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See the entire Fall fashion 2014 trend report »

From the food aisles to a galaxy far, far away, Fall 2014’s fashion narrative is just as varied as the many women who’ll likely fall for its manifold charms.

Call it the Lorde effect (or blame it fashion’s ever-growing obsession with Game of Thrones), but designers across all four major fashion cities seemed to fall under the dark spell of moody heroines. At Dolce & Gabbana, dresses were made to scrape that forest floor. At Valentino, capes shrouded the wicked and at Rodarte and Preen, Star Wars prints were made for the modern day Princess Leia.

View by trend: DARK ROMANCE | SWEATER DRESSING | STATEMENT OUTERWEAR | RED, ORANGE & PINK | OPTIC PRINTS | FUR | MIDI SKIRT | UTILITY | SURFACE DETAIL | ACCESSORIES

And while normcore may have mounted last season’s defence to street style’s increasing zaniness, Fall fashion 2014 is rife with ways to make statements. Flashbulbs will no doubt capture this season’s array of larger than life outerwear, from the utilitarian parkas on Alexander Wang’s robotic runway to Burberry’s painterly blanket coats. Meanwhile, fur was back with a brightly hued vengeance, ombréd at both Tom Ford and Marc Jacobs, and in Crayola checks at Altuzarra. At Lanvin and Marni, fur was layered in wrap form over everything from short suits to sweatshirts.

This season’s accessories are especially light-hearted, with everything from a McDonalds Happy Meal to a carton of milk inspiring fall fashion 2014’s bags at Moschino and Chanel respectively. There were fur muffs at Tory Burch, crystal-incrusted snoods at Alexander McQueen and knee-highs á la Vivian Ward at Versace and sneakers once again staking their claim at Chanel.

If there ever were a time to pick your poison, it would be now.

See the top Fall 2014 trend slideshow »

Your first time at any international fashion week will teach you a valuable lesson: You need a fur. And not just any Margot Tenenbaum style granny hand-me-down. A fur so intricately patterned, multi-layered and artificially coloured, that it has to be designer. Given its place at the apex of the top Fall 2014 trends, you’d think recessionary times were long gone—it’s virtually everywhere, from a hyper colour mink at Altuzarra to a fluffy red dress at Prada. Wear it with caution or as Dior prescribes, dangle it over your arm like it’s no big d. Let the fur fly, scruples or otherwise.

Jump to: FUR | SWEATER DRESSING | RED, PINK & ORANGE | STATEMENT OUTERWEAR | EMBELLISHMENT | OPTIC PRINTS | NOVELTY BAGS | DARK ROMANCE | ART | POINTY TOE HEELS

See the top beauty trends for Spring 2014 »

Ready to refresh your makeup bag? The beauty trends for Spring 2014 are all about colour, texture and letting your skin shine. Gone are last season’s moody berry shades, deep lips and velvet skin finishes. For Spring 2014, the top beauty trends include popsicle-orange lips, eyeshadows in every pastel shade under the sun and a whole lotta love for gold pigments. For those less inclined to pile on the product, good news: the no makeup makeup look is also trending this season.

See the top 5 trends for Fall 2014 »

Photography courtesy of Burberry

Photography by Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage

Photography by Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage

Photography by Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage

Photography courtesy of Peter Pilotto

Photography by Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage

Photography courtesy of Tom Ford

Photography by Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage

Photography by Samir Hussein/WireImage

Photography by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

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Burberry Prorsum Fall 2014

Trend: Couturified

Luxe is one word that comes to mind for Fall 2014 at London Fashion Week.
This season, there has been an overwhelming use of lush fabrics, unexpected technique and a new level of intricacy in almost every collection. Decorative art was the theme at Burberry Prorsum, where Christopher Bailey took his well known aesthetic to the next level by hand painting pieces and personalizing accessories for each model on the runway (their initials were on each of the finale ponchos). Both John Rocha and Simone Rocha used sculpture and laser cuts in their pieces.

Mary Katrantzou showed mindblowing Greek-inspired dresses that looked as though been delicately assembled together by string. Jonathan Saunders and Roksanda Ilincic also had 3D dresses made up of laser cutouts almost resembling layered leaves, while Erdem‘s collection had numerous dresses that look like they were constructed from a reinterpreted lace-like fabric. Christopher Kane finished his show with a grouping of ethereal mega-folded organza dresses that caused a gasp in the room when the first one came out. To boot, many designers opted to use multiple techniques in one garment creating unbelievable visual impact.

Burberry Prorsum Fall 2014

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Christopher Kane Fall 2014

Trend: Couturified

Christopher Kane Fall 2014

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Jonathan Saunders Fall 2014

Trend: Couturified

Jonathan Saunders Fall 2014

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Erdem Fall 2014

Trend: Couturified

Erdem Fall 2014

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Peter Pilotto Fall 2014

Trend: Embellishment

This is another trend we have really seen over the last few seasons and it’s not going anywhere. In fact, it just keeps getting bigger and bolder. Nearly every major collection this week had some form of bling to it. At Mary Katrantzou, pieces were so intricately and cleverly embellished that they looked like big colourful embroidered badges. Christopher Kane, Roksanda Ilincic and Peter Pilotto also seem to have committed themselves to this growing trend in their Fall 2014 collections. All three of these influencers cleverly used some form of appliqués (beading, embroideries or sequins) to add a textural element to an already interesting silhouette.

Peter Pilotto Fall 2014

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Mary Katrantzou Fall 2014

Trend: Embellishment

Mary Katrantzou Fall 2014

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Tom Ford Fall 2014

Trend: Colour

Mary Katrantzou, Peter Pilotto and Burberry all showed bold and colourful pieces in their collections, breathing new life into familiar shapes. Christopher Kane also followed suit, using neon yellow and pastel pink throughout, while Tom Ford used red as an accent colour to a mostly black collection.

Tom Ford Fall 2014

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Roksanda Ilincic Fall 2014

Trend: Colour

Roksanda Ilincic Fall 2014

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Topshop Unique Fall 2014

Trend: Slouchy pants

Whether cropped or full length, nearly every collection had a version of a men’s style slouchy pant. Often paired with a loafer or flat there is something sexy about this silhouette (although I can bet that nearly every man would argue otherwise). Pringle of Scotland, Topshop and Paul Smith all had their own versions but I have to say the cropped ones were amongst my favourites.

Topshop Unique Fall 2014

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Jonathan Saunders Fall 2014 Shoes

Trend: The Pointy shoe

Ladies, pull those pointy pumps back out because Fall 2014 looks like a pump-plenty season. Notice how shoes are often modified every season—just enough to make you feel like you need to buy new ones? Well I have to say the classic, regular, traditional, pointy, basic stiletto looks like it has made a strong comeback. Pringle of Scotland, Jonathan Saunders and Marios Schwab all featured their own take on a basic pointy pump. And for those who favour things more down to earth, we spotted pointy flats on the Fall 2014 runways as well, which were often the product of a collaboration with British designer Nicholas Kirkwood.

Jonathan Saunders Fall 2014

We’ve just wrapped another stellar round of London Fashion Week and it has just solidified that the British designers have made a huge impact globally with their prestigious labels, creativity and innovative approach to fashion. Here are some of the top trends developing from the Fall 2014 collections:

See Kristen Stewart and Sienna Miller’s Erdem looks up close »

While red carpet season is typically dominated by familiar designer names like Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Marchesa, there finally seems to be a shift in tide. That tide is heading across the pond, where after years of building buzz, London’s designers are finally being rewarded with some serious A-list love. In the last month alone, Peter Pilotto, Marios Schwab and Simone Rocha have all graced red carpets. To boot, major fashion force PPR bought 51% of Christopher Kane’s label, showing major confidence in the London-based star.

And as for the subject of today’s post, Canadian-born and London-based Erdem Moralioglu is rising in the ranks quite steadily with the addition of two megawatt fans. In addition to his continuous props from Kate Middleton aka. the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore the designer’s pieces twice (#1 and #2!) during her Canadian visit in 2011, and again this summer on Royal Tour to Southeast Asia.

See the Critics’ Choice Awards red carpet photos »

The week of award shows continued last night with the prestigious Critics’ Choice Awards. On the red carpet, celebrities upped their fashion A-game with embellishment, sequins, and other eye-catching adornments. Classic black gowns were updated with daring cutouts and pattern mixes.

While many of the stars chose designers we’re used to seeing during award season, the love for Brit designers continued with Amanda Seyfried wearing a lace blue dress with a-symmetrical hem by Marios Schwab. Yes.

It-girl Jennifer Lawrence stunned in a black Prabal Gurung dress with leather detailing, showcasing that one 10/10 red carpet look from her is good enough to combat a whole season of mehs. Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway went for a more traditional look, shining in an intricately beaded dress by Oscar de la Renta.

Word: Austerity

Meaning: In economics, an un-fun time of deficit-cutting through strictly curbed spending; in fashion, a modest, almost severe style of dress.

Usage: “The public will only accept continuing austerity if it is seen to be fair.” ― Vince Cable, U.K. business secretary, via the Guardian

Word: Chiaroscuro

Meaning: In art, the use of contrast―light versus shadow―to create depth in a two-dimensional work.

Usage: “We’re each of us our own chiaroscuro, our own bit of illusion trying to emerge into something solid, something real.” ― Libba Bray. I’ve never read anything she’s written, but I love this quote.

When we reported that Sarah Jessica Parker was exiting Halston earlier this week, we definitely didn’t expect two of the label’s other big names to follow suit in a matter of days. For what seems like the thousandth time in the past few years, Halston is about to undergo another round of drastic changes, as investor Harvey Weinstein and ready-to-wear designer Marios Schwab are also on their way out.

Reports began circulating yesterday that Weinstein, one of Halston’s main investors, would be withdrawing his support and ending his involvement with the company. The exits didn’t stop there, though, as today it was announced that designer Marios Schwab will not return for another season. In fact, the company’s only remaining investor, Hilco, may be pulling the plug on Halston’s ready-to-wear collection altogether, as the line will be put on hiatus for Spring 2012 and fall pieces may not ever hit stores. It seems their new strategy is to focus on the more affordable diffusion line and to abandon ship on the luxury market. Curious choice, since we all know that attempting to go mainstream marked the end of the original Halston’s success.

Although it’s clear that Schwab is a talented designer in his own right, we can’t exactly say we’re surprised about the failure of his designs at Halston. Perhaps it was due to pressure from the big bosses, but the three collections he showed were pretty safe and relied too much on the label’s history. Without innovation and a new perspective (think Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga), a heritage line runs the risk of feeling outdated and irrelevant.

Check out our London fall 2011 fashion week photo gallery »

Topshop fanatics and Anglophiles alike rejoice!