I promptly raised my hand and said “Prada.”
It was more than a quip. Among Miuccia Prada's many gifts is the ability to culminate concepts into fully realized collections. No matter where she ventures thematically, the arc of her aesthetic remains clear.
There was a nod to sportswear with wrap-around sunglasses, complete with neckstraps. Let’s hope there was some irony here and this trend doesn’t step off the runway.
Elusions to hospital scrubs manifested in the palette of clear blues and the boxy shape of T-shirts and shorts.
Schoolboy resonances sounded in the styling...
... and accessories: bags which came down the runway emblazoned with varsity letters and clutched like lunchbags, and bracelets that looked like that perennial summer-camp diversion (do you remember how to do “square”?).
The mixture of references culminated below the ankle, where wingtips sat atop layered soles that were part espadrille and part runner.
Jackets featured extreme tailoring in the waist.
Sweaters further developed a V-shaped torso, emphasizing shoulders with solid colour boat-necks...
...and bright stripes across the chest.
Despite the eclectic inspirations, the collection retained that distinctive, cohesive and utterly desirable quality that is, in a word: Prada.
The most accessible way to incorporate negative space into your wardrobe is by using cut-outs, like this dramatic gown from Marchesa... 
...and this quirky shoe from Proenza Schouler.
Viktor & Rolf rendered cut-outs in three dimensions.
Cultural theorists often refer to a woman's purse as a metaphor for her mystery (I'll spare you the lewd Freudian interpretation). What, then, do we make of this candid bag from Stella McCartney... 
...or this clear innovation from Prada? 
Unravelling satin at Prada 
Tribal influences defined the Rodarte collection. These women never fail to make an original statement.
First out at Fendi
I love Lagerfeld's seemingly effortless precision...
Alber Elbaz develops his oeuvre at Lanvin with the poetic folds of this suit-mimicking dress. 
