Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan at New York Fashion Week

Punk rules on the catwalks in New York, but the ladies have something to say, too

Marc Jacobs might not have had Victoria Beckham on the front row of his catwalk show this season, but we reckon he won't be short of a headline or two this morning.

SEE THE MARC JACOBS SHOW HERE

Forget tailoring, forget the jumpsuit and definitely forget anything feminine, for autumn/winter 09, the master of reinvention wants us all to dress up as punks, right down to the purple lipstick and sparkly bodysuits.

Sound a little scary? Actually, if you look past the 80s-style make-up, and hemlines so short they'd make even Lindsay Lohan blush, this rock'n'roll collection was upbeat, wearable and just the thing to snap us all out of our credit-crunch-weary boredom.

Starting proceedings a whole minute early (unheard of in fashion circles), Jacobs packed his collection with micro minis in daring shades of vivid pink and clashing yellow; some seriously sexy, sculpted corsets - unzipped at the back to show off acres of flesh; thigh-heels boots in purple suede or black leather; studded ankle boots tied with ribbon around the ankle; angular jackets and shirts with bold, exaggerated shoulders; and, finally, a few paisley pieces thrown in for good measure.

If you're already sick to the back teeth of the frilly ruffles and muted florals in the shops for summer, this could be just the antidote you were looking for.

If, on the other hand, you've nothing against gorgeous dresses and quite like clothes designed to flatter and caress the body, rather than send a volt of electricity around a room, than Donna Karan's devastatingly beautiful autumn/winter collection was the second show of the day to get the Marie Claire stamp of approval – and it wasn't just the live pianist which won us over.

SEE THE DONNA KARAN SHOW HERE

In her notes, Karan said she wanted to embrace 'a new reality' and empower 'a woman with strength and security'. In practice, this meant longer, demure hemlines, cinched in waists that celebrated the models' curves, and a moody, dark palette. The body was glimpsed momentarily – a shoulder here, a slip of thigh there – and yet somehow this collection still oozed sensuality.

So there you have it, two very different shows, two very different looks to choose from come autumn. Whoever said fashion isn't a diverse industry?

SEE THE MARC JACOBS SHOW HERE

SEE THE DONNA KARAN SHOW HERE

WATCH ALL THE LATEST CATWALK VIDEOS FROM NEW YORK HERE

Report from Carla Bevan in New York