avenue Foch mansion, which provided a look at Miu Miu's own roots in the form of Warhol-esque screen prints of ad-campaign stars including Lindsay Lohan, Kim Basinger, and Kirsten Dunst (who was in the audience).

Prada's perforated tops and skirts last season have proved to be quite influential (witness all the laser-cut materials on Spring's runways). So—who knows?—maybe there's hope for bulky burlap and aprons. But in an uncertain future, the odds look better for the less-challenging and sexier silk numbers.

Oscars: Best and worst dresses at the Academy Awards 2009

The gowns ranged from architectural origami to black and blue all over. Read our list and post your best and worst picks

Best

Marisa Tomei - She looked toned, tousled and terrific in her white Versace gown with more folds than an accordion. Its one-shoulder design showed off her perfectly refined deltoids, it clung sexily and its intricate pleats were interesting not fussy.

Viola Davis - While she didn't win best supporting actress, the veteran actress channeled old Hollywood style and made sophistication look easy in a dusky gold Reem Acra.

Heidi Klum - The supermodel displayed her credentials with an architectural asymmetrical red gown, split to the thigh (she revealed on one pre-Oscar show that she'd had to ride over balanced on one bum cheek to accommodate her dress).

Taraji P Henson - Her strapless Roberto Cavalli off-white gown had irregular layers that gave it texture, set off brilliantly with a statement Fred Leighton necklace and a sleek hairdo.

Sarah Jessica Parker - We would expect no less from the era's most high profile fashion plate: a Dior Haute Couture gown in "barely mint". Plus, we had no idea her breasts were so big, or high.

Evan Rachel Wood - Her Art Deco-style gown in pale satin and chiffon was lovely and romantic, if a bit white-on-white against her pale skin and blonde hair.

Meryl Streep - With her bespoke Alberta Ferretti dress, the actress proves that you don't need a hardbody and a skintight corset to look sexy. Just do way off the shoulder, upswept hair and a smile.

Anne Hataway - The “Rachel Getting Married” star wowed the crowd in an eye-catching ivory Armani Prive Spring ’09 gown which was covered in Swarovski crystals and clear paillettes.

On the fence

We just can't decide about...

Queen Latifah - The big screen star didn’t do herself any favors in an ill-fitting blue frock from Georges Chakra’s Spring ’09 collection.

Kate Winslet - Online fashion pundits were of two camps about our national treasure, but the grey and black Yves Saint Laurent gown - paired with the severely sculpted hairdo - seemed a little too tepid for what has been a banner year for Kate. Compare with Helen Mirren in 2007.

Freida Pinto - A royal blue success with an interesting neckline or a fussy style too dowdy for the young actress? Tell us what you think.

The Worst

They've got it all - beauty, brains, talent, but not necessarily canny dress sense, at least when it comes to the Oscars this year.

Beyonce Knowles - She was smokin' once she changed into her red fringed and sequined leotard for her singing performance where she put Hugh Jackman to shame. But on the red carpet, her black gown with swathes of brassy gold flowers was off key.

Natalie Portman - Purple-pink Rodarte, with criss-crossing straps on the bodice interspersed with what looks like hundreds and thousands. Colourful yet somehow boring.

Melissa Leo - The actress, nominated for her role in Frozen River, wore a Badgley Mischka gown in a glum shade of brown and in a style that announced "my dad took me to prom".

Jessica Biel - The draped Prada piece worn by Justin Timberlake’s lady love looked ludicrous, as did her messy mane.

Marion Cotillard - Last year she won the Oscar for her role in La Vie en Rose and won accolades for her Jean Paul Gaultier "mermaid" dress. This year she looked ill at ease in her Dior dark blue and black gown - a mashup of sequins, tiered net and regret.

Melissa George - The “Grey’s Anatomy” star took trashy to a whole new level in a lingerie-like Dolce & Gabbana mermaid gown gone wrong.

Most distinctive

There are some looks that just wouldn't work on anyone else. These celebrities are in their own category, style-wise.

Whoopi Goldberg - She's cool, she's funny and she looks good with her own inimitable style, in a wafty leopard-print dress that revealed a long shoulder tattoo and tinted John Lennon glasses.

Tilda Swinton - In contrast to her look last year - red hair, black gown - Swinton wore the same designer but with a whole different style. This time round her Lanvin was an off-white shirt and dark skirt but with blonde hair and bright red lips.

Penelope Cruz - Ruched tulle, lace, big full skirt. A bit safe perhaps, but Cruz does pretty poufs with aplomb.

Angelina Jolie - Black. Sleek. Showed her tattoos. Jolie's Elie Saab gown with deep sweetheart neckline and green Lorraine Schwartz jewelry was entirely appropriate for the occasion, but in a year when many of the nominees were overflowing with enthusiasm (Winslet, Cruz, everybody from Slumdog), it felt just a little too…subdued.

Halle Berry - Hollywood’s hottest mom was the epitome of elegance in a sleek ‘n’ strapless Marchesa brocade beauty.

Jennifer Aniston - The former “Friend” attempted to give her arch nemesis Angelina Jolie a run for her money in Fred Leighton jewels and a lovely column gown courtesy of Valentino.

Golden Globes’ Worst-Dressed Ladies: Marisa Tomei, Sally Hawkins, Renee Zellweger And More

Sure, a lot of people rocked the Golden Globes red carpet last night, especially Amy Adams whom we named the belle of the ball. But there were the special few who decided that this was their big chance to make statement. And there were some statements we wish were kept silent.

8. Marisa Tomei: Sometimes, costume-like fashion works. Then again, sometimes it doesn’t. Marisa, this didn’t work. Are you angling for a role in the next “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie? If not, there’s no excuse for this.

7. Jennifer Lopez: In what appeared to be an attempt to re-live her glory days, Jennifer Lopez showed up in a gold number with the same plunging neckline that made headlines at the 2000 Grammys. We know recycling is in, but not on the carpet!

6. Heidi Klum: Her dress was bizarre and screamed prom dress, not to mention the flower detail was like something Carrie Bradshaw would wear under some psychedelic influence.

5. Cameron Diaz: Her dress was wrinkled, her hair apparently hadn’t been colored or brushed in months, and that shade of pink was a bit overwhelming for the fair Ms. Diaz.

4. Sally Hawkins: The “Happy-Go-Lucky” star may have won a Golden Globe, but she was really losing in the fashion department. Her garb looked like it was something that would have been worn in “Interview with a Vampire.”

3. Miley Cyrus: Mind you, we regret a lot of stuff we wore when we were 16 too, but she’s got the money to really shine. Instead, the only thing shining about her look was the strange material under the split in her gown.

2. America Ferrera: Being fashion-forward can be cool. But, America looked too far into the future in an attempt to find a new trend and seemed to buy her dress in outer space.

1. Renée Zellweger: This dress caused a visceral reaction when she popped up on the carpet. Between her and Sally Hawkins, we wondered if there’s some vampire movie being cast that we don’t know about. Are they angling for roles in “New Moon”? Perhaps she should have looked in the mirror first. Wait, vampires don’t have reflections. That explains a lot.

Victoria's Secret Runway Show

Runaway at the 2008 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at the Fontainebleau Hotel on November 15, 2008 in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Let's take a moment to savor this little tidbit: Even Victoria's Secret's handpicked "angels" ramp up the cardio and cut out the carbs before they parade around in their underwear for a nationally televised broadcast.

Marisa Miller, Doutzen Kroes and Miranda Kerr are the newest models to be given their wings by the lingerie giant, joining Heidi Klum, Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio and Selita Ebanks as the brand's top models. All three of the newbies had graced the Victoria's Secret catwalk before but they weren't fully part of the family until they went to Miami last month for the new runway show spectacle that will be seen on CBS Wednesday night.

There were plenty of jitters as they slipped into their lacy looks.

"I love feeling so sexy and I love to be on this runway, but you're nervous because it's lingerie and it's on TV," says Kroes, whose outfits include a frothy pink ballerina ensemble and a Greek goddess get-up. "There are so many people seeing you live, it's not like a picture when there is Photoshop after."

To prepare, Dutch 23-year-old beauty Kroes, who says she normally eats what she wants because she exercises often, goes on a strict sugar- and carb-free meal plan and spends many extra minutes a day jumping rope. "For other fashion shows you can be skinny, but for Victoria's Secret, you need definition," says Kroes, 23.

Her belly wasn't empty, though. "I get butterflies in my stomach, for sure."

Miller, a relaxed surfer type true to her Califonia roots, says she also has to psych herself up.

"I'm a little shy and unassuming, which might be hard to believe with my job, so I don't have to quite become another person out there but I have to think about letting it all go. My last outfit was a black velvet one-piece with pink feathers on the back. I had to show the camera my tailfeathers so I did give a little spin," she says.

Miller, 30, calls this gig the biggest thing in her career and it's worth all the work -- and the workouts. "When you're on the runway, you're moving so it's all about toning up," she says.

With extensive fittings and rehearsals, as well as the elaborate set-up (which coincided with $1 billion in renovations to the host site Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel), Miller says part of her couldn't wait to take the first step out and enjoy her "moment." Yet, she was also staring at the reality of a huge audience.

"That's when you hope you can make it to the end of the runway in one piece. Some outfits are complicated, and you have to be aware of how they shift or if they are restricting. When you're in your underwear, a lot can happen," she says.

Kerr, who flutters down the runway in a cool-shade blue lace low-cut bra and high-cut brief, sexy sandals with thigh-high ribbons and the coveted wings, took comfort in knowing her family was in the crowd, and winked at her mom and dad.

"My mom didn't mind seeing me up there in my underwear ," Kerr says. "I am 25 and it's all very lovely and like a costume. It's beautiful and romantic ... it's not like standing up there in my everyday underwear. It's a theatrical show and everyone is there to have a good time."

Lacoste

Lacoste is a French apparel company founded in 1933 that sells high-end clothing, footwear, perfume, leather goods, watches, eyewear, and most famously, tennis shirts. The company can be recognized by its green crocodile logo.

René Lacoste was a famous tennis player who achieved fame in two areas: tennis and fashion. While winning the 1927 U.S. Open championship, René Lacoste of France wore something that he himself had created: a white, short-sleeve shirt made exclusively of a light knitted fabric called ‘jersey petit piqué’ that served to wick away moisture due to heat, the very first version of performance clothing in sports. The shirt was a radical departure from tennis fashion of the day, which called for stiff, woven, long-sleeve oxfords. In 1923 during the Davis Cup, the American press nicknamed Lacoste "the Alligator" because of a bet made about an alligator-skin suitcase. With no cognate in his native tongue, the nickname was changed to l'alligator in French. The nickname stuck due to his tenacious behavior on the courts, never giving up his prey. Lacoste’s friend, Robert George, drew him a alligator which Lacoste then embroidered on the blazer he wore on the courts.

Bernard Lacoste became seriously ill in early 2005, which led him to transfer the presidency of Lacoste to his younger brother and closest collaborator for many years, Michel Lacoste. Bernard died in Paris on March 21, 2006.

As of 2006, Lacoste licenses its trademark to various companies. For example, Devanlay owns the exclusive worldwide clothing license, Pentland Brands has the exclusive worldwide license to produce Lacoste footwear, Procter & Gamble owns the exclusive worldwide license to produce fragrance, and Samsonite holds the worldwide license to produce Lacoste bags and small leather goods.

In June 2007, Lacoste introduced their very first e-commerce site for the US market.

Rock & Republic

Rock and Republic is an American high-end fashion and jeans brand founded by fashion mogul Michael Ball in 2002. The company is owned by Andrea Bernholtz. Prior to starting the company, Ball was an avid cyclist and gained design experience by creating his cycling team's uniforms.[1] Rock & Republic is well known for their line designed by Victoria Beckham, called 'VB Rocks'.

The brand's name is explained on the company website:
Rock & Republic means edgy, progressive design inspired by Rock & Roll and with an emphasis on modern silhouettes and a sleek fit. Each piece in the collection is designed for sexy, confident men and women who live the lifestyle and really understand the look.

Seven For All Mankind

Seven For All Mankind (often referred to simply as Seven or Seven Jeans) is a designer jeans company founded by Michael Glasser, Peter Koral, and Jerome Dahan in 2000. The company is headquartered in Vernon, California.

Seven for All Mankind began by designing women's jeans. It later introduced a men's jeans line in fall 2002, and its Children Denim Collection for boys and girls in fall 2005. In addition to jeans, 7 for All Mankind produces other clothing items such as skirts, shorts, and denim jackets. The brand is sold in over 80 countries including Western Europe, Canada, and Japan.

Taverniti So Jeans

Taverniti So Jeans is a sportswear collection from Jimmy Taverniti, who also sells Taverniti Couture. Known for his garment-dying and stonewashing techniques. Taverniti, has focused on jeans, T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants ans stretch silk tops. The denim banks on its vintage appeal , whether it's the baggy, masculine pants, the trouser or the skinny "Marilyn" jeans.

In 2004, Jimmy Taverniti and his old friend Paul Guez (founder of Sasson Jeans) joined forces to launch 'Taverniti So Jeans'.Having such a great infrastructure, Jimmy Taverniti and Paul Guez’s team, including Gregory Abbou, developed new wash treatments and fits, using premium denim as well as other fabrications from USA, Japan and Europe.

Celebrities that wear Taverniti So Jeans: Paris Hilton, Enrique Iglesias, Sean Paul, Mena Suvari

Juicy Couture

Juicy Couture is a contemporary line of casual apparel based in Pacoima, California, founded by Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy. Juicy is known for their terry, velour, cashmere, and fleece tracksuits, which have been made famous by the many celebrities who wear them (Cameron Diaz, Paris Hilton, Madonna, Nicole Richie, Melissa Stevens, Rachel Bilson, Rebecca Michelle, etc). The line is sold in upscale department stores and specialty stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Parisian, and Von Maur.

Slogans often adorn Juicy apparel, such as "Wake up and smell the Couture", " Go Couture Yourself", and "Dude, Where's my Couture?". The signature Juicy Crest, as well as the phrases "Love, P&G" (or "Love G&P") are stitched on the inside tag of each item of Juicy apparel. The order of the initials changed in early 2006 after a lawsuit by the Procter & Gamble corporation.

Ed Hardy

Tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy was born in Costa Mesa, California in 1945. He was the first Western tattoo artist to incorporate Japanese tattoo aesthetic and technique into his work and is an accomplished fine artist, as well.

Don Ed Hardy spent his youth in the Southern California community of Corona Del Mar. His interest in art, and more specifically tattooing began at an early age. As a child, he and his friends would take the 25 mile bus trip up to The Pike in Long Beach to hang out at tattoo shops where he would do copy flash and do fake tattoos on other kids with colored pencil. After several years of hanging around tattoo shops his interest in tattooing became secondary to his interest in the Kustom Kulture scene, which he was involved in until he graduated high school.

After high school Hardy attended and graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute, receiving his B.F.A. in Printmaking in 1967. While he was in school his interest in tattooing re-emerged and he started learning to tattoo, studying with artist Phil Sparrow of Oakland. It was during this time that he was married for the first time, as well.

Dsquared

Dsquared² is a high-end fashion label created by two Canadian brothers, Dean and Dan Caten. In 1991 they moved to Milan, Italy to pursue their dreams of fashion and creating their own company. In 1995 they debuted their very first men’s collection, and in 2003 the very first women’s collection debuted as well.

Since then, DSquared²'s fashion lines have been worn by celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Steven Gerrard, Lenny Kravitz, and Madonna. In 2000-2001, the brothers designed over 150 pieces for Madonna’s Drowned World Tour 2001 and "Don't Tell Me 2000" music video. Dean and Dan have also been featured on America's Next Top Model.

In the near future Dsquared² will open a flagship store (January) in Milan and launch a perfume (September).

Dean and Dan Caten are also designing the new official uniforms for football team Juventus.

Armani Jeans

Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He originally trained in Medicine, then gave it up to pursue photography, before being called up for national service in 1957. He then worked in a department store, La Rinascente, as a window dresser. From 1961 to 1970, Armani worked as a designer in well-known fashion house Nino Cerruti, after which he left to pursue freelance work. In 1974, with his partner Sergio Galeotti, he established Giorgio Armani S.p.A. with a menswear label, introducing a womenswear line in 1975. His sister Rosanna Armani joined him in the company; Galeotti died in 1985. Giorgio Armani is also known as being a fan of Inter Milan. In fact, according to reports, in 2006 there was a possibility that he would be new Inter's president. He is, however, president of the Milan basketball team. He is known today for his clean, tailored lines. He achieved his international breakthrough by tailoring for numerous Hollywood names and especially for Richard Gere in the title role of American Gigolo in 1980. Armani was also noted for building a mansion on the Caribbean island of Antigua, and being among the first designers to ban models with a body mass index (BMI) under 18 (the minimum healthy BMI), after model Ana Carolina Reston starved herself to death due to anorexia nervosa. In January 2007 Armani has become the first designer to broadcast an haute couture fashion show live on the Internet. The haute couture Armani Prive spring/summer 2007 fashion show was broadcast via Microsoft Corporation’s MSN and a Cingular cellular phones.

Adidas

Adidas is a major German sports apparel manufacturer, part of the Adidas Group, consisting of Reebok sportswear company, Taylormade golf company, Maxfli golf balls, and Adidas golf and is the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world. The company was named after its founder, Adolf (Adi) Dassler. Dassler started producing shoes in the 1920s in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg, with the help of his brother, Rudolf Dassler, who later formed rival shoe company PUMA AG. It registered as adidas AG on 18 August 1949 (with lower-case lettering). The company's clothing and shoe designs typically feature three parallel stripes, and this same motif is incorporated into Adidas's current official logo. The company revenue for 2005 was listed at 6.6 billion euro, or about 8.4 billion U.S. dollars. Adidas revenue for 2006 was listed at 10.084 billion euro, or about 13.625 billion U.S. dollars.

True Religion

True Religion brand Jeans is an American clothing line, established in December of 2002 by husband and wife team Jeffrey and Kim Lubell.

In the summer of 2000, the concept of luxury denim was introduced to a scrutinizing, though genuinely enthusiastic industry and public. At the forefront was the popular Seven for all Mankind label, originating in Los Angeles, which can arguably be credited with the progressive transformation of denim from a material of the working man to that of the rich man. A public feeding frenzy ensued as denim's popularity escalated and demand increased.

At the time of it's 2002 debut, True Religion sought to maintain a characteristically "fashion forward" approach to denim design. Consequently, several elements of the design have become charactistic of the brand,such as horsehoe shaped embroidery.

J. Lindeberg Clothing and Belts

J. Lindeberg (operating as JL), is a Swedish clothing company. J.Lindeberg is marketed as a 21st Century lifestyle brand. Currently, J.Lindeberg is distributed in over 20 countries and available at flagship stores in New York, Los Angeles, Stockholm, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hong Kong.

J. Lindeberg's clothes are popular among golfers, and are worn by PGA stars: Jesper Parnevik, James Heath, Hank Kuehne, Aaron Baddeley, Phillipe Lima, Camilo Villegas, and Richard Johnson. The brand also sponsors Swedish professional skier Jon Olsson. Brad Pitt wore black tie, white shirt, shoes and cuff links made by J. Lindeberg to the 63rd Golden Globe Awards in 2006

Versace Jeans Couture

Gianni Versace S.p.A. (IPA: /'ʤɑnni ver'saʧe/) is an Italian clothier founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. After Gianni Versace was killed by Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1997, his sister Donatella Versace, formerly vice-president, stepped in as creative director of the designing House and his older brother Santo Versace became CEO.

The first Versace boutique was opened in Milan's Via della Spiga in 1978, and its popularity was immediate. Today, Versace is one of the world's leading international fashion houses. Versace designs, markets and distributes luxury clothing, accessories, fragrances, makeup and home furnishings under the various brands of the Versace Group.

Versace's Style Department employs a group of designers and stylists who work in teams. Each team is specifically dedicated to each fashion line or label. These teams operate under the close supervision and guidance of Creative Director, Donatella Versace.

Prada

Prada, S.p.A. is an Italian fashion company (also known as a "label" or "house") with retail outlets worldwide.

The company, originally known in Italy as ("Prada Brothers"), was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada in Milan. In 1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was still a leather goods business from her mother, and led the company's expansion into couture. an overall more bohemian style. In its advertising campaigns, waif-like models in "home photo" poses further the look. Miu Miu clothing is often simple, and evokes a continual image of high-end vintage items. It was followed by the Prada Sport 'Linea Rossa' Prada won a Council of Fashion Designers of America International Award for accessories in 1993 and currently Prada is considered one of the most influential clothes designers in the fashion industry. American Vogue editor Anna Wintour is a fan of Prada. Among the fashion elite, Prada represents the pinnacle of intellectual, high-concept fashion whereas Gucci or Louis Vuitton are seen as more commercial-oriented organizations

Prada currently has 14 locations in the U.S., 6 in New York, as well as boutiques in Bal Harbour, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Honolulu, Waikiki, and Las Vegas. A boutique in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Boston is planned to open soon.

Prada has three flagship "epicenter" stores as well that are much larger and carry more merchandise than regular boutiques. These are located in New York, Beverly Hills, and Tokyo.

Ron Herman

Retailer Ron Herman and his flagship store at 8100 Melrose Ave. were early pioneers of the oft co-opted "denim bar" concept of retailing: stocking a mind-boggling number of brands floor to ceiling and separating them from the customer by a wooden counter to create a sort of sartorial saloon atmosphere.

This merchandising technique, which treats denim with the same sort of retail reverence reserved for expensive jewelry (and seemingly justifies the higher price tag), is now commonplace around the globe.

Hugo Boss

Hugo Boss AG is a fashion house based in Germany, which specializes in high-end and casual menswear and womenswear. It is named after its founder, Hugo Boss.

Hugo Boss established his company in Metzingen, Germany, in 1923, only a few years after the end of World War I, while most of the country was in a state of economic ruin.
Before and during World War II, Boss's company both designed and manufactured uniforms and attire for the troops and officers of the Wehrmacht as well as for other governmental branches of Nazi Germany, including the SS.
Boss died in 1948, and the company then languished in relative obscurity until the 1950s, when, in 1953, Hugo Boss released its first suit design for menswear. In 1993, 70 years after its founding, Hugo Boss launched its first fragrance, and created a division which has since grown to be an important part of the company.