Raf Simons showed his final collection for Jil Sander with his Fall/Winter collection. the collection started strong in its pastels, as models made their way out with their fingers clasped around the chest of a jacket, keeping it closed tightly over their bodies. corset bodice dresses with both full skirts and knee-length pencil skirts, also shown in color-blocked looks, stole the show. pale pink, pale gray and a warm java was oufitted on the knee and full-length clasped coats with exposed contrasting lining, the gauzy full length skirts with panels of vinyl, and the silk mesh nipple baring tops and dresses. never has showing your nipples looked so demure.

Jil Sander is slated to return to her namesake house with Simons departure after his seven year stint at the helm of her label…at this piont it is unclear if she will ever surpass Simons legacy.

:: images via style.com.

The Caten brothers know how to put on a show. for their fall/winter collection that show took place in a high school gymnasium and took the audience back to an early 1960′s prom; just turned up a notch. the first looks were day time appropriate, perhaps portraying the committee chosen to set up for the prom, and the final looks were those of the prom court- lead so beautifully by Lindsey Wixson in all her beautiful high school glory.

rolled jeans, tight sweaters, tiny leather gloves (encasing fingers wrapped dis-tastfully around a cigarette), high-waist pencil skirts and boufants for days made their way out from in between the bleachers. the prom attire was wearable, with not a cinderella look in sight. va va voom dresses and sleek, floor length gowns made emphasis on tiny waists and were never able to outshine the large hair on top of the models heads.

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:: designers Dan and Dean Caten. images via style.com.

Frida Giannini presented a collection of extravagance for her fall/winter collection for Gucci. deep purples, emerald greens and a myriad of black tones made up the collection of billowing dresses, velvet skirts, fur coats and heavy capes. day-appropriate looks were shown with riding boots, which played in well with the menswear motif and riding pants (but did not hit the equestrian level). evening looks, shown in feather and silk chiffon gowns with iridescent embroidery, were shown with delicate velvet peep toe ankle strapped pumps.

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:: designer Frida Giannini. images via style.com.

Donatella Versace took her Fall/Winter 12 collection for the iconic fashion house to a darker place. studded leather, front seam fishnet knee-highs, bleached eyebrows and a razor sharp short bang screamed edge. Byzantine crosses in leather adorned the first couple of looks, the leather accent a staple throughout the collection. for Donatella the collection was a segway to her past, and to Gianni’s last collection. chainmail was used for the last looks, in homage to the well-known Versace main-stay that Gianni commissioned during his reign.

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:: designer Donatella Versace. images via style.com.

Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi’s Fall/Winter collection for Fendi reminded me of a fashionable take on a winter warrior-ess. Luxe fur, leather, wool and snakeskin adorned the bodies of models with braided hair and stone cold expressions, ready for battle. the looks were strong, with wide shoulders and a focus on tiny waists.

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:: designers Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi. images via style.com.

 Miuccia Prada presented a collection for Fall/Winter on blinded beauties with bleached eyebrows and orange eyeshadow, a look that laid down the framework for a collection very much about beauty and what does and doesn’t dictate it.

the skirt over pants silhouette has never looked better over cropped trousers. tailored jackets, often without sleeves, swept low.  black was the focal color, however purple red and pink were all present as well on strong looks often shown in patterns, which were bold. while many looks were based on menswear, the looks were all very matchy matchy. thick buckled belts and large gems, made of plexi glass and sequins, adorned most looks- as did the scary platform shoes (scarier than creepers? It is a toss up for me).

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:: designer Miuccia Prada. images via style.com.

Roberto Cavalli presented his fall/winter 2012 collection upon a fairly bland backdrop. the collection was very 60′s inspired, with dropped waists and a large focus on a groovy-esq houndstooth. the silhouettes were fairly boxy, with long coats and capes as a focal point. As he is Roberto Cavalli, a mixture of animal print, fur and metallics were not absent, but rather sparse, in between bright oranges, reds and a great deal of black and camel.

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:: designer Roberto Cavalli. images via style.com.