Fresh Picks: Nordstrom Designer Preview 2012

You saw the party pics, and now here's what you've been waiting for - runway pics from the 2012 Nordstrom Designer Preview!

Designers are taking two spring/summer trends - peplum & mixed prints - right into fall/winter. In addition to layering, there was a lot of mixing patterns and fabrics to breathe new life into classic shapes. Tweed, wool, shearling and other fall/winter staples were accompanied by lamé, silk, bouclé and brocade. Blazers and sportcoats took a more masculine feel with oversized, boxy shapes and very structured lines. These pieces were balanced out with midi & long feminine dresses in silk, satin, lace & chiffon. Though dark colors are standard for fall & winter, these collections show me that charcoal, forest green, navy and bright jewel tones (like Stella McCartney's show-stopping Egyptian blue!) rule this particular season.

What you see below are my top ten. I was drawn to a lot of the unique shapes along with unexpected fabrics and detailing. Stella was an obvious favorite, but it really was hard to choose from all of the collections. Enjoy!

All photos credit Vivian Hsu, Team Photogenic

Gucci / velvet brocade strapless peplum dress & python clutch

Donna Karan / Charcoal wool cut-away coat, tissue jersey sleeveless bodysuit blouse & charcoal wool slim-cut trousers

Erdem / Pink & black lace/duchesse embroidered 'Ariel' dress

Lanvin / Green compact wool ruffle-front coat

Jason Wu / Charcoal & camel wool/flannel cropped coat with raglan sleeves; black/nude embroidered lace tee; black bi-stretch wool gabardine pants with side-lace detail; boudreaux 'Daphne' satchel