Both Balmain

Shoulders were the focal point at many a show this season. The saying goes that when the world goes through an economic crisis hemlines get lower. Not this time. Designers focused on strong shoulders rather than austerity. Many fashion commentators deduced that served to represent strong women that are ready to face the current economic situation head on, as Alber Elbaz pointed out at Lanvin. Shoulders ranged from soft curved shapes, at Antonio Berardi, to severe shapes at Balmain and Julien Macdonald that showed evidence of science fiction influences. I’m sure many of you are getting bad flash backs of over-the-top 80s padding as you read this, but there is a plus to this trend. Designers like John Rocha accentuated both the shoulders and the hip, which helped take a few inches off the models' waists (not like they need it).

From left: Balmain, Antonio Berardi, Julien Macdonald

From left: Louise Goldin, Marc Jacobs, Topshop Unique

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