Keepin. it Real in NYC:
Trends and Highlights from New York Fashion Week
 
    It's a magical time of the year. February means fashion week, and with shows in New York, London, Paris, and Milan, fashion insiders have the privilege of witnessing the bloom of some ravishing fall collection. Thus far, this year's themes seem to reflect the issues that have been surrounding the industry as a whole - namely, the need to ground fashion in truth by offering pragmatic clothing modelled by realistic figures. Although several designers, most notably Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren, were pushing long and thin silhouettes in their pieces, the overall vibe on the catwalk was more sensible and pop ulist, a theme which some are calling the next big revolution in the fashion world. Throughout the course of the shows, several dominant trends began appear ing. Buyers, manufacturers, and style-mavens need to be on the lookout for the following looks next fall:
 
Bold Colours
 
    Rich yellow, royal purple, dark navy, and crimson red were the dominant colours in New York, with almost every designer offering pieces in the se four colour offerings. Purple was integrated heavily into Anne Klein and Zac Posen collections, whereas designers such as Isaac Mizrahi and Donna Karan u tilized yellow to shake up the hourglass dresses and sheen skirts in their collections. Black and white remained the most dominant colour scheme in New York , however, with Dana Karen, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Marc Jacobs devoting several pieces to the two seminal shades.
 
Metallic Looks
 
    Speaking of sheen and yellow, yellow gold was in full force in New York, with other strong metallic looks such as silver taking centre stage a s well. Everyone from Vera Wang to Ralph Lauren were showing off some metallic looking pieces, with the latter's gold lam\xe9 gown standing out as a collect ion highlight. Other metallic highlights include Michael Kors gold fringe dance dress and Derek Lam's silver take on the classic cocktail dress. Gold and si lver studded belts also accessorized several outfits in a number of collections, however the belts were more ballroom-elegant than punk-rock. Oddly enough, another trend was a conspicuous lack of jewellery on the catwalk.
 
Grey Dresses and High Waist Pants
 
    In keeping with the pragmatic theme of the week, several designers were focussing on work-ready clothes, such as Caroline Herrera's sexily cut but conservatively detailed mid-length grey dress. High waist pants that offer a bit of breathing room for the leg were staples of several collections. In contrast, denim or any other low-rise pants were conspicuously absent in several shows. It was truly all about office chic in the land of the high-rise, New York.
 
Cardigan Coats in Thick Knits
 
    Given the frigid weather in New York during Fashion Week, it was no surprise to see several designers taking advantage of the climate by showi ng off rich turtlenecks and thick cardigan coats, the most notable of which were the caramel cashmere offerings on display by Michael Kors.
 
    Other dominant trends included pencil skirts, fur, mini- or mid-calf-length skirts, plaid men's and women's coats, and, accentuating all of th e above trends, a narrow silhouette that is the result of a designer's craftsmanship, and not a model's eating disorder. These trends bode well for retailer s that wish to offer their customers designer pieces that they will buy and wear in their everyday lives, as well as manufacturers that wish to produce tren dy yet marketable products that suit office-based professionals.