For fall, designers stick with what works

updated 3:25 p.m. ET Feb. 8, 2006

NEW YORK - New York Fashion Week has so far been filed with mini trends — skinny pants, shirred sleeves, skirt suits and shirtdresses, among them — but nothing to fuel a zeitgeist. It’s been a parade of mostly wearable clothes, particularly for the working woman.

But there’s still time for something huge to emerge. Over the next three days, editors, stylists and retailers will see fall collections by Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Vera Wang and Karl Lagerfeld.

Richard Drew / AP The fall collection of Michael Kors.

Michael Kors: Kors must watch a lot of old movies, particularly love stories. And if Ali MacGraw is in them, that’s even better. Kors has made no secret that MacGraw in her 1970s heyday is a fashion icon from whom he draws endless inspiration — and that was proved again with his Wednesday preview.

These were clothes for a woman who prefers a casual chic style to the more formal dress that her friends will be wearing next fall.

Kors opened the show with a long navy and maroon rugby-stripe dress worn with a navy duffle coat, and closed with a breezy chiffon halter gown adorned with loops of crystals. In between, he showed a short-sleeve blouse and skirt in dark green tartan plaid, a popular print, and a green chiffon paisley scarf skirt with a dark brown leather jacket that already looked broken in.

The skinny stretch jean tucked into boots and paired with a navy sweater coat was the rare sighting of denim on the runway. Kors did, however, touch on other trends, including tie-neck blouses, chunky knits and knickers.

Some designers touted knickers as part of a working woman’s wardrobe. Kors’ knickers had more of a collegiate look, which seemed more appropriate.

Slide show   Fashion forward Betsey Johnson, Kenneth Cole and newcomer Dragana Ognjenovic show off their looks for Fall 2006 in New York's Bryant Park.

Peter Som: Som’s fashion story was told almost entirely in black and white. Not to say that the clothes were boring — a slim pantsuit has a subtle shimmer for the woman who wants to be noticed at that business meeting. A fitted tuxedo was done in unexpected winter white, which softened the outfit and made it more feminine.

The rare dash of color was infused by a soft rose print, used on a blouse, and a navy and black embroidered coat with a panel of vertical satin pleats in the front was stunning. This coat was an outfit, not a utilitarian necessity.

Narciso Rodriguez: Rodriguez played it safe Tuesday night, and there’s nothing wrong with that when you’ve got a winning formula.

His architectural dresses, with a tight fit and lots of seams, are his signature. But instead of using an occasional splash of color as an exclamation point, Rodriguez kept almost entirely to black and white, emphasizing simplicity and sophistication instead.

The coats were a surprising strength of this collection. A sleeveless black heavy coat was belted at the waist and worn over super-skinny pants, and a loose pink wool coat and a silver collarless coat were standouts.

Cocktail dresses had an unusual embellishment: pieces of plastic. They shimmied and shone just like the best sequins or paillettes.

Marc by Marc Jacobs: Simply known as Marc, this collection targets a slightly younger customer than the Marc Jacobs label. Jacob’s vision for this hipster was bohemian-meets-military, with muted colors in charcoal, rose and blue.

The show was held in the New York State Armory, and a solid wool and felt coat with brass buttons looked as if it was taken right from a soldier. A striking waistless teal print dress featured puffy sleeves, and a brown sweater vest over a more feminine wine-colored shirt seemed to encapsulate the marriage of the two ideas.

Nanette Lepore: Lepore is known for her attention to feminine detailing, and this collection was no exception, from intricate beadwork on her chiffon dresses to billowing sleeves and flirty ruffles on plaid wool skirts and dresses.

Coats, with 3/4-length sleeves and swinging bottoms, were a highlight. Prints and black velvet were strong, but red was the color for the collection.

“Red was gone for a while, but we felt it coming back and now we’ve used it all over,” Lepore said. Her new shoe line included slingbacks and wedges in velvet and knee-high wedge boots in red and gray.