Prada S/S 2009

Hooray! After last season's ghastly lace debacle with Linda Evangelista, Miuccia returns to some of her best with AWESOME platform heels. Also, Sasha Pivovarova has returned, we see. Yay!

Balenciaga S/S 2009

Hmmm. We are liking the look, even if it isn't one of Nicolas Ghesquiere's best.

Carolina Herrera S/S 2009 Pictures

Lush. The feminine dress is BACK!

Fashion Profile, Coco Rocha

Born September 10th 1988, in Toronto, this Canadian supermodel has rocked the runways from Paris to Berlin (pardon the pun) since her very introduction. Her discovery at age 14 was down to her main talent outside modelling, Irish dancing. Her career as a model really kicked into gear at the beginning of 2006, through a meeting with the esteemed photographer Steven Meisel. Handfuls of runway shows, magazine covers and even a friendly encounter with Naomi Campbell soon followed. However, it was in 2007 when whispers of the word 'supermodel' were used to describe Rocha. Her Irish flicks down the Jean-Paul Gaultier catwalk in February 2007 certainly got American Vogue talking, and she was then featured two months later on the front cover of their May issue as part of the 'Terrific Ten' consisting of her, Jessica Stam, Raquel Zimmermann, Agyness Deyn, Caroline Trentini, Doutzen Kroes, Hilary Rhoda, Lily Donaldson, Chanel Iman and Sasha Pivovarova. Her impish face is instantly recognisable, probably a reason why she has bagged so many ad campaigns and magazine covers, including ones for Balenciaga's metallic trousers and Chanel's 'Amy Winehouse' themed summer of 2008, plus the famous 'Elle' advert for YSL. However, despite the many things she has going for her (she is RT's model of the moment), she isn't earning the big bucks nor the household position she deserves. Perhaps this is because she has never modelled for any of the big three: Victoria's Secret, Estee Lauder or L'Oreal, a distinction only to be shared with Deyn, Iman, Donaldson and Pivovarova from that illustrious cover. Rocha however does a fantastic job representing the new supermodels as proven earlier this year when she defiantly went up and spoke out against eating disorders to the CDFA, with lauded members like US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the CDFA president, Diane von Furstenberg. Her words hit home to many, particularly her description of a day in the life of a model. Many models, such as Natalia Vodianova and Ali Michael have also spoekn out, but have been openly (and shockingly, we think) criticized for trying to reboot their careers. Not so with Miss Rocha. Her looks definitely give her a place amongst the supermodel rank, but her attitude is something quite different. The old supermodels were renowned for being renegades, and still are, whereas Rocha seems more soft-spoken and spotlight-shy. However, with the launch of her own blog named 'Oh So Coco', the unveiling of her very own Rootstein mannequin at the end of this year and RT crowning her our 'Model of the Year', 2009 could spell big things for Rocha, and we very much hope it will.

Poll So Far

Everyone is loving a bit of Kate. We don't blame you!

Fendi S/S 09

OK, so Karl worked well for all three labels he designed for last year. Now he decides to drop the lovely Raquel Zimmermann from his Fendi ads. WHAT THE HELL? Here is one scan of the new campaign featuring Toni Garrn. We're not sure about this look. The dress is gorgeous, of course, but Lagerfeld is seemingly making all three of his labels monochrome. Perhaps some colour, Karl?

2009 S/S Versace Adverts

Just discovered these:

Gisele and Kate rockin' it for Versace. What a brilliant start for the 2009 ad campaigns.

Versace 2009 Spring Show Photos

We were waiting with baited breath for these, as Versace completely rocked our 2008 roost, Versace scooping our Fashion House of the Year award, and deservedly so. Donatella can flick her locks with pride as any women who designs such beautiful dresses is immediately a winner in our books. Here are some highlights from her new show, thanks to TFS. Overall, we're not bowled over, but it's not a bad start by any means. Donatella is fully embracing colour and we fully applaud her for that as this winter's Victoriana theme has killed black for us temporarily here at RT.

Tania Dziahileva working our favourite dress

Gisele for 09

After a drab 2008, John Galliano has hired the highest earner in the modelling world, Gisele Bundchen, to take over from Daria Werbowy at the helm in 2009. Here she is in Paris, apparently for the photoshoot itself.

In the New Year...

• ...We will be getting all the latest trends down from the runways, and showing some of the new ad campaigns.
• We will be looking at famous faces in fashion, from designers to supermodels, startng off with Coco Rocha and Raquel Zimmermann.
• Reviewing the stars' looks on the red carpet

See you then!

2008 RT Fashion Awards, In Brief

Favourite Model: Coco Rocha (Runners Up: Christy Turlington, Caroline Trentini, Agyness Deyn, Daria Werbowy)



Best Dressed: Keira Knightley (Runners Up: Sienna Miller, Gwyneth Paltrow)



Best Eyewear: Dolce & Gabbana



Best Ad-Campaign: Dolce & Gabbana S/S 2008



Best Handbag: Fendi's oversize clutch S/S 2008, Versace's chain bag A/W 2008



Best Fashion House: Versace (Runner up: Dolce & Gabbana. Special mention to Lanvin, Bottega Veneta and Chloe)

2008 Review: Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana

Chanel

Chanel is still undoubtedly the label everyone wants to be plastered in, and Karl Lagerfeld knows how to satisfy the buyers, even if he hasn't introduced a massive shake-up to the system. Lagerfeld opened the year with his USA style star-and-stripe, USA-flag print dresses and jackets, which here at RT we were completely in love with, before progressing on towards a bizarre summer collection featuring everyone's favourite lovely Canadian supermodel, Coco Rocha, dressed up as Amy Winehouse's twin sister but far hotter and without the excess sleaze. In the autumn, Lagerfeld jumped on the 'let's reintroduce the old supermodels' bandwagon by hiring his ultimate muse, Claudia Schiffer. His dark, gothic inspired clothes were clearly his mojo and he did them very well. All in all, a good year, but it's time now for Nicole Kidman to be shunted out of her post in the No. 5 perfume advert (We hear Audrey Tautou was lined up for the role). Also, Lagerfeld should be wary that the infamous Chanel chain-handle 2.55 bag is being seen on anyone who is anyone famous who is under thirty and rich. This is not all a good thing, however, as even though there are some fabolous stars working the trend (Rachel Bilson, Alexa Chung), it is becoming popular amongst WAGs and might possibly therefore become a chav phenomenon. Only British people will have understood the words I have just used, but let it be known that chavs officially killed the Louis Vuitton designs. Nevertheless, Chanel is, well, Chanel!

Rating: 8/10

Dolce & Gabbana

This review will be short, but very, very sweet. Possibly dulce. Dolce & Gabbana have had an INCREDIBLE year in our view. The painterly dresses that Domenico and Stefano premiered at the start of the year with the ad campaigns was fantastic. Then, they progressed to a more neutral summer, with luscious lovelies Jessica Stam and Caroline Trentini showing off their coats and dresses whilst climbing on top of a car/ escaping a building. They finished off the year with a stunning finish, reintroducing fashions like the trench coat to the runways, and keeping the ad campaigns at a high level, using a pale Claudia Schiffer amongst a row of tanned, saggy crones (We think Trentini is also in this campaign, being the girl in the black wig on the right). A few tiny blips throughout the year, but ones we can forgive.

Rating: 10/10

Sienna Miller

She knows how to vamp up the red dress.

Wearing stunning Valentino for his 45th anniversary in 2007

Looking equally brilliant in our favourite dress of 2008, a fab vintage red lace Dior number

2008 Review: Gucci, Louis Vuitton

Gucci

Gucci has had a year of strong designs, but it still fails to hit the wow factor with many of its clothes. Frida Giannini has put together a year of tasteful, if somewhat uninspiring outfits, from her take on the floral dress in the spring, to boho tasseled boots this winter. The winning Gucci pieces from the start of the year for us here at RT have to be the impeccable cropped jackets and swing skirts that were put together. These were the highlights of a trend which many other designers messed around with. The peep-toe tie-up shoes also deserve a mention. But Giannini's designs somewhat fell flat as she debuted a much more boho-esque vibe to the runways in the autumn. As the rest of the fashion world plunged into gothic colours and traditional glamour, Gucci sent out clothes that have been seen so much recently, and not adding much new style. Nevertheless, Gucci has had a strong year, with some excellent clothes.

Rating: 7/10

Louis Vuitton

During the first months of 2008, Marc Jacobs was the first to reissue someof the old supermodels (Eva Herzigova, Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Claudia Schiffer etc.) to his first ad campaign of the year. The level of excess was kept to a minimum, and the look was very chic indeed. Creative catwalk shows, with nurse-themed outfits and again, classic supermodels runwaying for LV, created a good buzz. However, Jacobs then retreated to the two colours which he seems to love, grey and brown. The result: a drab autumn and winter campaign again with Eva Herzigova with the only refreshing item in there being the sky-high heels, which didn't look great either.

Rating: 5/10

A New Blog

If you hadn't guessed from the title, it's about fashion from around the world.