With the temperature gauge still below zero, New York's designers send a slew of winter warmers down the runways
With the temperature gauge still below zero here in New York, the city's fashion designers have figured how best to please a shivering, jaded fashion editor: pack their collections full of winter warmers.
At Michael Kors this morning, that meant plenty of gorgeous knitwear, with legwarmers making a high-end comeback (spun, as they were, from the softest cashmere), thick and toasty jumper dresses worn with slouchy leather boots, and lots and lots of fur (not just on coats either; one model teamed her cashmere jumper and knitted beanie with a knee-length fox fur skirt).
Over at 3.1 Phillip Lim, it was all about outerwear, with fabulous shearling bomber jackets jostling for the limelight with cropped ponchos, oversized parkas and thick wool coats.
Melton knits cropped up again later in the day at Brian Reyes, alongside boucle jackets, kimono-shaped trenches and, for those who like their layers a little slinkier, silky mini shorts with thigh-high cashmere hold-ups.
At Nanette Lepore, plaids, tweeds and moleskin were the chic but toasty fabrics of choice with a stunning finale of velvet dresses, all fashioned from autumnal hues of gold, cerise and olive.
Of course, even when it's chilly, a girl needs some suitably fabulous eveningwear and the general consensus in NYC appears to be that that eveningwear should sparkle.
At Milly, where a Parisian vibe infused the entire collection, cocktail dresses came scattered with gold sequins or studded with rhinestones, while at Michael Kors bronze and black paillettes cascaded the length of floor-skimming gowns and fishtail skirts.
Similar sparkles were used in a more subtle manner at the final show of the day, Proenza Schouler, on the sleeves of an A-line, buttoned up minidress or just its collar - although the overall was no less stunning.
One of the hottest tickets of the day, onlookers were crammed in to see the duo's latest offering - already a favourite with such diverse fans as Kristen Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow - and weren't disappointed by the rubber-printed, high-waisted trousers, stiff-skirted dresses and skirts (an emerging trend this week in New York), not to mention the high-platformed shoes. And, proving such in-demand fashion can also compromise to the aforementioned sub-zero temperatures, nearly every outfit came layered over a silk turtleneck or sweater. Who said fashion can't be practical.