#1. Artists Collaborating with Designers

To give their visions an edge, designers turned to artists for inspiration. Marc Jacobs sought out Richard Prince to collaborate on Louis Vuitton handbags, as he had done with artist Takashi Murakami. His Spring 2008 show opened with models in nurse uniforms — a reference to a Prince series. Meanwhile, Rem Koolhaas created the backdrop for Prada's Spring show and Damien Hirst hosted the label's party at its Soho store during fashion week, complete with a giant replica of his famous diamond skull dangling from the ceiling.