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Michelle Obama
and Lady Gaga led the way for style trends this year.
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Two
diametrically opposite women led this year in fashion.
And this might be the only context in which
Michelle Obama
and Lady Gaga could share space.
Here are
the top five fashion stories, plus some leftovers, from
2009.
1.
Michelle Obama
sets a stylish example
Michelle Obama
cut a fashionable figure on the campaign trail in 2008,
and her style influence continued to expand from the
first day her husband took office as president.
By the
end of
Inauguration Day
, the whole nation had seen her in a lemongrass dress
and coat during the day and a white sleeveless gown with
floral appliques at the balls. And they came to admire
the American designers responsible for the respective
looks,
Isabel Toledo
and
Jason Wu
.
As a
young first lady with two school-age children,
Michelle Obama
, 45, set a new standard for how busy modern mothers,
and all women, could look in America. While she enjoyed
designer threads, she also emphasized practicality with
cardigans from
J. Crew
and dresses from H&M.
The first
lady's use of color, belts and brooches signaled a new
way to be ladylike and professional without sacrificing
personality.
Plus:
Given the hot topics of the year, most people can agree
that what the president wears is inconsequential. The
only time
Barack Obama
made the fashion news all year was when he donned
ill-fitting "Dad jeans" for throwing out the
ceremonial first pitch at MLB's All-Star Game.
2.
Economy is bad for retailers, good for shoppers
If you
didn't get a good deal this year, you weren't trying.
All manner of clothing retailers were slashing prices
and extending sales in an effort to keep people
shopping.
But their
bottom lines still took a beating.
Macy's
,
Target
,
Saks Fifth Avenue
and
Neiman Marcus
, as well as apparel, accessories and cosmetics brands,
all cut jobs.
A few
were left to restructure or go away in the night.
Bill Blass
filed for bankruptcy on
Dec. 31, 2008
, and
Christian Lacroix
,
Escada
and
Yohji Yamamoto
followed suit this year.
Abercrombie & Fitch
closed its Ruehl stores, Talbots sold J. Jill, and
Max Factor
decided to phase out its business in the U.S.
Plus:
Famously icy Vogue editor
Anna Wintour
tried to connect with the common people in an effort to
boost sagging sales. Among her public appearances was a
stop at "The Late Show With David Letterman"
to promote Fashion's Night Out, which she created to
promote shopping.
3. Lady
Gaga perfects avant-garde
It's
hardly possible to pick just one of Lady Gaga's looks to
highlight as her most courageous, since every time the
pop singer steps out the door or on a stage, it's an
adventure.
Who knew
she would want to go shopping in just a bodysuit and
jacket? Or that she would conduct an interview in a coat
made entirely of Kermit the Frog dolls? Or accept an
award with a lace stocking on her head?
When she
met
Queen Elizabeth
in
London
this month, Lady Gaga wore a red PVC gown, with a full
skirt and puffy sleeves, and decorated her eyes with red
sequins. That must have been her way of dressing
conservatively.
Plus:
Singer Rihanna comes in second for her fashion risks. In
2009, she shaved part of her head and she wasn't afraid
to wear spikes on her shoulders, harem pants, miles of
necklaces and shredded leggings.
4.
Project Runway delayed but not out
A nearly
yearlong tug-of-war over "Project Runway"
between Bravo and eventual winner Lifetime meant it
stayed off the air this year until August.
When it
finally returned, it still posted strong ratings and
challenged other reality shows to replicate its success.
This year
Bravo launched "The Fashion Show" and
"Launch My Line";
MTV
brought out "Styl'd" and "
House of Jazmin
"; and Style Network debuted "Running in
Heels." Scripted show "The Beautiful
Life," centered on a group of models, lasted just
two episodes on the CW.
Plus: It
was the stampede of short people heard around the world.
A crowd of women in
New York
auditioning for "America's Next Top Model,"
which was casting models 5 feet 7 inches and shorter for
the first time, in March became dangerous and several
were injured.
5.
Designer collaborations increase geometrically
Apparently,
these are the new rules: A) If you are a celebrity of
any kind, design a line of clothes or at least come out
with a fragrance or skin care product. B) If you are
already a high-fashion designer, design a budget line
for the masses.
In 2009,
Target
welcomed Thakoon,
Anna Sui
,
Alexander McQueen
and
Carlos Falchi
. H&M collaborated with
Jimmy Choo
,
Matthew Williamson
and
Sonia Rykiel
. Walmart got in the mix with a line by
Miley Cyrus
and
Max Azria
. JCPenney introduced the Olsen twins' line Olsenboye,
and
Kohl's
partnered with
Lauren Conrad
. Payless sold shoes by
Christian Siriano
.
Hilary Duff
worked on a collection with DKNY.
Nicole Richie
designed maternity clothes for A Pea in the Pod.
Alanis Morissette
and
Woody Harrelson
created
Reco Jeans
together.
Plus:
Lindsay Lohan's
reputation took another hit when she joined
Emanuel Ungaro
as artistic adviser. The fashion world had little
respect for the troubled starlet to begin with and
widely panned the resulting collection, which included
pasties.
Neiman Marcus
and Net-A-Porter decided not to carry Ungaro's Spring
2010 collection.
More from
the year that was:
—
Tyra Banks
finally takes off her weave during a taping of her talk
show. The nation gasps (just kidding).
—Glamour
is heralded for featuring a photo of a model who is a
size 12-14.
—
Ralph Lauren
is criticized for so heavily Photoshopping a model that
she no longer looked human — and then firing her.
—Despite
Taliban bombings in
Pakistan
,
Karachi
stages a fashion week that features women's bare ankles
and shoulders.
—Snuggies,
the "blankets with sleeves," gets their own
show at New York Fashion Week.
—"Bruno"
features
Sacha Baron Cohen
as a fashion reporter. He serves to shock, and he does.
—Inexplicably,
women copy "The Kate," the reverse mullet that
reality TV mom
Kate Gosselin
wears.
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