One of the coolest beauty looks (literally and figuratively) to emerge this season is undoubtedly the visually arresting violet lip. There is something simple and yet subversive about sporting a bold color that falls off the friendly spectrum of reds and pinks. While there is always the danger of simply looking like a victim of poor circulation the perfectly painted purple lips Lloyd Simmonds gave the girls at Vena Cava ( Vena Cava S/S 10 Beauty Slideshow ) were the definition of cool. Granted, you can’t buy Simmond’s custom mix of MAC pigments (yet) but the bright matte color struck just the right chord.

The words “change of perspective” get thrown around a lot when it comes to art but looking at Anna Higgie’s impressive image shattering illustrations is one way to make the phrase literal. Starting with striking images of faces (you may see a familiar one amongst the array of drawings – Ali Michael for instance) and then fragmenting the works with lines, swirls, and other graphic touches, Higgie presents an eye-catching take on the cubist tradition.

Seasonal flairs and continual growth aside, every collection by Haider Ackermann can be boiled down to a simple story detailing the ongoing romantic love affair between one man and draping. As routine as that may seem it is not a detriment- Ackermann’s passion for draping and his relentless expertise at the delicate art have garnered him a cult following of loyal admirers. For his latest collection ( Haider Ackermann S/S 10 Slideshow ) he refined his long and lean aesthetic into something light and airy.

For spring the draping adds to the grace of movement within each piece – as the girls walk the dresses glide with them and the shimmering fabrics catch the light and start to sparkle. Though the each look is monochromatic the varying textures – leather, satin, silk in a delightful mix – merge together perfectly. It will be interesting to see how the pieces look when taken out of their runway context and paired with different colors – can that to die for smoke colored leather topper on Irina work just as well with jeans or a chic Prada skirt? Time will tell.

In spite of the softer touches, the rigorousness of Ackermann’s previous work remains – these are beautiful clothes but they require a certain type of frame or at least a certain type of presence. Anyone looking to slink into the corner unnoticed need not bother with Ackermann’s sleek gowns – the austerity and clarity of vision within the collection demands something of the wearer. The right woman wearing that cobalt blue silk gown in just the right place would be unforgettable. Those razor sharp cuts and precisely draped fabrics demand attention.

As anyone in New York can tell you, autumn has finally arrived after the kind of lukewarm summer that can only be described as meh. What better time to unearth your fall wardrobe from storage boxes and snuggle up to cozy fabrics like flannel, wool and tweed? Vogue manages to be on the ball and serve up a story that features almost every pastoral trend of the season (good and bad) along with a psuedo-farming theme that is both comic and nostalgic. Name one farmhand who works in thigh-high Prada boots…

Featuring the increasingly dynamic Karlie Kloss (whose impish face Vogue is attempting to overexpose now that Caroline Trentini appears to have taken a breather) and actor Tom Sturridge (cue swooning teen girls everywhere) the editorial is fairly standard fare but there is something charming about it. Mario Testino can take something as easy as girl + boy + soft light filters and make it look appealing (he’s done it better with Gemma Ward & Josh Hartnett or Daria & Jake Gyllenhaal) but don’t be fooled. They can talk a good game about eco-conscious living and green farming but its all about the clothes. That Chloe cape looks even better than ever and Tonne Goodman’s use of plaid almost makes you rethink rustic.

Everything & the Farm
Ph. Mario Testino
Models: Karlie Kloss and Tom Sturridge
Fashion Editor: Tonne Goodman
Hair: Oribe
Makeup: Linda Cantello

Hannah McGibbon makes it all look easy. Her casual, early Philo aesthetic may not resonate with everyone but something has to be said about anyone who can make exorbitantly priced accessories look downright necessary in this day and age. When her boho luxe heroines sauntered down the catwalk this season wearing crocodile bags ( Chloe Croc Accessories S/S 10 Slideshow ) with their comfy suits and dresses, the ultimate in exotic purses seemed refreshingly accessible. Truly enterprising girls will definitely be toting her grandmother’s vintage Hermes Croc Constance or Chanel 2.55 instead of the Chloe facsimile but they may find it harder to pass up one of those delicious totes.

Like many people one of my earliest fashion memories comes courtesy of Irving Penn. Back in the day when exquisite imported magazines were little more than a twinkle in my eye, I purchased an issue of Vogue for 25 cents at a local flea market. Granted, this was not my first issue of Vogue but it is the one I remember best of all thanks to Penn’s expressive black and white portraits of Shalom Harlow, Stella Tennant, Amber Valleta & Kirsty Hume.

Growing up I had always followed fashion to some extent but Penn’s pictures came to me during that crucial moment where a recreation becomes an obsession. The images themselves were simple but they made each girl look unearthly – taking them beyond beauty and into a realm of unmatched perfection. Shalom’s impenetrable elegance, Kirsty’s sweet sensuality, Stella’s aristocratic cool, Amber’s it factor – to my preteen mind this was the apex of all that was desirable, all that was visually compelling. The magazine itself is now long gone but I still have the individual pictures more than a decade later. They are wrinkled now and nowhere near perfect but they serve to remind me of exactly why I am passionate about fashion.

There will always be something that draws us towards what is beautiful and the work Irivng Penn created was singularly beautiful. Whether it was a picture of dried flowers framed in an art gallery or a few frayed pages saved from an old magazine, his work had an undeniable power to affect people. It is somewhat cliche to say that a picture can change your life but I wonder just how many people were introduced to fashion via Irving Penn’s six decades of stunning imagery. He will be missed.

Lets be honest with each other, with the exception of a few choice shows (and we’ll get to those winners soon) there wasn’t much cause for excitement this season. Things are seeming very been there, done that. Remixes and rehashes abound and the freshest things on the runway are often the pubescent models rather than the clothes. Perhaps it is this noble spirit of repetition that makes iArtist’s DIY versions of contemporary art masterpieces so very amusing. What could be more postmodern than building your own Damien Hirst sculpture at home? With everyone in fashion copying everyone else perhaps iArtist will expand its series into designer territory. A make your own Balenciaga S/S 07 leggings kit cannot be far behind.

It is impossible to sift through the endless stream of images from fashion week without feeling slightly overwhelmed. Whether it is backstage, front row, a detail of a shoe and so on so forth there are just so many different images out there – we can become desensitized to the imagery due to its sheer overabundance. Perhaps that is why Anne Combez’s backstage images are such a pleasant surprise. Capturing both the frenzy and malaise of the backstage grind with equal attention they hint at the ennui beneath the glamour.

The painterly detailing on Mary Katrantzou’s S/S 10 ( Mary Katrantzou S/S 10 Shoes Slideshow )  shoes is part impressionist, part graffiti. Known for her staggering digital prints and arresting use of color Katrantzou’s collection is already one of London’s standouts and its the little details that make it all worthwhile. The sky high pumps manage to be sexy, ethereal and ever so slightly perilous – the kind of combination that makes for an instantly covetable item.

Deconstructing the commonplace is an art in and of itself. It is somehow easier to appreciate the artistry of everyday objects when they are taken out of context and presented as something new. John Mann’s simple yet whimsical photographs of map cutouts often rely on sight gags to express a concept . The equator is whittled down to a thin strip of curved paper, an eclipse becomes a halved globe – the ideas are uncomplicated but manage to transform a utility into something evocative.