NY Fashion Week finishes up; shows begin in Europe

NEW YORK (AP) - Fashion’s tastemakers and trendsetters started packing up on the eighth and final day of New York Fashion Week Thursday as shows began in London, followed by Milan and Paris. But as the runway previews of fall looks continue in Europe, some early trends have emerged.

The most popular looks to grace the runways over the past eight days include leather, military- and menswear-inspired tailoring and an overall sultriness that finds its allure in the mystery of the woman sheathed in high necklines and leather leggings instead of bare skin or overt sexiness.

Some of the best looks at Ralph Lauren’s show on Thursday were borrowed from the boys in a collection plucked from a closet of a British aristocrat. The eveningwear silhouettes were simple, jazzed up with jeweled collars _ often with a high neckline.

“There’s a real practicality to the season in New York. There’s a lot of clothing that women will want to buy and wear,” said Ariel Foxman, editor of InStyle magazine. “I’m not seeing big, strong trend messaging. It’s not ALL about colorblocking or ALL about military.”

But one thing the stylish shopper will need is a new coat _ could be a leather trench, an officer’s jacket or a tweed blazer _ but outerwear was the big story after many cycles of daytime dresses.

“It’s interesting that in this mild winter there is so much outerwear,” said Foxman. “This idea of what fall and winter should be doesn’t go away.”

Brandon Holley, editor in chief of Lucky magazine, liked that a single outfit could have the toughness of a military look combined with a prim lace collar.

Attention was also drawn to the face with turtlenecks, which plays into the covered-up sexiness.

“Sexy to me is an attitude or mindset,” said designer Prabal Gurung, whose show was a top draw here. “There’s nothing sexier than confidence this fall.”

Well, there is all the leather, which sometimes was tough looking but otherwise soft and buttery like the best pair of gloves. Holley said she sometimes spots the trends by what the front row is wearing by the end of the week.

“I saw a lot of leather leggings. And then there were leather sleeves or leather pieces,” she said. “It’s about wearing a lot of leather but not wearing all leather.”

CALVIN KLEIN

Calvin Klein designs have long been known for their razor-sharp lines, but the label’s creative director Francisco Costa seems to have a knack for curves, too.

His fall collection presented as one of the last major shows of New York Fashion Week ended things the way the season largely started, offering clothes for a woman who can seduce and charm with intelligence and strength, but without wearing anything too tight or revealing.

Costa, in fact, purposely created a looser hourglass shape for this muse that gives room to move and breathe, sculpting stiff wool fabrics into outfits with rounded jewel necklines and a little extra fabric at the hips. For most women, this is going to work better in coats than dresses, but on the models, it was nice to see the chic, fuller shape shifts.

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