9 Trends That Prove London’s Still Got It

Given NYC is our home turf, New York Fashion Week always takes it out of us. But then, there's London right on its heels, promising a jolt of energy and fun, not unlike the perfect Red Bull martini. And while we've definitely seen wackier seasons, this past delivery for spring/summer 2010 still offered a respectable shock of craft and vibrancy. London has it all: The colors, the talent, the audacity, the wink, but in reviewing the shows, we found our favorite themes ran a simpler, possibly more sophisticated route. We loved the techy splash of acid yellow and the head-to-toe pastels, which it seems only a London designer can make feel totally edgy. And what of the futuristic tapestries and slinky satin pants? Well, London really has a style all its own.

Oh, panels of flowing gold, how we love thee! Jaeger, Richard Nicoll, and other assorted designers gave us not just splashes of metallic but big waves of it. And we say, bring it on.

Generally, pastel shades put us into a coma, but not London's brand of Easter chic. Suited up in sharp jackets and trim trousers and with a touch of black contrasting, Burberry and Jonathan Saunders both managed to give soft shades some serious volume.

Sheer tops were definitely a favorite here in NYC, and it seems the English are in agreement: Marios Schwab and Matthew Williamson were among the designers to make see-through tops a totally transparent idea.

These days, who is not a sucker for perfectly tailored, slightly slouchy trousers? And add to that now, perfectly tailored, slightly slouchy trousers in satin or shimmery silk…well, wow! It's not the holy grail of innovation, but it's so simple and elegant, it still dazzles us.

In the popularity contest of shades, Yellow (and maybe Blue) really lead the charge. This season, we can thank a few forward-thinking designers for turning this lemony hue into electric lemonade.

We've got our eye on the current mutating state of body-con, and it seems the Brits are going the extra mile in perfecting this new art of the drape. A mix of ruching and wrapping, both Burberry and Richard Nicoll dazzled with their glamorous new take on body-con.

Ever the ladies over here, we love some flash. And flash we got 10-fold from the likes of Roksanda Ilincic, Marios Schwab, and Nathan Jenden who all took these super-sized sparkling bits to the next level.

Cropped Ts, jersey numbers, and side-laced athletic pants were just a few of the sporty-sexy styles designers like PPQ and Unique sent out into the field.

In the spirit of early Pucci or perhaps Cacharel or '50s Dior on acid, a handful of designers like Fashion East's Michael Van Der Ham and Peter Pilotto pieced together bold colors and textural fabrics in an eclectic and artful way. And adding in swipes of black for definition only added to statement.