Style.com's Top Ten Collections: Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear: Style.com

Spring's giddy exuberance has given way to a more austere Fall, with designers replacing bold colors and lavish floral prints with a restrained sensibility, but one that doesn't sacrifice the luxe factor. In the mix: tailoring, both fluid (Nina Ricci) and strict (Givenchy); more L.B.D.'s than you can count; and fantastical dresses straight out of a fairy tale—we can dream, can't we?




Fashion's dream maker concocted his most magical collection yet, one that began with rigorously tailored pantsuits and ended with a royal parade of party frocks that took the audience's breath away.	Melding classic French chic with his sci-fi sensibilities, Nicolas Ghesquière delivered another hit. The standouts: a trio of the season's fiercest L.B.D.'s, and hand-painted latex samurai jackets that will be instant collector's items.	The go-to designer for understated, effortless luxury, Tomas Maier turned out Fall's most elegant day dresses in draped jersey with matching monochromatic tights and shoes. His pieced jackets and pleated pants scored points, too.	Everything clicked on Riccardo Tisci's runway: The dark, Spanish-inflected mood was in step with the season; likewise, the gotta-have-'em sexy black pantsuits and frilly blouses. He also keyed into the costume jewelry revival with masses of gold chains and crosses.	Alber Elbaz's technical accomplishments always deserve high praise—this season, he wound ribbon strips around the body to create tops, skirts, and dresses. But what really impressed was the chic wearability of his mostly black and navy collection.




With their structured volumes, the coats, dresses, and pants with which Marc Jacobs closed New York fashion week were a radical departure from the sexy dishabille of his Spring line. Then, of course, the 1980's became a Fall touchstone, and Jacobs once again was in the lead.	Doing his part for the new minimalism, Narciso Rodriguez focused on suits with a fresh, new roundness in the shoulders and sleeves, or "grand exit" evening dresses that were spare at the front, cleverly detailed at the back.	Olivier Theyskens gave us Fall's most delicately luminous palette—dusty yellows, greens, and browns mixed with chalky pinks, peaches, and mauves. Along with that came a new, softly constructed jacket with built-out shoulders, and more of his fabulous drapey evening gowns.	Nobody cuts a statement-making coat quite like Rick Owens, and he outdid himself for Fall. Taking cues from Lee Bontecou's menacing sculptures, he used leather, suede, and denim to patch together jackets fit for urban warriors. On the softer side: lush, languid furs.	Japanese slasher flicks, of all things, gave birth to Rodarte's webby knitwear; shaggy, pieced suits; and wispy party dresses. That's quite a heavy starting point for what turned out to be some of this season's most ethereal clothes.