Best of the Decade: Takes on the Decade in Fashion

Our last look at the past decade in fashion & style is a quick study of our thoughts on fashion from the past ten years.

Ricardo Tisci's breakthrough F/W 2007 Collection for Givenchy

Is it fair to call this a decade of heavy revivals? Why so?

AP: Absolutely. So many iconic lines resurrected, some with great success, some critical darlings shuttered for monetary reasons, others total failures.

Lanvin, Balenciaga, Balmain, Givenchy, Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Nina Ricci(floundering), Rochas, Vionnet, Bill Blass, Ungaro (horrible but still alive), Halston(floundering)

Chloe's S/S 2006 take on the 70's

If so, what era brought back was our favorite?

AP: I can't say. The revivals that are thriving to this day are helmed by designers who've managed to honor the history and signature aesthetic of their respective houses, who've clearly studied their respective archives whilst putting their own thoroughly modern stamp on them. Lanvin and Balenciaga come to mind immediately. The former has whispers of the French forties re-imagined in raw edged techno fabrications. The latter is even more difficult to pin an era to. They are successful because they are thoroughly modern. You can catch glimpses of certain era's in them but they've been adapted to now. Balmain's 80's in-your-face aesthetic is too obvious and sort of comical. Phoebe Philo's Chloe was effortlessly modern and accessible, beautiful and natural. It was also quite reverential to the history and signature of the house. And that aesthetic was French 70's. So there. If I had to pick I'd say 70's for it's accessibility and 40's for it's elegance.

NH: The 70's, seen throughout the last decade at Chloe in all forms from luxe-hippie to super-cool collegiate babysitter to the swanky left bank maman look Phoebe Philo is so loved for.

Alber Elbaz's cool take on Parisian glamor, Lanvin S/S 2008

Many older, dusty houses were brought back from the dead, favorite?

Agreed: Lanvin's Alber Elbaz is giving a new generation of women the kind of things they would want from a house like Chanel, that speak more to them, that are sincere and less ostentatious. The house is now truly modern in a louche, easy way without forgoing luxury, and ease. Everything is super de-luxe, yet raw-edged and unfussy. There is no other company in any other kind of market that you can compare this to.

This was a tumultuous decade for many of the world's creative designers, our saddest loss was-

We can't say it's a tie just because Olivier Theyskens was so genius during his brief period at Nina Ricci so it has to be hands down Helmut Lang. Also hope that Ungaro stops and hires a designer who brings what was once a really strong line up from the dead. It was once a go to place for glamor gals. The stuff we have is amazing.

Prada's monumental F/W 2007 Collection

Who do we think has made the strongest imprint on the decade?

AP: Muiccia Prada, Marc Jacobs (esp. his bags) and Nicolas Ghesqiere.

NH: Miuccia Prada, Nicolas Ghesquiere & John Galliano.

Even accessories were given major priority as seen at Lanvin S/S 2009

Favorite Trends of the Decade?

AP: Love- Raw edges, exposed zippers, borrowing from the boys, all of the amazing shoes, anything Margiela -- luxury t-shirts (Rick Owens), all the crazy beautiful statement jewelery.
Hate - Literal iterations of any decade - MJ is the worst offender. 80's on repeat. Maxi dresses, hippie head bands, gladiator sandals, & lycra leggings.

NH: Love- The return of accessorizing after minimalism, from statement jewels to turbans, things got very inventive. Minimalism took away so many options from prints to anything else superfluous, this was a total decade of maximalism.

NH: Hate- The return of the 80's over & over & over again.

After all, this was a decade of many movements, what's one we lived by but couldn't go back to?

AP: The shapeless baby-doll dress.

NH: The whole Heidi Slimane dictatum.

Romantic, Urban Cowboy/Warrior, Christopher Kane S/S 2008

The Resurgence of Velvet, sparked by Christopher Kane's stunning F/W 2007 Collection

Our Top Five Favorite New Designers of the Decade?

AP:
Alber Elbaz
Pheobe Philo
Christopher Kane
Nicholas Ghesqhieure
Muccia Prada

NH:
Stefano Pilatti at YSL
Ricardo Ticsi at Givenchy
Christopher Kane
Jun Takahashi at Number (N)ine
Nicholas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga

What were some of the decade's defining style moments?

Agreed: Balenciaga Fall 2001 is a collection you can still wear and look ahead of the pack almost ten yrs later, Prada Fall 2000 laid the foundation for re-appropriating vintage with an artful twist and Chloe Spring 2006 may be one of the most copied collections of all time, it really set designers to start thinking about moving away from the body, something we love.

AP would add Marc Jacobs handbag collaboration's. Fast-fashion. The democratization of fashion via the web and in H&M, Kohls, TopShop, Target collaborations with high-end designers.

Key Ideas of the Decade in a few thoughts-

The decade finally gave avant-garde labels like Comme Des Garcons their moment in the spotlight, Comme Des Garcons F/W 2006

AP: REVIVALS, "It" bags, "It" shoes, mass-marketed avant-garde, deconstruction, limitless choices, fashion bloggers - street fashion - influence of Sartorialist etc, the death of print...magazines etc. Over-the-top spending and then the crash and a new reality, which is now. People returning to whats most important, what's authentic. The new modesty (2010).

NH: Maximalism, show-stopping jewelry, deconstruction for the masses= the democratization of the avant-garde, off-set/off-key, inventive beyond the imagination, revival heavy, & climbing astronomical Couture price-points for r-t-w.