Paris Fashion Week ended today bringing the Fall ’09 Fashion Show Season to an end. Just as with London, New York and Milan, Parisian designers presented statement coats, fur, sharp architectural shapes, and inventive menswear, but they seemed to specialize in negotiating hard and soft textures, and balancing blacks and whites. Where London was all about over-the-knee boots, Paris was preoccupied with wide waist belts (though thigh-highs did abound).There were lots of beautiful things — but these are the trends we’ll be fully adopting come fall.

1. ADVENTUROUS PRINTS & PATTERNS.

Alexander McQueen (left), Giambattista Valli, Wolfgang Joop, Issey Miyake, Kenzo, Miu Miu and Valentino sent my favorite prints down the runway. McQueen’s gowns started as what looked like red houndstooth at the top then revealed itself to be an optical illusion as the diagonal boxes turned into big birds taking flight. Meanwhile, Giambattista Valli cut a Salvador Dali-esque swirl of metallic colors into a flowing structured caftan while Wolfgang Joop printed colored boxes and nature scenes of animals onto his Wunderkind label (pictured right).
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2. BIG & BAD BELTS

Belts were all over the fall 2009 collections, but in Paris, they went wide, bold and patent in many cases. From left to right, check out the belt at Limi Feu, Elie Saab and Nina Ricci.
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3. HARD MATERIALS INTO SOFT SHAPES & VICE-VERSA

Whether it was mini frocks made of oversized paillettes (as seen here by Antonion Berardi), tough leathers paired with lighter fabrics (Dries Van Noten) or soft fabrics stiffened into edgy silhouettes a la this black number by Collete Dinnigan, the Parisians (Hussein Chalayan, Gareth Pugh, Marc Jacons for Louis Vuitton and Emanuel Ungaro among them) were all about playing with the hard and soft to challenge what’s considered feminine.
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4. STARK BLACK & WHITE

Color has been a theme throughout the fall ’09 collections as ’80s pops of color and graphics and boho swirls have dominated, but in Paris, important designers like Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel (center), Jean Paul Gaultier (left) and Roland Mouret (right) kept it as simple (albeit in wonderful sartorial complexity) as black and white.
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>NYC Fashion Week Trends
>London Fashion Week Trends
>Milan Fashion Week Trends
>Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage
[all photos courtesy of Style.com]

Honestly, Marc Jacobs says he’s “not concerned” with the recession, but I think he is—and I think he’s fighting hard to keep his “gigs”—why else would he continue to create heavily ’80s influenced clothing (which still sells very strongly) when the ’80s should really be on their way out as the general public has been wearing “the new ’80s” look since at least 2002? Or maybe that’s only in NY’s L.E.S. and Wiliamsburg in Brooklyn……
Nevertheless the collection was fun enough and certainly screamed: “Party Time!” Ruffles took center stage, alongside brightly colored miniskirts, paint-splattered dresses and metallic “gang member” jackets. Over the knee black patent leather boots were the main accessory, with small clutch bags. Again, fun times, if not exactly fashion forward or innovative.

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>Fly Pick: BCBG dresses for Spring!
>Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage
[Images courtesy of WWD.com]

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>Find out how much this top costs
[photo courtesy of Style.com]

Though these aren’t your standard “fashion trends” the city that loves all things kooky, has even, I believe, outdone itself. McQueen, Westwood and Comme des Garçons rule the pack. Check out the scary-fab photo montage that Fabsugar put together.
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>Fly Pick: Fab Gucci shoes!
>Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage
[Image courtesy of WWD.com]

Yes, you too can rock a version of the YSL tee Kanye West wore to the Givenchy Show in Paris this past Sunday. (Can’t promise you’ll get to talk to Anna Wintour, though, or that your girlfriend will wear a sheer black dress.)
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>Buy this YSL tee now (it’s on sale)
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>See what Kanye wore at the Grammys

Does one ever get tired of dressing up in pretty clothes? Not if you model for Chanel. Strong black, white, mint and peach were the only colors sent down the runway. The LBD took center stage in the form of gowns, shirt waist dresses, pencil skirts with cropped tops and dropped waist dresses with belly-button baring slits. Delicious fabrication included: nubby, sequined sweater material, liquid looking leather, super tight, shiny satin and the classic black shear. Funky, playful details included tiered ruffles–almost corsage like– at the wrist, neckline and hemline; silk scarves tied together with feathers; hats that at once resembled classic “Blossom” hats, as well as top hats a la Charlie Chaplin—these pieces were done in black felt as well as crotched in a mint color. My fave piece? The ethnic printed catsuits–Aztec, African and Native American–were done in black and white and paired with black jackets–both cropped and three-quarter. Who doesn’t love Chanel?

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>Shop our Chanel accessories on sale right now!
>Fly Pick: Fab Fendi handbags!
>Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage

Somber and glam—the best way to describe Yves Saint Laurent’s RTW Fall 2009 collection. Dark sophisticated pieces were executed in leather, wool and satin, in somber shades of gray, grey and black. Leather was given center stage with three-quarter quilted jackets, baggy overalls and zippered corset style unitards–that I’m sure Lady Gaga would go “gaga” over. The collection was rounded out with a series of LBD’s with varying details: puff sleeves, pleather hems and sheer inserts……….I could take or leave this collection…

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>Shop our Yves Saint Laurent accessory collection!>
Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage
[Images courtesy of WWDcom]

Sophiscated, sleek, easy, wearable fashionable pieces; colored in grey and purple monotones with on the radar prints: houndstooth, color blocks, lace inserts. What stood out the most to me in this collection was the array of wide-legged cropped trousers in charcoal and black, which were paired with nubby oversized sweaters, cropped cinched waist jackets and sheer tops; take style note that she placed both flats, pumps and boots with this look. The collection was peppered with knee-high dresses in silks, satins and lace with belted details and flouncey shoulders–easily worn from day to night. Fun, neat collection, though it doesn’t necessarily get me super excited–I can see myself wearing pretty much any of the pieces………

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>Shop Bluefly’s Stella McCartney for LeSportsac bag collection
>Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage
[Images courtesy of WWD.com]

Karl Lagerfeld’s Fall 2009 collection had all of my favorite elements: a luxe mix of textures (leathers, furs and metallic sheen finishes), skinny silhouettes, sharp construction and more edge than a razor — so how come I don’t like it? Perhaps I just can’t get past the irksome skirts/dresses over pants styling. In the future, present or past, I think this look is always off the mark. Is it just me?

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>Get a cool Karl Lagerfeld cropped zip jacket for 71% off retail today!
>Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage
[photos courtesy of Style.com]

Backstage at his daughter’s Fall 2009 fashion show in Paris today, Paul McCartney sported a grey suit with a sheen finish and a skinny tie. Our first thought when we saw this pic was this look is way too young for the 60-something former Beatle. Are we being ageist?

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>Shop Skinny Ties by Prada — all on sale right NOW!!
>Shop Stella McCartney shoes & accessories for more than 40% off retail!
>Because Old People Have Amazing Style Too
>Fall 2009 Fashion Week Coverage
[photo by Pascal Le Segretain, courtesy of Getty Images]