From left to right, Louis Vuitton, Antonio Berardi, Balenciaga & Theyskens' Theory. Photos: Imaxtree

It’s cheating to call lace a trend—the fabric always pops up on runways, despite the season or the mood—but for AW11 designers got particularly creative with their use of lace.  It ranged from the kinky, like at Louis Vuitton to the super sexy at Antonio Berardi.  At Balenciaga, Nicolas Ghesquière managed to make it look punk, with wide-knit over leather pants, while at Theory, Olivier Theyskens offered sweet, floor length versions.  Which will you wear next fall?