* John Galliano look, photo from STYLE.com

Fall continues to emphasize its previous season’s legacy: that quintessential body part, the leg. Designers sent a new seductive and strong woman, a Woman Warrior staking her claim, marching down the runways. These women were layered head-to-toe, stomping across the runway in black, heavy, platform boots and booties.

Whatever else these women were wearing, all eyes were drawn to the leg. Whether bare under a short shirt or encased in leggings and tights, the leg stole the show. With Fall’s plethora of voluminous tops and coats, its pencil silhouette ruled the runway. It complimented all of the deconstructed and oversize shapes designed for the torso and polished the look.

This Fall’s dominant trends include sweater dressing, the tailored suit, the micro minis and short trapeze dresses, the new oversize silhouettes for coats and sweater jackets, and most importantly, layering. The leg is the common ties them all together- it makes an extreme statement, it’s the exclamation point to any fashionista’s outfit.

Leggings were a huge trend for Spring and Summer. Alongside the layered look, champion of current trends, it is the next step for this leg trend to keep on moving. The leg therefore becomes not only the focus for the dresser, but it also seduces the onlooking admirer. It is the latest erogenous zone.

The fashion designers direct the eye with higher hemlines, but also with the plethora of tights, leggings, fishnets, hoes, ankle socks, and leg warmers. In addition to the hosiery and leg wear, the massive black, platform bootys and the shocking metallic patent platform pumps and boots simply added another reason to watch out for the leg. Director of FIT, Valerie Steele, duly noted “like a high-heeled shoe, there is a sense of eroticism packed into a skirt.”

As fashions change, the designers re-invent their approach to areas of a woman’s body and find new ways to flatter, conceal, or reveal. James Laver, famous fashion historian and designer, spelled it out when he said, “The erogenous zone is always shifting and it is the business of fashion to pursue it, without ever catching up.”

According to Laver, fashion cultivates and maintains an interest in the body by concealing certain parts of the body and exposing others to create “erotic capital- the thrill of seeing certain parts of the body.” As early as the Renaissance, designers followed this principle by focusing on the bosom with corsetry and bustier. And only a few years later, designers switched their focus farther down to the hips and derrière to fit into the hourglass silhouette.

Skipping ahead to the more recent “Quant-Sixties,” the Swinging-Mary erogenous zone was the leg. In the Seventies, the belly was the hot spot. The leg came back in the Rockin’ Eighties, but the Nineties saw a return to the breast as the center of attention. In our decade up until this year, the the belly was back, many thanks to mid-drift shirts, low-rise hip huggers, and Britney Spears’ infamous navel.

But the zeitgeist of Fall 2006 is, without a doubt, the leg. As researcher Linda Dyett noted, “When strategically surrounded by clothing, body parts function like traffic lights, stopping and starting points that directs the eye to a further destination.” In this case, a woman’s completed look depends on the leg, be it bare or covered.

As designer Mary Quant remarked, “A woman is as young as her knees.” We’d better show off while we still can!
-Sarah Perpich

Gothic chic has risen from the grave. This is a unisex and multi-generational trend. From this summer into fall 2006, gothic influences (predominantly the skull) dominated the fashion industry all over the world. Ranging from a prêt-a-porter and haute-couture collection to the Wal-Mart chain, gothic symbols have become the zeitgeist.

Designers such as John Galliano, Versace, Alexander McQueen and Viktor and Rolf had models stomping down the runways in black leather coats and pants, black lipstick, black boots, leggings and drainpipes, skull and cross bone prints, black bandanas, oversized silver crosses, smoky eye make-up and black fingernails. These were no ladies, they were tough-girls!

John Galliano created a $19,385 diamond-encrusted skull for Dior fine jewelry. Deakin & Francis director Henry Deakin reported to USA Today that he sold his gold and diamond skull cufflinks for $3,900 at Bergdorf Goodman at “close to thousand in 18 karats” and says that he can’t make them fast enough. Barney’s spokesman Timothy Elliot tells the New York Times that his hottest selling item is Alexander McQueen’s $210 skull print silk scarf. “We have sold 400 since May… we sell them as fast as they come in.”

This trend is not only seen in prêt-a-porter, but also all over the mass market. Urban Oufitters offers over a dozen of skull-stamped products with prices ranging from a $20 dopp kit to an $88 piece of luggage. Because of the overwhelming press and success from Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney has been a leading force behind the gothic chic trend. They currently sell skull t-shirts, necklaces, rings and belt buckles at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target for $12.99. Disney even created a “couture” line of Pirates of the Caribbean jewelry with prices ranging from $150 to $4,000. At Bloomingdales, you can buy a Grail t-shirt with either an old rock band logo or one with a skull and cross bones for $75.

This is not a new trend. Gothic subculture has its roots in the 1970’s and 80’s. In the summer of 1975 in London, the designer Vivienne Westwood co-owned a store with Malcolm McLaren called Sedionaries, which displayed all punk- and goth- inspired clothing and accessories. She even created the infamous “Bondage Suit,” made up of the following:

• Bondage pants, which hobbled the legs together with a knee-strap and covered the bottom with a flap
• Parachute shirt, hung with four straps attached with D-rings and an oversized plastic ring
• Obscenity-stamped t-shirt, and finally
• Multi-buckled bondage boots.

Gothic fashion cannot be apprecaited without its partnet and life-line, the music industry. Several British artists in the 70’s like David Bowie helped set a mood sufficiently dark for gothic culture to develop. The founders of Goth were former punks known as the Siouxsie and the Banshees. The mid 80′s saw the coming of the epitome “goth-rock” band, Sisters of Mercy. They wore all black clothing, long coats and oversize dark sunglasses. They were followed by the Mission, the Cure, and many more punk bands and created a well-publicized Goth subculture.

However, this new Gothic chic is infiltrating global culture with a new attitude. It stands not only for youth culture and rebellion but also for romance, which communicates a strong and powerful message. Gothic chic is no longer threatening; it demonstrates a new woman in control. This tough, new woman, loaded with confidence and attitude, stands loud and proud. Goth now stands for glamour. Who would have thought?
- Sarah Perpich