Fall ’09

At the Men’s collections in Milan, Paris and New York, designers assess their values in a challenging time.

For his headlining act at Pitti Uomo in Florence, Thom Browne conceived an extremely regimented and hyper-condensed day of an office drone, circa 1955.

Raf reinvents, Dunhill goes designer, Armani and Dolce duke it out in the press. Here, the most memorable moments of the fall fashion season.

Winning a slew of Grammys and being voted MTV’s hottest emcee might be a pretty good excuse for putting your feet up. Not for Kanye West.

Raf Simons at Jil Sander served up staples that were daringly innovative with sculptural, rounded shapes.

Although the economy nose-dived after Giorgio Armani committed to open a Manhattan flagship on Fifth Avenue, he proceeded to unveil it with tasteful fanfare.

Ralph Lauren swept into Geneva for a gala dinner hosted by Compagnie Financière Richemont chief Johann Rupert to launch the designer’s first luxury watches.

Atop an artificial ski slope, Moncler unveiled a new Gamme Bleu collection designed by Thom Browne, a mash-up of functional skiwear and unmistakable tailoring.

After 11 seasons in Milan, Calvin Klein Collection’s Italo Zucchelli brought the show home to New York.

Charlie Sheen may not seem like a fashion icon, but he livened up the MAGIC show in Las Vegas, where he was promoting the DaVinci Collection by Charlie Sheen.

Showing at the drab and dated French Communist party headquarters was the first clue that Dries Van Noten had turned the page on his romantic leanings.

“Fashion has to be a part of life and life a part of fashion,” declared Alber Elbaz.

Yves Saint Laurent designer Stefano Pilati has a marked affection for film.

Staging a runway show during New York Fashion Week is expensive and demanding— and far harder when your parent company declares bankruptcy just weeks before.

Had the late Alfred Dunhill been sitting front row at Kim Jones’ debut runway show for his label in Paris, one suspects he’d have tipped his hat.

Milan Fashion Week heated up when Giorgio Armani accused Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana of pilfering from his fall 2008 collection.

Lynn Downey is the only Levi Strauss & Co. employee who travels on the job with a 6-foot, 9-inch bodyguard.

With soccer virtually a religion in Italy, it was unsurprising that a number of shows in Milan were stocked with stars of the beautiful game.

In spite of what the Venetian and Paris casinos would have us believe, the Vegas trade shows tend to be a domestic affair—but not this year.

The biggest shock that Raf Simons could have given his audience was a lineup of classic suits— that’s exactly how he opened his mesmerizing fall show in Paris.

In Southgate, CA is a 400,000-square-foot laundry and manufacturing facility that churns out some of the most perfectly aged and treated denim in the U.S.

From double-breasted suits to bold zippers, here are the seven dominant themes that emerged from the fall collections in Milan, Paris and New York.

While shrunken suits prevailed, new double-breasted styles mixed masculine appeal with a touch of the dandy.

Turtlenecks stood out as a key piece, offering chic simplicity and an alternative to the shirt and tie.

Taking cues from the trenchcoat, belts appeared outside outerwear to create a body-conscious silhouette.

Designers brightened the mood by flouting the old rule against wearing white in cold weather.

Rocker chic plus a goth palette equaled an ideal canvas for big zippers, adding to the urban warrior’s rough edge.

Rounded shoulders— structured, not soft— reflected an architectural approach to everything from overcoats to cardigans.

From big bags to massive scarves, accessories were the linchpin— and focal point— of many fall looks.

A look behind the scenes as John Galliano prepares for his brilliantly subversive Paris men’s wear show.

As he confidently revives the Burberry check for fall, Christopher Bailey reflects on the art of disheveled elegance.

With a look at once refined and nonchalant, the design duo behind Lanvin men’s wear break through on the Paris runway.

A new level of tailoring only adds to his sex appeal, thanks to the collaboration between Donatella Versace and men’s wear designer Alexandre Plokhov.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

From the trade shows in Florence, Paris, New York and Las Vegas, here are over 100 must-haves, with styles ranging from street luxe to twisted preppy.

It means “the fast one”— appropriate for Christian Audigier, the French-born marketer behind the Ed Hardy brand and Las Vegas trade show, When I Move You Move.

Denim has been an oasis of strength in the current retail downturn.

Fall’s favorite materials — corduroy and astrakhan — have roots in trying times.

In a tough economy, European designers place a renewed emphasis on classic tailored clothing — just as traditional suit makers turn focus to capital of fashion.

For the models, it’s all about hurry-up-and-wait as celebrities mingle with designers and stylists apply the finishing touches.

one of the ways fashion houses cut costs this season was to cast new faces rather than relying on costlier established models.