When the going gets tough, the tough... dress like a man, dress like a lady, or dress like a star.
Structured menswear-inspired pieces for day, flowing, lacy gowns for evening, and luxe touches like fur and beading were some of the strongest trends emerging from New York Fashion Week. But as the eight days of collections wrap up today, the clearest thing communicated is that the American fashion world is trying its darnedest to survive, pulling out all sorts of tricks from the fashion playbook.
To be sure, there were common themes among the more than 200 collections slated to be shown. For the second season, collections were based primarily at the Fashion Week tents erected on the campus of New York's performing arts mecca, Lincoln Center. Dozens of shows were held in other venues around the city.
Designers showing collections included some of the biggest names in American fashion, from stalwarts like Diane von Furstenberg, Donna Karan, Michael Kors and Oscar de la Renta to popular labels like Richard Chai Love, BCBG Max Azria, Tracy Reese, Cynthia Rowley, Monique Lhuillier and Tadashi Shoji. Newer designers, like "Project Runway" alum Christian Siriano and Michelle Obama's inaugural gown designer, Jason Wu, were also part of the semiannual event.
Some trends showed up consistently. The 1970s influence heading our way in spring will be seen this fall in knee- and calf-grazing belted shirtdresses (shown with high-heel boots), midcalf and maxi skirts, tunic tops over turtlenecks, prissy librarian blouses with neck sashes, and a higher waisted, fuller-legged pant. Full-length pleated skirts and skirts with sheer bottom panels were also popular.
Fur and feather detailing were particularly strong trends, an attempt, no doubt, to give the designer customer more bang for the buck. Indeed, luxury customers can expect to see everything from fur collars and cuffs to fur hoods on coats and sweaters, and coats with entire sleeves covered in fur or Mongolian lamb. Dresses with fur or ostrich-feathered hems also were popular. New, experimental fabrics and treatments, too, were part of the efforts to put the luxe back into designer luxury fashions.
Yet, the collections were most striking for the strength of elements and styles that were complete opposites.
Masculine vs. feminine
Perhaps nowhere was the yin and yang of next fall's fashion trends more evident than in the collections embracing a tough, masculine-inspired style for womenswear, compared with those embracing femininity and delicacy.
On the menswear-influences side of the spectrum were labels like Richard Chai Love, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, and Max Azria; all, in their own ways, took the idea of suits and jackets to another level.
Max Azria, for example, used traditional menswear fabrics for feminine styles, as in his light brown tweed shirtdress and matching top and pants. The Richard Chai Love lady will have all manner of gray suit pieces and coats to select from, including one ensemble shown as a skirt suit over a pair of skinny pants.
On the feminine side were designers, particularly those focused on evening wear, who were determined to keep things light and ethereal, with soft layers of lace artfully gathered to accent a woman's curves.
Carmen Marc Valvo, a master at showing off women's bodies, employed his skills with romantic cocktail dresses and gowns inspired by the world of dance. Standouts included a midnight blue organza gown with swirl embroidery and a metallic lace gown.
Monique Lhuillier also artfully employed lace, along with tulle and chiffon, throughout her collection. But sometimes Lhuillier was a bit heavy-handed, piling on fringed embroidery and feathers, elaborate ties and big swoops of fabric. And a leopard print used for several pieces looked dated.
Dark vs. earth tones
Black and gray have always been key tones for fall, but some designers seemed to be in a particularly dark mood for Fall 2011, churning out almost entire collections in either black or charcoal gray, enlivened by a few bright pieces in shades of red (from scarlet to plum), greens (from jade to moss), and golden and reddish browns (from butterscotch to copper).
The blackout was far from dull from a design standpoint. And in many cases, designers poured on the creativity with interesting details and luxury touches of leather, fur and feather trims.
Christian Siriano, who seemed to be experimenting with a more toned-down sensibility from his usual exuberance, presented an almost all-black collection but brought the extravagance in other ways, such as with a black leather jacket with sleeves in Mongolian lamb and a black cashmere and leather crop jacket with double lapels.
Other designers seemed to be in an earthy mood. Moss green and browns (from ochre to chocolate) were the color palettes for several collections, including Luca Luca and Tracy Reese.
At Luca Luca, the runway resembled the tones of autumn leaves (and a leaf print was used for some looks). Standouts included an olive leather and fox fur cape with an ochre leaf-embroidered shell and an ochre jacquard skirt, and a fuchsia leaf print embroidered silk gown.
Tracy Reese employed tones of copper, amber and toffee, along with shots of aubergine and curry in a collection that exuded warmth. Standouts included a toffee dobby dots fringed shift and a stunning copper cable sequin skirt paired with a rich curry abstract coat and toffee inset raglan sweater.
And several designers, including Pamella Roland, used woodsy prints. Even fashion's eternally youthful Betsey Johnson went with dark florals for a beautiful series of dresses.
Simplicity vs. detailing
The shift toward minimalism so evident during the Spring 2011 collections will continue for fall. It's a look that reads sleek and contemporary but rarely boring.
One of the best examples was BCBG Max Azria. The silk dress was the star, with all sorts of variations - necklines, bodices, skirt styles and lengths, colors. Each dress was worn over a white bodysuit with black cuffs to add to a color-block effect. Leather belts sitting on the hips of most dresses completed the looks. Standouts included a mustard color-blocked crepe dress and a spectacular red silk crepe dress.
Some designers focused especially on rich, textured detailing, presenting intricately embroidered pieces. Vivienne Tam, for example, incorporated sculptural designs inspired by traditional Chinese opera, such as a black scholar tunic dress with a dragon and cloud appliqué, and a jade fringed green dress with dragon appliqué and jet crystals.
Of course, some designers defied the trends. Marc Jacobs forged his own path with a collection emphasizing form-fitting fashions and heavy on polka dots, lace and latex, including rubber made to look like sequins.
