Last year, 2010, saw highs and lows such as the death of fashion’s enfant terrible Alexander McQueen and the revival of fashion trends that represented timeless pieces and styles for the grown up women. It was a year when curves came back into fashion, and millions of “real” women everywhere heaved a sigh of relief, with Louis Vuitton’s Marc Jacobs championing cleavage and hour-glass Mad Men-style figures. Midi-lengths returned in the guise of full-circle skirts and 50s-inspired dresses, further embracing the Mad Men trend.
Kate Middleton Fashion
In 2010 our copy-cat celebrity culture had women clamoring to buy a copy of Kate Middleton’s engagement dress and Michelle Obama, Samantha Cameron and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy came to represent modern-day First Ladies of fashion, consistently boosting sales of the labels they wore. Thanks to Kate Middleton, the UK’s princess-in-waiting, the Issa label became a household name in fashionistas' vocabulary and UK department store Debenhams decided that some fashion terms were becoming so confusing for its customers that it produced its own dictionary of fashion.
Handbags and Shoes 2010
IT bags became a thing of the past in favor of heritage handbags that represented classic styling and the ultimate in chic. Mulberry’s Alexa bag, named after former model and UK TV presenter Alexa Cheung, became the must-have handbag buy of the year and remains a modern-day collectable. The Alexa sparked a trend for the revival of satchel bags, whilst the sale of a second-hand Hermès Birkin reached an all time record the bi-annual Hermès sale at Christie’s auction house. 2010 also saw the opening of the biggest shoe department in the world, at Selfridges flagship store in London's Oxford Street.
Designer Collaborations in 2010
It was also a big year for fledgling fashion designer Victoria Beckham, who showcased her first handbag line at New York Fashion Week in September 2010 and Jimmy Choo’s Tamara Mellon, who received an OBE for her services to British fashion from Queen Elizabeth II.
2010 also saw some memorable designer collaborations such as Jimmy Choo and UGG Australia, Valentino and Gap and one of the biggest fashion coups of the year – H&M and Lanvin. Even sportswear label Fred Perry got in on the act with an unusual designer collaboration with Amy Winehouse.
Coat Trends in 2010
Never before has there been such a coat-centric season as 2010. With everything from capes to shearling aviator jackets to classic camel numbers and faux-fur coats, the year proved to the be one when outerwear was fashion's ultimate statement piece.
Plus-size Fashion
2010 was also the year when there was a backlash against airbrushed fashion models and some retailers changed their advertising campaign policy so that models represented all kinds of women, from plus-size to those with disabilities.
Death of Alexander McQueen
The fashion world is still reeling from the death of Alexander McQueen in February 2010. In September 2010 a memorial service was held in St Paul’s Cathedral in London, where the crème de la crème of the fashion elite paid homage to the late talented British designer. The Fashion Relief Show event during New York’s Fashion Week, hosted by Supermodel Naomi Campbell, was also dedicated to McQueen's memory. Now, under the helm of Sarah Burton, McQueen's former right-hand woman takes over creative control of the brand for 2011.
There was also an end of an era when Kate Moss launched her final collection for Top Shop in September 2010 and relinquished her Top Shop celebrity designer crown.
Women's Fashion for 2011
Fashionistas can look forward to 2011, a year where it is predicted that Marc Jacobs will launch a dedicated plus-size clothing collection and 2011 fashion trends include outfits with dramatic asymmetric and conical cuts, domed shoulders and pear drop silhouettes.
Gill Hart - Gill Hart is a fashion and image professional who specializes in women's fashion over 50.
