To some, fashion is perceived as nothing more than an aesthetic of deception and dissipation; a useless expenditure to satisfy the needs of the bourgeoisie. However, those who are the most critical of fashion are the ones who do not understand the reviving and resilient power that it attains. The fashion trade is a multibillion-dollar industry that, even at the worst of times, always manages to persevere.
???As the entire nation feels the constraints that this recession is placing on wallets and personal endeavors, fashion designers refuse to allow this unfortunate setback to dampen their duties. To produce a product that inspires and speaks vivaciously of their character, this year Fall Fashion Week has come at the perfect time - first stopping in New York's Bryant Park last week, then taking over London's Somerset House.
???Sure, the price to even show at the tents during fashion week has turned away even the most credible designers. For example, the elegant Vera Wang pulled out of showing at Bryant Park due to the steep rental prices, deciding to her save money and time and instead use her Mercer Street store as her economical runway. Though cost was a factor this season, it did not curtail Wang from producing a beautiful and wearable collection that spoke to an array of women.
???Designers were focused on rejuvenation. As fall looks usually lack colors that entice and designs that are intriguing to the eye, the motivation for this season was to plump up the appeal and create looks that can be used as a platform for inspiration that can be easily recreated utilizing admirers' pre-existing wardrobes.
???The iconic and effervescent designer Diane Von Furstenberg, the queen who revamped the mundane wrap dress into a necessary piece for any businesswoman, has been constructing her signature style over the past three decades.
???DVF has never strayed from creating pieces that exemplify women's beauty. Her collection for fall was no different, refusing to hide her women beneath layers of uncomplimentary clothing. She keeps her clients in mind with each collection, while never letting her consumer burden her creativity. Every piece in her collection screams "This is Diane Von Furstenberg," and the women who wear her line have their own distinct style that is accentuated by her pieces.
??? Recession or not, designers know that their clients do not have the expendable income that they once did to buy entire outfits. Instead, they have been honing in on crafting key pieces, promoting fashion as a lifetime investment. By allowing designers' complete collections to be viewed as various separates, these designers are able to give their clients more ease in breaking out their checkbooks.
???Spending more time on tailoring and exploring new and inventive shapes allows designers to get back to the basics and simplicity that are the foundation of fashion. Of course, designers care about what they put out on the runway, but technique is often brushed aside and left on the cutting room floor to be dealt with next season - that is, if time doesn't decide to slip between their fingers yet again.
???With this back to the basics mentality that fashion is running on, young designers are given room to emerge and show off their years of instruction behind these fashion mavericks.
Jason Wu, a 26-year-old Taiwanese, Manhattan-based designer gained his recognition by creating Michelle Obama's now infamous one-of-a-kind white chiffon gown worn during the youth Inaugural ball earlier this year, as well as his striking purple creation that she dons on the cover of this month's Vogue. With such esteemed credit, Wu has built up his clientele, leaving not a single seat empty and garnering rave reviews of his fall collection that he presented in New York. Going from an unknown novice interning for Narciso Rodriguez to dressing the First Lady, Wu proves that fashion makes room for everyone to grow.
???Making sure that the fit of the article is precise should lead their clients to believe that it was specifically completed for them. This is where the devotion to fashion lies: believing in a designer's inventive vision, while knowing that the underpinnings to their garments are steadfast. This is why fashion has such devout customers; the wearability and lifespan of these pieces is remarkable.
???As style is something that never depends on the current trend, key pieces have the expandability to be worn over various generations. Imagine allowing daughters to wear true Balenciaga designs by Cristobal Balenciaga himself, not the house's current head designer Nicolas Ghesqui?(c)re, that are passed down by grandmothers who were the youth at the time. These pieces last due to the expert quality and construction of the garment. Fashion has a cyclical quality that allows key pieces to be re-worn and appreciated years after they have been created.
???With each city as different in style and design as the next, Milan has begun to show its collections at Fashion Week. With plenty more to be seen in Paris and Los Angles rounding out the five fashion cities, it will be interesting to see what pieces stand out this season and are captured by the Sartorialist snapping photos of those street- and fashion-savvy women who appreciate and wait for what direction fashion will be taking next.
