-Marc Jacobs’ muses have included Victoria Beckham, Sofia Coppola and Kate Moss but, in August this year, his head was turned by arguably the greatest diva of them all – Miss Piggy. The temperamental – but ever-glamorous – sow was treated to a couture gown designed by Jacobs for the Macy’s Glamorama party in New York
2009 was the year when fashion opened its doors and invited the world in for an inspection. From the fly-on-the-wall look at the inner workings of Vogue in The September Issue, to Valentino’s needling of his partner - Giancarlo Giametti - in The Last Emperor, and from Audrey Tautou as a wide-eyed Coco in Coco Before Chanel to Tom Ford’s directorial debut in A Single Man, this was the year when fashion went celluloid.
-Daphne Guinness earned a well-deserved nod of approval from fashion critics for being the first celebrity to wear Alexander McQueen’s Armadillo shoes on the red carpet, at the party that she hosted with Francois Nars, in New York. We could barely walk in them, so kudos to Daphne for braving the paparazzi in them.
-Adriana Lima, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, Karolina Kurkova and Jourdan Dunn. What do they have in common? They all contributed to the gene pool by producing genetically-blessed progeny. A year of model pregnancies and births was summed up when a seven-month-pregnant Dunn boldly walked the Gaultier catwalk in Paris – resplendent in a tortoise-like bump-shell and conical bra
-We all went mad for bunny ears following their appearance in Marc Jacobs' autumn/winter 2009-10 Louis Vuitton show. The designer even sported a pair himself for his CFDA portrait, as did Madonna – who wore hers to the Costume Institute Gala.
-The 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week saw the capital celebrating its unique sense of style, with more shows on the schedule, more big name designers, more parties, more stars on the front row, more gravitas and a new move to the stately Somerset House. Even Anna Wintour was in attendance.
-With bankruptcy and credit crunch headlines taking overriding precedence in the world’s press and a feeling of uncertainty dampening spirits, Vogue decided to host a global event to bring retailers and shoppers together in a bid to boost the economy and remind the world that fashion is fun. In London, shoppers were entertained with instore activities such as Chanel's live photoshoot where Erin O'Connor (left), Laura Bailey and Daisy Lowe worked their modelling magic.
-Graff Jewellry store robbery - On an August afternoon, two smartly dressed men with handguns held up staff and made off with £40 million worth of diamonds, firing shots and taking a Graff staff member hostage to ensure their getaway. Two weeks later, two men were charged with the robbery
-Since First Lady of the United States (or FLOTUS, as she is now known) moved into the White House, she has become one of the most watched fashion figures in the world. With blogs – and now a book – based on her realistic high-meets-low sense of style, Obama has introduced legions of women to the likes of Peter Pilotto, Basso & Brooke (left), Thakoon, Jason Wu, Isabel Toledo - and taught them how to mix them up with high street brands like J.Crew.
-There was a mass homecoming among some of British fashion’s biggest names to mark the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week. Matthew Williamson, Pringle, Antonio Berardi, Jonathan Saunders and Burberry (left) all returned to London’s catwalks for the spring/summer 2010 shows.
-High street/high end collaborations are nothing new but with Yasmin Le Bon for Wallis, Beth Ditto for Evans, Sonia Rykiel and Jimmy Choo for H&M, Roksanda for Whistles, Jil Sander at Uniqlo and a return to Topshop for both Kate Moss and Christopher Kane, 2009 was the year for designers on the high street.
-The world of fashion has not been immune to the trials of the global recession. Gianfranco Ferré and Yohji Yamamoto filed for bankruptcy protection, while Luella Bartley’s Italian production company closed its doors, leading to her distributor withdrawing its backing and the close of one of the UK’s most loved brands. And Christian Lacroix’s ready-to-wear and haute couture businesses were finally shut down after he failed to find a buyer in time for a November deadline. On a brighter note, Escada finally found a buyer in November
-It was a shrewd move when Central Saint Martins graduate Mark Fast showed his designs could fit into the wardrobes of many a woman at September's London Fashion Week. The designer chose to include size 12 models within his model line-up, demonstrating his work's wearability and popularity with shoppers.
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