A ARTIST COLLABORATIONS Fashion has always been linked to art, but this season more than ever, it seems the two are hooking up. Stella McCartney asked Jeff Koons to create a print for her spring collection, and Diego Della Valle of Tod's asked illustrator Michael Roberts to try his hand at a company logo. The prize for most daring alliance goes to Louis Vuitton for employing conceptual artist Vanessa Beecroft to create an installation of 40 nearly nude models in the atrium of the new Champs-Elysées flagship.
B BAGS 2005 will go down in the books as the year of the handbag. Just in time for the resort season: a trend for leather-trimmed canvas.
BLACK Once black came back into fashion this fall, it was only a matter of time before the color would hit the furniture and tabletop markets too. Companies like Lalique and Baccarat are leading the call for darker hues with retro-inspired collections of inky black glass.
BOOTS Edie Sedgwick wannabes are snapping up the season's must-have accessory: mod-inspired over-the-knee flat boots. Some of the best come from young New York City designer Devi Kroell. Big luxury houses like Dior are putting their twist on the trend, equestrian-style.
C CHANDELIERS From the more traditional Murano glass to the completely funky wineglass cluster version, above, chandeliers are suddenly everywhere, adding romance and whimsy to private homes and public spaces. One of the most innovative takes on this classic home staple is Foscarini's halogen Caboche.
CHARITY When Kenneth Cole appeared on the runway at the end of his spring show wearing a Red Cross T shirt signaling a call to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, the message was clear: the biggest trend in fashion this year might just be charity. Cole, the board chairman of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, will debut a showstopping ad campaign next month on World AIDS Day. Other fashion insiders are on the same track. Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren held a national denim drive, targeting college campuses and challenging young Americans to help affordable-housing groups by donating old jeans. Proceeds went to Habitat for Humanity and were also raised as part of Polo's G.I.V.E. campaign (Get Involved. Volunteer. Exceed.), introduced to inspire community service through volunteerism. Other socially conscious companies like Edun use factories in developing countries in an attempt to spotlight the issue of sustainable employment.
D DECONSTRUCTED Thanks to designers like Alber Elbaz at Lanvin and Consuelo Castiglione from Marni, all that is slightly unraveled now looks chic. The Canadian luxury label Ports 1961 takes its inspiration from the worn-in look of a global traveler—albeit one who stops in exotic locales. Costume-jewelry designer Roxanne Assoulin is selling out of her slightly rough-around-the-edges ribbon-and-crystal necklaces for Lee Angel.
E ELEMENTS CELESTES Coco Chanel had a thing for black and white, and also for the cosmos. That's the inspiration for the brand's latest fine-jewelry venture, Eléments Célestes, which includes 16 pieces made of 15,400 stones, including diamonds, pearls and sapphires for a total weight of 330 carats. To present the collection, Chanel asked contemporary artist Xavier Veilhan to create original artwork inspired by the Eléments Célestes jewelry.