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When we first met them, Swedish label Permanent Vacation had managed to perfectly translate a lazy summer in the country. A few months later and they've done it again. Their charming Fall 2008 collection is how we want to look this autumn. The fabrics, the layering, the silhouettes of the pieces speak of a relaxed, fun, oh-so cozy couple of months.

Available at Ashtray

Raf by Raf Simons has always been the rebelious younger brother to the serious, all-grown-up Raf Simons main line. While the main line has been seeing thick 3/4 length coats with sculptural folds, Rothko-esque sweaters and slim black suits, Raf by Raf has dealt in discordant graphic T-shirts, Euro lounge ready shiny pants and white button downs with color block accents.

The Fall 2008 Raf by Raf Simons collection however seems to bring the diffusion label a step closer to its big brother. The collection is a younger, more basic, distilled version of the aesthetic set forth in the main label.

If you'll recall, Burfitt's Spring 2008 collection had a carnival on acid sort of feel to it. Well, imagine you're this itinerant performer, and fall sets in, and the crowds gets thinner, and your mood darkens, as so does your show. Here we have Burfitt's Fall 2008 collection.

Belgian born and studied designer Christian Wijnants is quietly doing some impressive work. Wijnants has been a professor at the Royal Academy of Antwerp, his alma mater, since 2005 while showing two collections a year. Wijnants' collections are intellectual, but never lose sight of the ultimate goal: to help women look beautiful. As Belgians go, Wijnants is Margiela like in his proclivity to experiment with graphics and colors and silhouettes rather than establishing a recognizable look with his work (a la Yamamoto or Owens).

His Fall 2008 collection lookbook is now online.

All of Stephan Schneider's designs begin with the textiles (which are custom designed each season) and that's where we need to start looking at one of his collections. For Fall 2008, traditional striped and plaid patterns are presented in softened versions, with washed out colors on textured fabrics. Even when pattern isn't there, solid pieces use texture, which, when layered, create their own pattern of sorts.

Schneider's womenswear has always been of the menswear for women variety and this season is no different. Button down shirts, over-sized sweaters and tailored jackets look cozy but put together.

The Fall 2008 collection of Anuschka Hoevener we're seeing is more serious than the first, what with its Sandra Backlund-esque knitwear and muted colors. It's a delicate balance of creativity and restraint and we like it even more than her Spring 2008 collection.

Pepper and Pistol's Winter 2008 collection is called "Underworld."

Claude Maus' Winter 2008 collection was inspired by time spent in an eco-home in the Victorian highlands.

Here are a few fun facts about Stephan Schneider for those that don't know of him. He was born in Germany. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Antwerp. He designs all his own fabrics. All his designs are produced in Belgium. He currently teaches at Universität der Künste, Berlin.

Illustrator, photographer and all around creative person Alyson Fox's fashion line, A Small Collection, now has its Fall 2008 collection online. In its second season, the line carries forward the city stylish/country comfortable aesthetic of the first effort.

More pictures/videos on A Small Collection's site.

Oak women's Fall 2008.

More here.

When looking at Henrik Vibskov shows, it's easy to get distracted by the theatrics, in this case the green wigs and green plastic tubes everywhere, and not see that many of these pieces are cool, creative, wacky yet definitely wearable.

Wow. That's a cool dress by Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair in their Fall 2008 collection. Dazed Digital has behind the scenes photos.

Classics with a twist was a theme that came up time and again with the Fall 2008 menswear collections. Times being what they are designers didn't seem eager to make bold postulations about the future, but rather looked at adding quirk and subversion to looks bygone.

At Yves Saint Laurent Stefano Pilati presented clothing with an eye towards the '60s/'70s jetsetter. Suits with slim jackets and wide pants formed the core of the collection, but crushed velvet blazers, a svelt blue blouson and a grass green motorcycle jacket added an international man of mystery air to the whole exercise.

Louis Vuitton presented the most rack ready collection. Suits gave off a cool, almost aloof vibe, while fits were imminently wearable. Graphite gray versions of Vuitton's Damier pattern bags are sure to sell by the container ship. If anything the collection lacked bravado and daring.

After several seasons of making the type of strikingly modern, clean clothing that Ms. Sander would be proud to put her name on, Fall 2008 was a jumping off point for Raf Simons' stewardship of Jil Sander. Atop the basecoat of sharp, immaculate suits and shirts came two experiments. One, a print in the form of a striking marble motif that when done in a 3/4 length coat gave new meaning to the word statuesque. Two, texture in the ingenious ridged effect on a hooded jacket.

These is the type of intellectualized, influential fashion we've come to expect from the Raf Simons line itself, but this season Simons seemed to run out of steam with his own line. Tunics, Rothko-esque sweaters and textured gray suits did not have the "this is the future of men's fashion" air about them that his previous collections have had.

Yohji Yamamato did was Yohji always does, but didn't fail in making it all seem fresh and interesting. The black, the navy, the militaristic touches, the ever-present loose silhouettes where there, but peeks of plaid hidden among pleats and folds of fabric made for a welcomed, playful touch.

At Dries Van Noten "unconventional classicism" was a theme. The many twists and turns of a collection and the sometimes manic styling made the show harder to digest, to tie up in a neat bow and summarize, but look at the individual pieces and you'll find one of the most wearable, yet distinctive and creative collections of the season.

Elsewhere, Comme des Garcons did punk with some post-apocalyptic overtones, Number (N)ine recalled '90s grunge, Ann Demeulemeester produced a dark, romantic presentation with visions of Bob Dylan thrown in, and Prada made suits so sleek you could almost swim in them.

Pattern: Plaid

Plaid was certainly the pattern of the season, with just about every designer doing a take on it. Yamamato did peekaboo plaid, Jil Sander did plaid on acid, Comme des Garcons did punk plaid, while Number (N)ine did grunge plaid.

Prints: Marble, Flowers

Two prints stuck out for sheer creativity and impact. The marbleized jackets, bags, suits and shirts of Jil Sander were impossible to ignore. We have a feeling we'll be seeing a tempered version of the treatment trickle on down into menswear designs for seasons to come.

And while we don't expect to see many men walk down the street with flower-print pants, Ann Demuelemeester's flower blossom print has to be noted as a singularly beautiful achievement.

Fit: A Cut for Every Customer

The fit of the season is there is no fit of the season. The all slim all the time movement having now subsided, designers went in various directions. YSL was slim up top and baggy on the bottom, Jil Sander was slim on the bottom and regular up top, Yohji Yamamato was loose top to bottom, and so on. Take your pick really.

Colors: Blue and Yellow

Like most fall/winter men's seasons, black and gray, navy and brown where everywhere. But when needing a burst of color designers this season favored blue, in one of its more audacious hues, and a mustardy yellow.

Photos from Style.com