Our review will be posted shortly. See the complete collection by clicking the image at left.

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"Dressed-up street style" was one way Zac Posen described the latest collection from his lower-priced line, ZAC Zac Posen. But these weren't the too-perfect looks worn by professionals parading up the Lincoln Center steps at New York fashion week. Instead, Posen's silhouettes were more reminiscent of something photographer Bill Cunningham might shoot for the On the Street section of The New York Times. Whether emerging from the subway or grabbing launch in Midtown, Cunningham's subjects rarely look flawless, but they do look vibrant and dynamic.

With the lyrics of Spring 2015 muse Lauryn Hill playing in the background at his Tribeca studio, Posen showed a series of colorful dresses and separates that took on a "slightly preppy tone," as he put it. The perennial hits were on hand, including ribbed-silk faille wiggle dresses, stretch-knit shifts in candy colors, and a few floaty gowns, including an ombrй number inspired by a sunset shot from the designer's own Instagram. But he also made a real go at separates, with high-waist culottes and an ombrй-leather bomber. One of the most successful ideas had to do with shirting. A woven white cotton top was cut like a drapey T-shirt, while a black silk blouse cascaded down the back. These pieces were feminine and romantic but also professional and realistic. Paired with cropped trousers and a ladylike handbag, they were dressed-up but not costumey.
Lauren Sherman

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This year, Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia decided to split their namesake label into two parts, breaking off eveningwear into a new collection called Noir. But Sachin & Babithe contemporary lineis still very much in play, and this season the Ahluwalias wanted to take their signature embroideries and textiles in a more athletic-inspired direction. "Young, energetic, sporty," was how Sachin described Spring 2015. It was certainly all of those things: a sort of city girl's take on a basketball uniform. A pair of black leather drawstring shorts were worn with an organza trapeze top, and Pollock-esque paint splatters were printed onto running shorts and a sweatshirt made out of reversible sequins. (A sequined tank dress piped in white got the same treatment to great effect.) The husband-and-wife duo also dreamt up their own Rorschach print, which served as a motif on a series of intarsia sweaters and dresses. It was also embroidered onto a few pieces, the fringe hanging down from the bottom of the designs so that it almost resembled dripping ink. It looked better that way, especially when done in white on a black tank dress made of a netting the designers nicknamed "subwoofer fabric," because of its resemblance to a speaker grille. While the Ahluwalias had fun with painted leather and chevron embroideries, too, it was a white motorcycle jacket patchworked with different geometric eyelets that pulled the collection together, offering a palate cleanser.
Lauren Sherman

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Fans of Escada's colorful pantsuits and embroidered gowns remain quite loyal, so it's important to keep them happy. Fashion director Daniel Wingate accomplished that by offering cropped raspberry Taroni silk trousers, metallic leopard-print organza split-neck dresses, and photo-real tropical floral prints on black pencil skirts and tailored blazers. A black knit dress covered in enameled dots made to look like candy buttons, paired with a matching cardigan jacket, was also right up her alley.

But what about the new customer, the one who hasn't yet found Escada? Wingate said that the season was a "fashion floriculturewith flowers in all forms, from exotic to romantic." But many of those prints felt too familiar. What worked were the slightly more abstract ideas, such as the yellow petals individually beaded on a matching cropped shell and pencil skirt, or the burnout organza dress in white or lavender. A bias ruffle jumpsuit also offered a certain freshness. It was done in royal purplea classic Escada shadewhich proved modernity and history are not mutually exclusive.
Lauren Sherman

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Our review will be posted shortly. See the complete collection by clicking the image at left.

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Some couturiers send out a wedding gown as their final runway look; Alexandre Vauthier presented a black body-skimming gown that offered quite the peep show from behind. A pearl-embellished band running diagonally across the right cheek functioned as a decorative bridge between the lower back and the upper bum, ostensibly holding the dress together. Such asset-flaunting bait will prove irresistible to Vauthier's mega-muses: Rihanna, Bey, Kim, Rita. But with this collection, the designer ensured that there was more than enough of his mastery to go around, from a jumpsuit in a laser-cut pony hair that mimicked lace, to crystal-studded leather pants, to a slinky minidress covered in ribbons of python stitched to tulle. Before the show, Vauthier seemed particularly excited about his foray into a print that appeared on a silk parka and high-waisted trousers; no run-of-the-mill geometric motif, this was a reinterpreted archive find from Clerici Tessuto, the century-old Italian fabric house.

It's all too tempting to linger over a one-shouldered dress that sparkled like pomegranate seeds (the 196,000 ruby-red stones required 1,850 hours of Lesage embroidery) at the expense of Vauthier's stellar tailoringstraight-edged but not boxy. Patent shin guards unnecessarily accented a few leggy looks, as if he hadn't already offered enough aesthetic armor with a pearl and crystal cardigan (120 hours of embroidery) or a series of plush fox cabans. Of course, the designer knows there will always be an appetite for the Tom Ford school of sexpot, but his point of differentiationhis expert eye for fitcan get overwhelmed by glam. Vauthier described this collection as "excessively chic," adding a rapid succession of "trиs" for emphasis. And to the extent that people will be apt to remember that right cheek most of all, this was trиs true.
Amy Verner

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The surrealists used to play a game called Exquisite Corpse, in which each artist would contribute an element to an image, fold it over, and pass it on to someone else who would then add his or her bit with no knowledge of what had been done before. At the end of it all, there'd be some screwball composite that would inevitably betray an unpredictable internal logic.

What better analogy for the house of Maison Martin Margiela's Artisanal collection is there than the Exquisite Corpse? The recombinant elements of today's presentation strung together a grab bag of extraordinary bits and pieces that ultimately composed "a collective memory of Haute Couture" (or so claimed the show notes). But, typically, it was not the grandeur but the detritus of Couturethe fabric offcuts, the embroidery samplesthat the collection celebrated.

Artisanal's modus operandi is alchemy: Turn a bagful of bottle tops into a shimmering skirt, stitch a handful of embroidered Van Gogh irises into an exotic sheath dress, and collage swatches of cashmere collected at trade fairs into a caftan. Or sew a mess of coins "sourced in various dressing-table drawers and from flea markets across Paris and Brussels" onto a flimsy wrap of fabric to make a jingly-jangly gypsy skirt. The ingenuity was enthralling; the fetishistic detailing of every hour, every bead or sequin slightly less so than usual, perhaps because the collection itself felt a little thin to begin with. It may be simply that the novelty has worn off. Or else the clothes themselves were less enthralling, more arbitrary than before. That was definitely the case with the lobster embroideries and the aluminum "I Love You" party balloon re-created as a crystal bustier.

And yet there was still a peculiar, irresistible romance in these clothes. A Paul Poiret coat trimmed into a gilet, a Line Vautrin brooch on a white cotton shirt…it's like wearing history, which is, in a way, what Artisanal is all about. But it comes with a condition: You have to impose your history on the history of the materials.
Tim Blanks

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Daywear? Elie Saab has a ready-to-wear collection for that. At his Couture show today he was focused exclusively on after-dark. Saab made his point by lining the back of the runway with chandeliers, which were illuminated just moments before the first model made her grand entrance. The colors refracted in those chandeliers provided the palette: first blue, then pink, next blush, followed by black, white, and gray. For decoration, Saab preferred pearls. Tahitian blue for a navy chiffon goddess dress; white pearls on a long-sleeve princess gown; champagne-colored ones for a strapless cocktail number in a neutral shade of pink. The white-on-white looks were the prettiest, but damn if all those embellishments weren't heavy. A few of the models really struggled with their gowns, and the bride, with her acres of embroidered train, didn't fare much better. Surely one of Haute Couture's pleasures should be the way made-to-measure clothes feel on the body.

Amid the tone-on-tone embroideries and the ombrй effects, a sweeping ball gown in pink with tiny blue embroidery stood out. So did a couple of dresses that featured a lavish rose print. Saab should keep experimenting with print. For one thing, it's a whole lot lighter than pearls.
Nicole Phelps

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It's tempting to use the hybrid phrase "normkors," and the designer couldn't resist doing just that when presenting his Spring 2015 men's collection. It was fitting, not just because the clothes mixed classic American styles with Michael Kors' vision of global luxury, but because riffs on hybridization ran throughout the collection.

"Amalfi Americano" was the theme and that cultural mash-up found its way into almost every look. A sharply cut three-button suit was punched up by polished denim, sneakers became "snespadrilles" thanks to a rope detail on the sole. Fabrics weren't what they seemeda hemp-linen anorak was gessoed for a less rigid waterproof finish. Sharkskin was rendered from cotton and mohair. The ultimate normkors look, a riff on a T-shirt-and-jeans look, was done with 8-ounce denim trousers and a linen T-shirt sweater. If anything, the collection was a bit heavy on the norm and light on the Kors. Subdued plaids failed to pop, and striped knits didn't stand out from other similar offerings in the mall. But even the most basic pieces, like the double-pleated pants and zip-up blouson, had an undeniable populist appeal.

Sandals and white linen shorts suit notwithstanding, Kors' Spring collection was a mostly seasonless affair. That's a good business decision"It's January when we ship it," Kors remarkedand it affords a glimpse at the kind of smart, consumer-first thinking behind his vision of comfortable luxury. It's not for nothing that he's one of fashion's few designer billionaires.
Noah Johnson

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Ralph Lauren's greatest achievement was creating an all-encompassing aspirational lifestyle disguised as a clothing brand. His labelsPolo, Purple Label, Black Label, RLXare best experienced in their immersive retail environments and through photographer Bruce Weber's cinematic ads. The clothing is no less desirable than the stylingthe lifestyling, if you willof the ranches and yachts and rugby teams and shoppable "mansions" Lauren has built around the world.

But the aspirational lifestyle is an evolving concept. Now we find it in the most unlikely places, often via the frenetic streams of Instagram (where Ralph Lauren has 940K followers and counting), Tumblr, and e-commerce, platforms that are free from the confines of physical space. Everything is a brand. People are brands, and they are no less special than actual brands. Labels are as desirable as ever, but their worlds are somehow less vivid than the worlds captured in the more personal accounts we follow. So where does that leave Ralph Lauren?

In the case of Purple Label, the clothes have never looked better. The browns and creams of the haberdashery section were classic and timeless, even with the distinctly old-timey flair of collar stands exaggerated to appear removable. Throughout, there was an emphasis on textured, breathable fabrics, such as a chunky silk and linen twill that felt much lighter than it looked. The strongest statements in tailoring came in shades of bluethe vibrant, French blue double-breasted blazer with wide peak lapel and a lightweight denim three-piece suit that looked more like a rich navy linen were highlights. A selection of Purple Label sportswear could have been billed as Polo's greatest hits, including bonded leather jackets and trunks in vintage French prints. The safari sectionquintessential Ralph Laurenwas given a slight twist rendered in black and tan. Black Label, equally refined, proposed a European take on the Purple Label ethos. Suits were slimmer, softer, and minimally adorned.

The preppy, Polo-wearing jock, meanwhile, hasn't changed too much over the years. He still layers his clothes with careful dishevelment, contorts his collars and cuffs to turn up at the perfect angles, and mixes his oxfords and blazers with his sports gear. Polo juxtaposed every trope of American masculinityit was boyish and rugged, nerdy and jockish, preppy and rough-hewn. The real news here is that the Polo guy will soon be getting some female company, with a Polo women's line and accompanying Fifth Avenue flagship slated to launch this month.

The appeal of Ralph Lauren's lifestyle hasn't faded, but the way we experience it is changing. Stores and ads, no matter how perfectly they're styled, don't have the impact they once had. Ralph Lauren's challenge is to figure out how to control our desire in this brave new multichannel world. We consume differently because we see each other and ourselves differently. You imagine a pioneer like Lauren will relish the challenge. In fact, Weber's portfolio for Polo women's won't just appear in print but will have an online life in the form of a video series on ralphlauren.com. It might be an acknowledgment that the guy from the glossy Polo spread isn't real enough anymore, or at least can no longer stand alone. He may still exist, but you won't find him only in the mansion.
Noah Johnson

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"What is the most beautiful in virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is something masculine." That Susan Sontag quote provided Alexis Mabille with a starting point for his new Haute Couture collection. Mabille's general idea was to incorporate some element of a man's wardrobe into each of the outfits. Nothing groundbreaking as far as concepts go, but it did produce one of the designer's most restrained and accomplished offerings in some time. First out was a "tuxedo" consisting of a double-breasted jacket and long, narrow skirt, the wool on both pieces fused with lace to create a tempting bit of peekaboo at the waist. Elsewhere, the neckline of a black lace gown was accented with lapels, and a white bib-front shirt was extended into a dress. As a rule, the more masculine the look, the more compelling it was. A frilly dress embroidered with naive parrots on a vine lost the plot. But an emerald green strapless number, the torso of which was built like a jacket with lapels peeled back to reveal the creamy satin corset underneath? We'd bet Mabille's star client Dita Von Teese already has that one on hold. It put proof to the Sontag maxim, and then some.
Nicole Phelps

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A huge terrace with a fireplaceit has always been in Karl Lagerfeld's mind as a beautiful idea, ever since he saw photos of the visionary architect Le Corbusier's long-gone Paris apartment. "I just never found a place to do it," he said after the Chanel show today. Until now, of course, when the gigantic forest-planting, iceberg-importing, supermarket-building extravaganzas of Chanel shows past were scaled down to mimic the stark geometry of Corbu's designs. At either end of the catwalk were huge fireplaces stoked with digital flames. Above the mantel, a big old baroque mirror. Brutalist and baroque: A typically provocative union from a designer who skates across time like fashion's answer to Doctor Who.

But it wasn't simply with the setting that Lagerfeld indulged his long-cherished dream. Le Corbusier was the architect who made concrete a staple of modern design. So Lagerfeld made concrete the foundation of his collection. Concrete! In Haute Couture! When you turn it into tiny tiles, it becomes a beautiful mosaic. Who knew? Lagerfeld delightedly demonstrated the material's unexpected lightness by dangling a string of concrete beads under the noses of journalists. "Tongue in chic," he crowed. "Very chic."

That twistedness was the key to the collection. The word couture implies cutting and seaming. There was none of that here. Everything was molded rather than seamed. "It's Haute Couture without the Couture," said Lagerfeld, tongue firmly in cheek. And yet there was look after look of a gorgeousness so exquisite it could only be achieved in ateliers that were accustomed to confronting the impossibleand mastering it. It must help that Lagerfeld always has the future in mind as he cherry-picks his way through the past. Take lace and coat it with silicone. Think pink, but think plastic, too. Tatter, shred, disrespect…and make something new. That was all in keeping with the much-touted youth-ifying of Couture. Sam McKnight's hair and Maison Michel's little hats perched pertly on the back of the models' heads had the effect of a Haircut 100 cover from The Face circa 1982. The effect was compounded by Lagerfeld building his silhouette on shorts. There were coatdresses over shorts, jackets and skirts over shorts, plus the perfect shoes for shortssandals. Given the molded, sculpted nature of the clothes, Lagerfeld liked the ease of a flat. "The models can walk in those dresses like they're nothing," he said.

The show closed with a passage of long, chalk-white, almost penitent gowns, lavished with embroidery. The combination not only embodied the brutalist/baroque twinning of Lagerfeld's inspiration, it also echoed the duality of Coco Chanel's own life, the austerity of her professional self countered by the exotic orientalism of Coco at home. It made for a stunning contrast, matched only by the final foxtrot of Karl and his seven-months-pregnant bride, the Kiwi model Ashleigh Good. "I like pregnant women," he said, in keeping with his new cat-loving, godfather-ing public persona. "She looks so elegant, so noble."
Tim Blanks

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