Art Nouveau, 70's Biba, and boho is back...albeit in a luxurious, glammy context. 90's, 40's, and 20's influences are everywhere. Sheer fabrics...sheer pants! Peeptoe oxfords, openwork/mesh shoes. The body-con trend continues (as usual there are 2 inverse trends working towards/against each other...you'll see both very fitted and very flowy silouhettes SS08). Structured blouses and dresses remain current; meticulous detail is a selling point for many dresses and blouses at the moment (see Rodarte, Burberry, Akris for the sculptural look). Balenciaga took armour-inspired clothing to (controversial) new heights. There's nature-inspired themes once again...the Nina Ricci show featured the models as postmodern wood nymphs and water sprites. There's a lot of graphic trends...linear designs, stripes, bold colorblocking, abstract, ikat/ethnic prints, and I've seen more "conceptual" clothing trends this season (see Martin Margiela, CDG, Balenciaga, etc). It really is a season where there's no specific trend to follow or focus upon...many color choices and textures are continuations of 2007 trends (patent, jewel tones and bold hues, grey, etc) but PINK has also returned from the grave.
My favorite collections were Thakoon, Proenza Schoeler, Nina Ricci, D&G, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Akris, and Maison Martin Margiela.