2009 Features
2009 Features - Look through the features that were the best of what 2009 had to offer.
And the Winners are...
Welcome to the first of our annual ChicGeek Awards - a round-up of the best that 2009 had to offer. TheChicGeek Awards recognises those that have excelled in their chosen categories.
The final year of the noughties saw a flurry of new labels and brands despite the credit crunch pessimism. A recessionary year that was stylish nonetheless, it gave us Bruno and Mad Men with everything in between. From the tasteful to the tasteless, 2009 was a year that sartorially sealed the decade.
If there is anybody or anything you think I've missed or you simply disagree, then send a 'friendly' e-mail askthegeek
Here's to a chic 2010,
The Geek
TheChicGeek Awards 2009 - Men's Buyer of the Year - Stephen Ayres for Liberty of London
Celebrating the pick of our men's buyer's guides from 2009, Stephen Ayres of Liberty of London managed to offer a mix of the new and established in a difficult retail space. We love the Liberty building but it isn't conducive to big retail statements. Stephen managed to fit a lot of interesting things into a small space. Exclusives from Opening Ceremony and Barbour mixed well with Liberty's archive which perennially comes in and out of fashion. The slightly eclectic mix offered some relief in what was a difficult year for retail and one in which many played it safe.
Check out the 2009 Buyer's Guides
TheChicGeek Awards 2009 - Surprise of the Year - Pretty Green by Liam Gallagher
We are always openminded at TheChicGeek - you have to be in this game - but when it comes to celebrity fashion brands we don't really expect very much. Not to sound too patronising but 'Pretty Green' is pretty good. Liam Gallagher's fashion label is good quality and very wearable. It was stocked in Selfridges and it held its own amongst the other brands in there. The vibe is simple, classic clothes with a nod to Mod and a splash of psychedelia. Great debut.
TheChicGeek Awards 2009 - Best New Collection of the Year - Moncler Gamme Bleu
We probably mentioned this collection a few times - or maybe twenty! French ski-wear brand Moncler launched a premium men's collection called Gamme Bleu in 2009. Designed by American designer Thom Browne it was - whisper it - better than his own collection. Moncler Gamme Bleu combined Thom Browne's distorted sartorial elegance with Moncler's technical know-how. Jackets were filled with down and finished with precision details particularly the buttons. They were expensive but hey, you get what you pay for. The new spring 2010 collection also looks great in lighter fabrics.