'Russell Brand’s ruched leggings spawned an entire revival in the genre. He who dares leaves nothing to the imagination'


Russell Brand

by Lisa Armstrong
OK, it wasn’t a perfect year, but when it comes to Great Celluloid Fashion Moments, it was a triumph. This is quite a turn-up, because generally, the Hollywood cigars are so terrified of alienating the public with anything challenging that you end up with the editor of the world’s most powerful fashion magazine played by Meryl Streep dressed as Granny Walton.

For those of a sensitive visual disposition, it’s agonising. Film is very influential, TV even more so – not least, strangely, among those who profess never, ever to watch it. Hideous bits of torn jersey flapping aimlessly over naked torsos? Blame Flashdance. Ten million dodgy feather cuts? Jennifer Aniston. From the evil way in which Footloose swaggered around the world’s cinemas spreading distressed denim to audiences who might otherwise have remained uncontaminated, to Desperate Housewives, which extended the life of the wretched wrap cardi by another five years at least, the list goes on.

But in 2008 TV finally discovered the power of high-impact style. These are my utterly biased nominations for the best. Love them, hate them, you can’t honestly claim indifference. Things being what they are, we’ll all be staying in a lot more in 2009.

1) The Compellingly Ludicrous Award: Russell Brand’s Sass & Bide ruched leggings. These spawned an entire revival in the genre. For men as well as women. He who dares leaves nothing to the imagination. In the spirit of openness, maybe that’s a good thing.

2) The Cute and Fluffy Award: Duffy’s hair. The wavy fringe and bouffed-up layers freed thousands of teenage girls from the tyranny of straightening irons – and yoked them to peroxide instead. You can’t have everything.

3) The Great Make-Up Face-Off Award: each week, Cheryl and Dannii piled on more, bringing hope to millions employed in the cosmetics industry. And Cheryl’s strapless, tulip-skirted dresses became the high-street party-dress shape.

4) The Here’s One I Knitted Earlier Award: Tess Durbeyfield’s shrugs are so now.

5) The This Year I Really Won’t Resort to Fake Tan Award: Andrea Risborough, who looked as though she were made of milk – in a totally good way – in The Devil’s Whore.

6) The Not All Presenters Have to Look as Though They’re at an Eighties Board Meeting Award: Claudia Winkleman’s cool asymmetric dresses and slouchy tops with leggings; Fearne Cotton’s spiky sparkles; and inevitably, Alexa Chung, for being more stylish than anyone on TV since Paula Yates.

7) The Period Piece That Was Bang on Trend Award: Mad Men. Few here caught it. But Miuccia was watching. Those curvy Sixties sheath dresses turned up in Prada’s 2009 spring/summer catwalk – and will be all over the high street.