Anatomy of a trend

Last year was the year of the skull.

Skull-print scarves -- a trend started by designer Paula Thomas for her collection, Thomas Wylde -- were wrapped around swan-like necks everywhere, from stylish actress Sienna Miller to the more taste-challenged Paris Hilton . Designer Alexander McQueen , always a lover of the dark side, also put out a scarf that ended up being perhaps the most knocked-off item of 2006. Urban Outfitters carried one, H&M another, even the street vendors in New York's Chinatown had a version.

It didn't stop there. Once reserved for Hell's Angels, rock stars, and pallid teenagers, the skull became something you could buy encrusted in diamonds from Dior Fine Jewelry or printed on the soft cotton of a baby's onesie. Even Disney created a mean-looking line of skull-embossed T's, just in time to promote "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."

Skulls are still making news, as Damien Hirst's recent art offering -- a platinum skull encrusted with thousands of diamonds and a $100 million price tag -- attests. But it seems that fashion's spotlight has begun to move on to other parts of the human body, taking the anatomical theme along for the ride. Skeleton shirts have popped up on celebs in paparazzi photos. The new video for the Daddy Yankee single "Impacto " features not only a wildly gyrating Fergie but a backup dancer sporting a T-shirt emblazoned with a giant ribcage.

The omnipresent McQueen is also looking to the ribcage for inspiration. The British designer has created skeletal suitcases in black and white for Samsonite Black Label which hit stores earlier this year. Dubbed the "Hero," the bags are said to secure your valuables when traveling just as a ribcage protects its precious cargo.

In fact, McQueen's whole fall 2007 runway collection was inspired by bodies, specifically the body of one who died here in Massachusetts. The homepage of the designer's website ( alexandermcqueen.com) reads "In Memory of Elizabeth How, Salem 1692." (The name is generally spelled Howe. ) Turns out, the collection is dedicated to a young woman who was executed during the Salem witch trials.

It was obviously a dark show; McQueen seemed to be dealing with some serious pent-up anger about religious persecution. The line boasts lots of shiny black fabric and musty-looking velvet. But instead of re-creating the dress code of Salem circa 1692, McQueen opted for supermodern shapes and even a few chest plates.

The designer is clearly into body forging and casting. That's exactly what he did for Puma, for which he recently launched a line of footwear. Each of his Puma designs is inspired by human anatomy, primarily the foot, of course. For his fall collection, McQueen pondered what lies beneath human skin and even used X-ray imagery as a jumping-off point for his designs. There are details that look like stylized tendons and veins on the shoes; there are even toe prints in the soles.

In one case, McQueen took an idea from his own anatomy . For his first shoe for Puma, in the spring of 2006, McQueen used a mold of his own foot set into the transparent rubber sole. He called it, aptly, "My Left Foot." Talk about wearing a designer.