Now the shows are over, there's a little time to reflect on some of the highs and lows. And we're happy to report there were considerably more of the former than the latter.
As always though, it wasn't just the clothes that caught our collective attention - this season, more so than ever before, the venue designs were every bit as compelling as the shows they hosted. Here's our round-up of the beautiful and the bold...
Men's A/W 2010 venues
Men's A/W 2010 venues
Adam Kimmel’s A/W 2010 ‘Casino’ collection was inspired by the work of American artist and gambling man, George Condo. Taking characters from Condo’s paintings as the template for his models – with masks from Hollywood prosthetics whiz, Gabe Bartalos – the velvet suit and blazer-clad figures surrounded a craps table to create a casino-inspired scene, within a blacked-out room in Paris’ Yvon Lambert Gallery.
Guests were led into the final show via the gallery entrance hall, where live security camera films of the 'Casino' were projected; followed by a white-cube room - sparsely displaying a series of Kimmel's trademark lookbook images - before ending up in the velvet roped-off main event, at the heart of the gallery.
Adam Kimmel's A/W 2010 'Casino' collection
Adam Kimmel's A/W 2010 'Casino' collection
Adam Kimmel's A/W 2010 'Casino' collection
Out in force at Berlin Fashion Week for the first time, Diesel’s A/W 2010 show was a high-energy, interactive affair. Complete with a runway which, as the lights dimmed on the show, lifted away to transform the Berlin Arena into a 3000-capacity party space – the post-show event featured live music, art installations and a chill-out ‘camping area’ with deck chairs, a ping-pong table and a caravan-inspired stage
Diesel's A/W 2010 show in Berlin
Diesel's A/W 2010 show in Berlin
Diesel's A/W 2010 show in Berlin
Kris Van Assche’s A/W 2010 ‘Coal’ collection for Dior Homme was inspired, in its entirety, by the fossil fuel. Featuring a circular, raw steel runway surrounded by charcoal, the structure was designed to bring the collection as close as possible to the 900-strong audience. The lighting, which captured the atmosphere of the setting and collection beautifully, was masterminded by lighting installation artist Thierry Dreyfus
Inspired by an early Edwardian world of opium dens, dandies and Sherlock Holmes, John Galliano’s A/W 2010 show was an opulent affair - featuring a giant magnifying glass and a flame-throwing runway
John Galliano's A/W 2010 show at Place Vendôme, Paris
A soundtrack interspersed with clips from Muhammad Ali fights set the tone at Jean Paul Gaultier’s A/W 2010 show. Models toured the boxing ring centrepiece while guests took to wooden, gym-themed benches
A bare, curved wall at Lanvin's A/W 2010 show at Palais de Tokyo, Paris
Lanvin's A/W 2010 show at Palais de Tokyo, Paris
Inspired by the Viennese artist, Blinky Palermo, Louis Vuitton’s multi-walled set played with the notion of architectural illusion
Louis Vuitton's A/W 2010 show in Paris
Monochrome ruled at Maison Martin Margiela. The back wall was covered in a black and white photo of a seated audience, with a series of small, white square tables in front
Neil Barrett collaborated with Milanese architectural team AquiliAlberg for his A/W 2010 showing. The result was a prismatic, tri-dimensional backdrop to the runway
An Argyle print formed the backdrop to Paul Smith's A/W 2010 show at the Couvent des Cordeliers, Paris
Rem Koolhaas, his Rotterdam-based design studio OMA and the AMO think tank, have, since 2004, collaborated with Prada to design their shows. This design was as ambitious and spectacular as ever. Taking inspiration from ‘the city’, the Fondazione Prada was transformed into an imagined urban environment, complete with a traditional chequerboard floor, Prada store, a central park (created by pouring green resin onto the floor), a movie theatre, and a pink ‘music hall’, which housed the show DJ
Prada's A/W 2010 show at the Fondazione Prada, Milan
Prada's A/W 2010 show at the Fondazione Prada, Milan
