NY Fashion Week

                                                 

                  Tough Clothes for Tough Times at NY Fashion Week

Narciso Rodriguez was among the designers who prepared for battle at New York Fashion Week on Tuesday with an urban warrior theme that featured exposed zipper details, “camouflage lace” and heavily hardwared belts that looked like they were holding bullets. Even elegant Badgley Mischka was more somber than red-carpet ready, opening with an aggressive daytime look and a series of black pieces with a taffeta-wool checkerboard weave.

Tough-as-nails dresses heavy on black and metallics were on the runways of Herve Leger and Nicole Miller, with other designers relying on aggressive hardware or patent-leather trims. The usually girlish Cynthia Rowley presented an almost all-black collection. It’s a trend that fits with the strong shoulder (and shoulder pads) that have also been prominent on the runways. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week runs through Friday.

Badgley Mischka

Even in these tough times, you can’t keep a good gown down. Badgley Mischka made the crowd wait until the last look for the glitz and glamour the label is known for, but it was there, in all its glory.

The overall tone of the fall collection was more somber than Mark Badgley and James Mischka usually embrace: There was a lot of black and little beading. The finale dress, though, with all-over copper beading delicately covered by black tulle, fused seamlessly subtlety and shine.

The daytime dress that opened the show was barely identifiable as a Badgley Mischka. Still, the brand’s socialite fans had some options: A heavily embellished gown might seem inappropriate now, so they designers stuck mostly with satin, draped this way or that to create a little newness.