As a staunch believer in the religion of fashion, I wanted to be nowhere but at the 2009 L’ORÉAL Melbourne Fashion Festival. But my pilgrimage plans were shelved when my husband had to take off on a business trip and my daughters needed me around. The business trip couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time but as my husband is quick to point out, now-a-days fashion weeks are more common than the common cold. Forever a cynic!

I know you don’t want to hear the ramblings of this domestic diva; rather you would like to know a little more about the L’ORÉAL Fashion Week. I have been religiously calling up and mailing my friends who are fortunate enough to be attending one of the world’s most exciting runway events. Runway shows, exclusive parties, beautiful people – a week-long celebration of fashion.

This year, the L’Oreal Paris Runways will showcase more leading Australian designers than ever before. Each night Central Pier, the home of fashion will showcase the creations of leading designers on a state of the art catwalk. Now let’s get into heart of the matter.

Ruffles, Flounces everywhere…Models in L’Oréal Paris Runway 1 & 2 came out looking ethereal.

Runway 1 had an odd mix of designers, from cut-away trend pieces of sass & bide to the sexy mini-dresses and sheer gowns of J’Aton. Karen Walker, Tina Kalivas, Kirrily Johnston, LIFE withBIRD, Ksubi, Romance was Born and Josh Goot were other designer who presented their creations.

Brother and sister designing duo Camilla & Marc showcased simple but sexy outfits, while Dhini leaned towards Victorian necklines and brought alive the sheer trend. Both Yeojin Bae and Gorman presented fashionable, fun, and wearable designs. Vixen’s creations clearly favoured the bohemian luxury fashion trend. Megan Park featured tribal themes, and earthy hues in her collection, while Akira added an oriental touch to her frocks.

Paris has been promoted as the global capital for women’s fashion since the 17^th century. France has a well-established fabric industry that works in perfect harmony with its fashion designers. Several Parisian designers, like Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Pierre Cardin, are world-renowned.

Milan, the financial capital of Italy, is also recognized as a fashion hub. The city emerged as a center for fashion in the 1980s. Milan is home to some of the most respected names in the fashion industry, including Giorgio Armani, Versace, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana, and Roberto Cavalli.

New York is the fashion capital of America. However, the fashion scene in New York depended on European trends, especially Paris, until the 19th Century. In the latter part of the 20^th Century, New York came into its own.

London, with its world-famous fashion streets, like Carnaby Street, Notting Hill, and Bond Street, is a major influence of fashion trends. Famous designers from London include Burberry, Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Stella McCartney.

Tokyo comes close, but is not officially considered to be a fashion capital yet. Other cities which are emerging as fashion hotspots include Los Angeles, Sydney, Dubai, Barcelona, Cape Town, Sao Paulo, and Istanbul.

If you are anything like me, you waited with bated breath for this year’s New York Fashion Week. Sadly, it has come and gone, but not before my favorite designers unveiled some of the best collections I have seen in years. Of course, as much as I enjoy discussing the collections I loved, those that disappointed won’t be let off the hook.

In total, 76 collections were scheduled to be shown at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week between February 13-20^th. Although I can’t cover them all, I will try my best to cover as many as I can in a three part series. So, here goes Part 1.

I will be the first to admit that I am not a Diane von Furstenberg fan. With that said, I tried to view her collection as objectively as possible, but it was still a huge miss for me. This bold designer is known for her use of prints and patterns, but they were way too over the top. From the drab and ill-fitting coats to the awful pom-pom headpieces, there was little redeeming about her collection this year.

The Badgley Mischka collection, on the other hand, was a brilliant example of how to use metallics (which Diane von Furstenberg tried and failed at miserably). All the dresses were feminine and beautifully cut. It was the detailing, however, that made the collection. Who wouldn’t want to wear a dress by designers who clearly understand a woman’s body. With ruching that the draws the eye to all the right places and pretty pleats that are girly yet still sophisticated, there is no denying that Badgley Mishcka got it right this year.

Calvin Klein was a bit of a toss up. Although the men’s collection was a sight for sore eyes (or was it just the men?) the women’s collection was simply lackluster. The dress colors were uninspired. The silhouettes boxy and often oversized. The men’s collection, thankfully, was well-tailored and put together. Kudos to Calvin for designing suits that men would actually want to wear.

Well, that’s all for today. Stay tuned for more. And if you want me to cover a certain collection or designer, please leave a comment and I would be happy to oblige!