its always great to have the main themes from the all the shows and fashion weeks summed up clearly and intelligently - Alex's SS09 Round-Up does just that. Also it is interesting to think that we are going through a major economic crisis when none of the amazing fashion designs you mention/refer to seem to reflect any recession worries...

it is probably true that a lot of the designers would have sourced their collections 3 months ago when the financial chaos we are in now would not have been so obvious.
It however makes me wonder how some of those hedge funders are feeling now with their Damien Hirsts.

The 'direction' of the collections and shows may well have been defined three months prior- as influences; life tells’, societies requests and reactions to previous hemlines dictate.
However a complete economic slow down surely has the same hints and sign-posts. Maybe not in the form of colour transitions and the need to renovate; but the depth of line on many a bankers visage, suggests more than a three month period of growth- or lack of it.

Maybe these designers didn’t have the statements from the Icelandic banks- but what if they did?
What do we suggest? Clothes made from Hessian and used second class stamps? Dresses that, like transformers- and the dancing cars in the adverts, convert into solid- tangible houses- ‘just in case the worse happens’? Why should the collections mourn for our losses...

Shows are the 'theatre' of the desiners- bring on the fantasy I say.

Otherwise the aforementioned influences; creative, visual, personal and extreme- would be outlawed for the world’s day to day events. We’d see prints with overlapping ‘Tesco’ vs. ‘Sainsbury’s’ slogans...
Models dripping down the catwalks- speaking with Gloucestershire accents.....

To think that the slim, clean lines seen at Stella McCartney for example, could have been a direct reaction to Gok Wan’s over use of the belt- visually screaming from the box most evenings? Just an idea..
Perhaps additional Scottish political coverage on the telly- forged the way for this season’s over use of tartan...

The art market is heavily fueled by hedgefund buyers. The larger more classical auctions might still be supported by some overseas buyers in these times of crisis but for the artists who were "hot" with the hedgefund crowd/billionaire fund managers etc like DAMIEN HIRST and Prince, Koons etc prices will drop without a doubt.. They are suddenly in big trouble, fashion designers must be facing similar problems given how drastic the economic situation really is now

CREDIT PIC. Manish Arora by Sonny Vandevelde for Diane a Shade View of Fashion
http://dianepernet.typepad.com/diane/archives.html

QOUTE: " What role does fashion have in these troubled times? Should it spin fantasies or shatter dreams? "

Definitely it is the moment to SPIN FANTASIES ! ... our ' New World Order ' seems to be killing everything ..... literally ... so let's not allow 'THEM' kill our innate human sense of true creativity and hope because without hope ... there is no future !

To THINK POSITIVE is without doubt the right direction ... the right ENERGY !

Christopher Kane is a large inspiration to myself as an apprentice Fashion design student. Throughout my studies of his work, I have been endlessly blown away by his ability to incorporate endless innovation into his collections and pieces. Also, I feel as though the criteria and trend of the 2009 Spring/Summer Paris Fashion Week was more about an Avant Guard’ perspective. The fact that Christopher Kane is so young also ad’s to his appeal to me, I think he is truly talented. How is there a miss understanding about the point of his collection, the inspiration was not vague. The inspiration was blunt and there is not to many ways to confuse tunics, togas, and a natural color palette. Kane's spring 2009 collection incorporated all of these basics, and still maintains an interesting and refined approach. The collection portrayed rugged undertones with class. My comment is simply that I love Christopher Kane and I think his work is always outstanding and include much finesse.