Deep V-necks,
draping and long-sleeve gloves were in abundance, along with brocades in muted
as well as rich colors and plenty of black.
Badgley Mischka featured
gold-beaded jackets and black pencil skirts, sleek tuxedo suits and jackets over
gold metallic jersey, and tulle and crepe gowns.
The design duo created a
sexy and sophisticated femme fatale look with fox fur vests, collars and wraps
and flowing gowns with beaded shoulders and waists.
"I thought it was
magnificent - the romanticism, the fluidity and the craftsmanship," said Gwen
Mader, a New York fashion editor. "It was one of the most beautiful collections
I've seen this season."
Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who met while
studying at Parson School of Design in New York and have worked together since
1988, are a favorite among Hollywood's elite with their glamorous style harking
back to an earlier era.
Halle Berry, Helen Mirren and Katie Perry are
among the A-listers who have walked the red carpet in their
creations.
London-based designer Jenny Packham, who counts the Duchess of
Cambridge Kate Middleton among her clients, looked back to the intellectual
salons of 17th century Paris, where women discussed the arts and literature, for
her designs.
"This collection is inspired by the rich tones and hues of
these salons, the shades of midnight blue, scarlet reds, cinnamon and lustrous
opals and by the spirit of freedom that imbued them," she said in a statement
ahead of the show.
Packham, who has been showing her collections in New
York for the past few years, paired an ivory gown with a beaded coat, a
sparkling, jeweled sweater with a flowing, full skirt and a red gown with cap
sleeves and a sheer overlay.
A teal V-neck gown with a sheer beaded top
across the shoulder and bodice was among the highlights of the show that
attracted actresses Katherine Heigl and Vanessa Hudgens to the front
row.
Like Middleton, who turned heads in a Packham emerald-green pleated
gown she wore to a concert in London last summer and wowed onlookers in a
shimmering, slinky silver full-length creation during a night out with Prince
William, Angelina Jolie, Kate Hudson and Kate Winslet are also fans of the
label.
Designer Vera Wang chose a more modern look for her collection,
with black and beige geometric-cut jackets and coats, pencil skirts, cocktail
dresses and gowns with draping at the waist and bold brocades.
Long
gloves reaching nearly to the shoulder, furs, angle-cut skirts and wide-cut
vests and jackets were also part of the collection that was viewed from the
front row by American Vogue Editor Anna Wintour and the magazine Creative
Director Grace Coddington.
Oscar de la Renta unveiled his elegant styles
at a show attended by fellow designers Diane von Furstenberg and
Valentino.
A time-honored favorite of affluent women, de la Renta showed
gowns heavily laden with beadwork and embroidery. Some were sleek satin sheaths
and others were gathered at the waist with voluminous skirts in hues of
aubergine, ruby, teal and citrene.
One notable gown was peach silk
organza with feathers and crystals, and de la Renta concluded the show with a
gown of shocking pink and mulberry.
The semi-annual New York Fashion
Week, a precursor to shows in Paris, London and Milan, attracts some 232,000
people to the hundreds of shows at Lincoln Center and throughout the city. The
designers, buyers, stylists and press who attend the 500 or so shows spend about
$15 million on hotels and restaurants, according to city estimates.
