A collection with a surprisingly Parisian feel coming from a designer with such a strong background in defining the American woman’s style. Bright and bold, with silhouettes so clearly defined they almost look like drawings, these looks have a pleasing dramatic quality that we...

Well, there’s no denying it now. Helena Bonham Carter is a style icon. Who else do you see in practically every single one of these looks? With a backdrop set that was described as “Marie Antoinette’s version of ruins,” the association was complete, because to us, it...

Especially in the opening half of the show, there was a stark simplicity to many of the looks, with pure whites dominating the runway at first and bits of color and contrast appearing gradually. It was almost illustrative; as if to say, “We’ll start off by defining glamour and...

Ethnic themes in fashion can go wrong so easily. They can often wind up looking gimmicky at best; offensive at worst. Vivienne Tam practically revels in her Chinese heritage, and pays homage to various other Asian cultures, and yet it never feels anything but beautiful, respectful, and...

Inspired by “A Soul Brought to Heaven,” by painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau, which depicts two angels carrying a young woman to Heaven, the Marchesa show at the Plaza Hotel was just as lofty a little slice of fashion heaven itself. The thing about Marchesa that doesn’t always come...

At his heart, Michael Kors is a classic, old-time showman and it’s never more evident than when he’s mounting a runway show. The vibe in the tent is intensely high-energy beforehand, as celebrity after celebrity files in and takes their seats, to the lightning-storm flashes of...

A little fantasy to stir into your Monday morning coffee, darlings. There’s always a sort of restrained elegance to Oscar de la Renta’s shows; an air of extreme sophistication and refinement, tempered by classic good taste and the lack of a need to be showy. And we’ve tried...

The timing wasn’t quite right for Downton Abbey to have a major effect on the runways this season, but you got the sense that everyone wished it had. The show’s reaching its peak in international popularity and, like Mad Men before it, is practically begging the design world to...

The atmosphere was very casual during the Elie Tahari presentation, which made for an oasis in the middle of the usual runway show madness. The models were chatting and having a good time and Champagne was being passing around, giving the room a feel almost like a party, where all the women...

Kittens, we may have attended this show on Wednesday night, but it had Saturday night written all over it, which makes it a perfect post for, well, Saturday night. With Adam Lambert and Lil’ Kim in the front row, and more drag queens than you can shake a clutch at sprinkled throughout...

Carolina Herrera may be justifiably known for her elegant, dramatic gowns – and certainly there is no lack of them here – but it was the quieter pieces and separates that held our attention this time. As impeccable as any of her gowns, the jackets, coats, skirts, and cocktail...

Taking her inspiration from the Taos art colony of the twenties and thirties, designer Nicholas Kunz offered up a layered desert chic for the jetsetting bohemians of the 21st Century in a subtle, soothing, muted palette. We always drool over Nicholas K’s menswear, so we’ll take...

Taking her inspiration from the 1942 film “Cat People,” Catherine Malandrino offered an array of luxurious, sensual and yes, even feral looks, rendered in fur, leather, and sheers, with beading, lace and crystals to bump up the richness and textural feel even further. Finishing...

Pinstripes, double-breasted blazers, tuxedo coats, pocket squares and even jaunty little fedoras dominated this collection. And yet, you couldn’t rightly call any of these elegant looks masculine or even androgynous. Despite their menswear origins, these looks are feminine to the core...

Michael Bastian looked to his own time in college for this collection, taking inspiration from old friends and even his younger, ’80s self. You’d think such a specific and highly personal starting point might result in something either too obscure to the outsider or too literal a...

You’ll never be disappointed with a Monique Lhuillier show; not if you like dramatic and luxurious gowns and dresses. You’ll never walk out of that tent uttering, “Meh.” It’s gloriously dramatic and glamorous, all the time. Taking her inspiration from the Year of...

It’s the morning of our seventh straight day of running from one end of Manhattan to the other, trying to fit in every show we’ve been invited to, and it’s finally happened: we’ve hit the wall. We expect to see a “spotted in the tents” item that goes like...

When you read show notes that tell you the collection you’re about to see took its inspiration from the “Golden Age of Shanghai,” then it’s not out of the question that one would settle back for a series of high-necked Chinoiserie dresses in the Dietrich style, but...

3.1 Philip Lim Fall 2012 Show Gia Coppola Love the jacket. J Alexander That might be just a bit much yellow for us, Miss J. Joe Zee Linda Fargo She never looks anything but impeccable. Lorenzo Martone and Rachel Zoe Nina Garcia This entire look is to die. Betsey Johnson Fall 2012 Show Fern...

If seeing the Simon Spurr collection up close was akin to a religious experience for us, then seeing the Duckie Brown collection up close was like having a vision in a sweat lodge; stunning, expressive and thought-provoking, you’ll spend days afterwards trying to interpret it....

The notes didn’t say so, but this collection came across to us a direct appeal to the NYC gal; tough, ballsy, occasionally in your face, but feminine to the core. The kind of gal who can rock a leather jacket and 5-inch heels while navigating subway grates. Having the models walk in...