We're glad, for sanity's sake, that Fashion Week ended on Friday. Here, recaps of some of the last shows.

[At left, Marc Jacobs (credit); at right, John Varvatos (credit)]

When everybody goes left, Marc Jacobs heads right. As Fashion Week's final presenter on Friday night, Marc Jacobs revealed a high-concept wintry collection. While the colors were subdued and calming—grays, powder blues, off-whites—the cuts were deliberate and a bit jarring. The designs were intriguing but beware: his pleats, boxy frames, volumes of fabric and low dropwaist coats will not exactly make a gal feel light and feminine. Paul Revere hats were prominent as were puffy forehead sweatbands that looked like planet rings around the models' heads. That's Marc, though: an innovator whose most bizarre creations will in some way influence mass retail clothing we'll all be wearing a year from now.
· Photos of the Marc Jacobs collection [NY Mag]

Attention men: John Varvatos wants you to dress like his sophisticated rock stars. The designer's collection featured tailored three-piece suits in multiple gray tones and black (think Franz Ferdinand but with more metallic sheen). Vests dominated the runway—whether part of a suit, casually knitted, or made out of quilted leather. Skinny ties are still de rigueur, but giant knitted scarves and fingerless gloves were somewhat unusual accessories this season.
· Review and photos of the John Varvatos show [Haute Concept]

[At left, Donna Kara; at right, Ralph Lauren. Photos via]

Donna Karan showed satin silk dresses spun in beautiful colors, albeit with too much fabric to them. Chartreuse, crimson, burnt orange, plum, and mustard hues enchanted the eye, but the designs were far too loose and draped. We'd probably look like blobs in some of her cowl necks, enormous coats, and bathrobe dresses with low slung ribbon belts, but we will wear the beaded black berets and fancy footwear she featured.
· Photos of the Donna Karan collection [Coutorture]

There are trendsetters, there are provocateurs, and then there is the master of timeless fashion: Ralph Lauren. He led with perfectly cut black city dresses and suits, accented with leopard print necklines, hats, or bags. Reds, greens, and blacks were joined in thick lumberjack plaids and Navajo prints. The fall collection was smart, classy, and could teach a thing or two to the desperate starlet types who've corroded the concept of refined Hollywood glamour. Ralph finished the clothing with alligator bags and shoes and with dramatic feathered headpieces.
· Photos and a review of the Ralph Lauren show [Style.com]

Filed under Fashion Week, Donna Karan, John Varvatos, Marc Jacobs, Raplh Lauren

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