Fash Talk: BEEN THERE DONE THAT?

Although I was amazed with many of the Fall 09 runways.... some left me feeling a little questionable. I know that I am personally very inspired by street style and lately I have been noticing many designers taking inspiration from the streets and making it a lot more literal in their collections with loads of layers and wear-right-off the runway looks. Some I have found amazing...(Phillip Lim)...and some...leaving me say didn't i wear this last year????????
Working for Bakers a fashion forward shoe store, but most often known as a cheap place to get platforms surprised me time and time again. Other workers laugh about how off the buyers were when they would receive some whack out of this world shoe...the shoe would go to clearance and even be marked down as low at $5.00!!! I would buy this shoe and then before I knew it- next season it was on the runways!! In particular I was obsessed with a pair of two toned tights that we received last fall inspired by Chanel and even bought 4 pairs of them in total!! People didn't jump on this trend as much as anticipated. Most people saw them in the store and said "?????" they were cleared out and now this season they grace the gams of Jean Paul Gautier's models in the fall 2009 runway... for round two??... well they look fierce but isn't it too soon to repeat a trend from just one year ago?
So are we underestimating the power these mall stores have in the fashion industry? I suggest if you are a fashionista...check out the clearance racks in the mall and you will find trends the basic mall shopper finds atrocious....but you just might see next season on the catwalks...