Who were the style heroes and villains of 2010? Our fashion guru gives her damning verdict

This was the year of ‘diversity’ on the catwalk and in magazines, with labels from Tom Ford — who ­produced his first womenswear collection since leaving Gucci — to Louis Vuitton and Lanvin using older women.
Lara Stone became a household name, gracing more covers and ad ­campaigns than any other model. She was hailed as ‘fuller-figured’, but is a size 10.
Plus-size model Crystal Renn was signed by Chanel, and then swiftly lost weight.

Icons: Emma Watson was finally allowed to cut her hair, left, Lara Stone was hailed curvy despite only being a size 10 and Dannii Minogue won the style war on the X Factor

In the world of mags, my image of the year was Demi Moore on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar in April, in which she ­co-starred with a giraffe.
But the interview inside was pure celeb fawning: we learned Demi has paintings of bears, an orange rug, and drinks coconut water.
Runner-up was the cover of December U.S. Marie Claire, with its image of that, if you downloaded it as an app, actually moved, as if by magic.

Size matters: Plus-size model Crystal Renn, left, was signed by Chanel, but swiftly lost weight and Christina ­Hendricks became a style icon, but her embonpoint meant designers struggled to dress her for the Emmys

Sex And The City 2 was released in May, to widespread derision. The clothes were more ­outrageous than ever — Carrie’s outfit for the karaoke scene cost £35,000, but so what? Whoever mentions the price of James Bond’s Aston Martin?
Elle Macpherson presided woodenly over Britain’s Next Top Model and got into hot water over ingesting powdered rhino horn (which is banned) for medicinal purposes.
‘It tastes a little bit like crushed bone and fungus in a capsule. Does the job, though,’ she said.

Most extravagant fashion: Carrie’s outfit for the karaoke scene in Sex and the City 2 cost £35,000

In August, Naomi Campbell ­testified at the Blood Diamonds trial.
Her demure attire (a beehive and cream Azzedine Alaia twinset) could not eradicate all the times she has posed oiled and naked.
Kate Moss produced her last ­collection for Topshop in August.

Ubiquitous stick insect of the year: Alexa Chung inspired the best-selling Alexa bag, helping ­Mulberry’s sales to rise by 57 per cent

Guesses at the reason for her exit were varied: was owner Philip Green’s daughter keen to take over, was Kate too busy or was she just too long in the tooth? Whatever the reason, her cut-off denim shorts will be missed.
In November, Alber Elbaz at Lanvin ­produced a capsule collection consisting mainly of party dresses for H&M, which sold out in nano seconds, despite being over-embellished and over-priced. Other collaborations included ­Valentino for Gap, which was a little too ruffled for my taste. 
My ubiquitous stick insect of the year award goes to Alexa Chung, who graced the pages of America Vogue and inspired the best-selling Alexa bag, helping ­Mulberry’s sales to rise by 57 per cent. 
Emma Watson became a style icon, ­gracing the December cover of British Vogue.
Asked why she had cut her flowing locks, she said: ‘For nine years I was ­contractually obliged not to cut my hair or tan — the normal things girls do.’
The ladylike look of Mad Men took hold and Christina ­Hendricks became a style icon, but her embonpoint meant designers struggled to dress her for the Emmys. 
Print of the year was leopard (designer Diane von Furstenberg said: ‘Leopard print was hot in all the decades. Why? Because there’s nothing more beautiful than the leopard, and the way the print moves on the skin. It’s nice to feel feline’), while spider eyelashes were an essential, fluttering on the lids of newsreaders and TV presenters.
The award for the most extravagant goes to X Factor’s runner-up Rebecca Ferguson, whose lashes can be seen from outer space.
Ding dong of the year was between X Factor judges Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue.
Dannii came out on top, looking soignee despite having just given birth, as Cheryl’s style degenerated into Barbie Doll.

RIPs, VIPs and RSVPs
In February, we lost Alexander McQueen, who committed suicide at the age of 40. The accolades flew, but so too did the accusations. 
Detmar Blow, whose wife, ­Isabella, discovered the designer and committed suicide the previous year, said: ‘Money changed him and then drugs changed him. I remember he had flown his boyfriend somewhere for £130,000. What did Issie get? Some clothes. I find that shocking.’

In August, photographer Corinne Day died from a brain tumour.
A former model, her photographs of Kate Moss in The Face magazine’s infamous Summer Of Love­ ­edition in 1990 launched both their careers. 
The Louis Vuitton flagship store opened on Bond Street, featuring a whisky case that would have had a price tag of £41,000, had price tags not been deemed far too vulgar. 
It was all change, too, as Jean Paul Gaultier left Hermes, and Sarah Burton took over the helm at McQueen, to rave reviews. The Queen is dead, long live the next cash cow.