spring 2009 fashion collection

The collections were hijacked by headlines of impending economic doom, but credit crisis or not, the shows went on. As ever, they produced enough sartorial derring-do (geometric construction, goddess dressing, a gloriously trashy eighties revival) to tempt even the most prudent among us to unlock our wallets. And failing that, there were even some real-life notions, including a few fresh takes on dressed-up athletic wear. Here, the season's top trends.