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NEW YORK - He's known as something of a fashion wild child, but Marc Jacobs shed that image with his Autumn-Winter 2010 show in New York this week.
His muted, elegant collection focused on eminently wearable ensembles, such as gray pencil skirts topped with soft sweaters and three piece women's pant suits.
Much of the outerwear appeared to make reference to the 1970s, with chunky knit cardigans and mohair jackets belted at the waist and adorned with thick fur lapels and cuffs.
Jacobs sent his models out with natural-looking hair and minimal makeup -- a shift from the ultra-stylized looks he has favoured in the past.
The collection even featured wearable shoes, with low heels that were often paired with socks, in a combination significantly more appropriate for the ice-covered streets of New York than many of the sky-high heels on display in the audience.
Even the decor was low-key, using cardboard and brown paper.
The crowds of Jacobs fans who trekked down to Manhattan's Gramercy neighbourhood for the show found tight security, with bag checks and rules that prohibited guests from bringing in even bottles of water.
But Jacobs, who caused a minor scandal in the fashion world two years ago by starting a show three hours late, kept no one waiting: the arrival of Anna Wintour, the powerful editor of American Vogue, signalled the start of the presentation.
Also showing Monday was Donna Karan, a grand dame of the fashion industry, whose collection of exquisitely cut pieces showed why she continues to be a favourite.
In attendance in the audience were Hollywood heavyweight actresses Brooke Shield, Susan Sarandon and Demi Moore, all fans of the structured but feminine look that Karan is known for.
Models walked the runway with slicked-back hair topped with shiny black headbands and bright red lips in a minimalist collection that favoured construction over colour.
The palette was almost entirely black, with flowing evening gowns, jackets with bold ruffled collars and figure-hugging trousers all in shades of charcoal.
Here and there colour burst forth in a pink jacket or a turquoise dress, but Karan mostly relied on layers and textures to draw out the details of her work, including a rolled collar on a short dress and the exaggerated hips of several coats.
Up-and-coming designer Devi Kroell, who started her career making high-end accessories in New York, showed a confident collection that featured a sophisticated palette of rich golds, reds and greens.
Models with extended cat-like eyeliner carried Kroell's signature handbags and clutches wearing lurex dresses, cigarette pants and skirts made of feathers.
There were no ballet flats here though, with models strutting in open-toed woven leather platform shoes in black or gold, some with straps that snaked their way around the legs past the knee. - AFP/vm
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