Marc Jacobs first introduced the grunge aesthetic to the runway with his spring/summer ’93 collection for Perry Ellis’ ready-to-wear womenswear line. While Seattle’s unkempt alternative artists like Nirvana and Pearl Jam became commercially successful, Jacobs translated their anti-fashion in plaids, thermals and loose fitting dresses. Ana Sui also paid homage to the trend’s apparel trifecta with a collection of ’70s print frocks paired alongside army fatigue jackets. At the time, Jacobs and Sui’s vagabond-chic pieces captured the beauty of what might have otherwise seemed like an identity crisis amid Doc Marten-stomping teen culture.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is now taking us back to that bygone era as designers channel a new interpretation of grunge chic. ADAM’s collection featured black lace tees over plaid skirts and prom-esque tulle dresses with chunky socks and high heels, while Thakoon took to the plaid parade with a red and blue puffer bustled and set atop skirts with pants. Joseph Altuzarra found a place for army parkas and dresses to coexist in his Kate Moss-inspired collection of classic bomber jackets and t-shirt dresses sprinkled in fringe and beading.

Neon infused graphic prints were captivating at both Edun and Libertine, while designers like Chris Benz and Daryl K used black mesh, leather and velvet to poke at grunge texture. Y-3 and Rag & Bone walked to the beat of ’70s mod styles with braided hair and utilitarian outerwear like varsity jackets and trenches. Lastly, Alexander Wang and Richard Chai Love mixed grays, blacks and neutrals with layers and tailored jackets over long skirts. All quintessential elements of the ’90s grunge-glam cool of Seattle’s finest fashion.

Marc Jacobs distilled his experimental, statement-making ways into simple, yet utterly beautiful wares. Having already built an empire conflating ideas, decades and references into cool American sportswear, Jacobs sent down easy A-line wool skirts and dresses, coats with sloping lapels and large buttons as well as serious three piece power suits. He hit on important trends of the season such as beige and grey colors, fur (as accents to many of his coats and bags) and velvet (in trousers, skirts and floor length gowns).

Ohne Titel was also in a pared down mood, resulting in a modern combination of commerce and creativity. Although trousers, military jackets and coats were relatively more wearable last season, there were unique flourishes such as silk dress made from different, randomly arranged materials and swingy dresses made from power netting. The duo behind the label, Alexa Adams and Flora Gill, also produced some of the most covetable accessories this season with geometrically paneled leggings and wide leather belts.

While Adams and Gill used leather as accents, Joseph Altuzarra used the material to make a loud and sexy statement. Leather dresses, pencil skirts and body suits evoked Catwoman with panels that seemed to be sutured together. Altuzarra’s fall collection is a departure from the softer, feminine wares of last season, but it is certainly a welcome shift judging by Carine Roitfeld’s approving nod by show’s end. Alexander Wang also recieved kudos for reworking the pinstripe suit into mini dresses with lace, long skirts featuring geometric, peek-a-boo cutouts (a huge trend this season) near the waists as well as tailored cropped tops. Nonetheless, the enterprising designer—whose business is already worth $25 million—had less than favorable responses overall.

Thakoon, meanwhile, presented a winning combination of voluminous fur, luxe wool and textured fabrics in carefully arranged layers for each eye-catching outfit. The beauty of this collection lies in Thakoon’s skill at making layers—an important trend when not overdone—look effortless. This dexterity marks his return to top form after an erratic last season.

After years at Bill Blass, Nepal-born Prabal Gurung proved that his aesthetically accessible take on high-end womenswear needs to be taken seriously by the gatekeepers of fashion. This coveted acceptance was also sought after by Victoria Beckham, who produced glamorous clothes that stand on their own merit rather than relying on her celebrity status.

After several seasons absent from the fashion scene, Pheobe Philo’s return to Celine was certainly welcomed by fashion folks last season in Paris. Philo has a way of designing what women want at a given moment, providing utterly chic and modern wares for her loyal customers. And, as Cathy Horyn pointed out in a recent New York Times article: “behind every good collection is Phoebe Philo.” Even designers such as Phillip Lim, Reed Krakoff and Derek Lam came a tad too aesthetically close to Celine’s spring/summer ’10 outing, hinting at percolating trends toward a straightforward, frippery-free manner of dressing.

The Olsen twins’s tightly edited collection for The Row was uncomplicated yet irresistibly hip—keeping in tune with this minimal design spirit. Marios Schwab, meanwhile, gave Halston’s signature draping a decidedly younger luster, and Matthew Ames used leather and soft colors to anchor voluptuous silhouettes.

Some designers, however, simply stuck to what they know best. Sophie Theallet didn’t veer away from the reliable femininity that helped her clinch the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, while Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein used form and materials to convey his sculptural turn. Proenza Schouler’s J Brand collaboration yielded painted graphic jeans, which, along with updated American classics such as bomber jackets, toggle coats and cocktail dresses, have sustained the brand’s desirable status among the hip, deep-pocketed set.

American style can mean many things to many people, but New York Fashion Week’s varied new look is both grounded in its past and compelled by its future.

—Robert Cordero

While animal-friendly faux fur alternatives have increasingly appeared in more collections, the real deal was all over the recent runways. Derek Lam knit fox into a black and white cardigan, Halston’s Marios Schwab embellished the sleeves of a sweater dress and Marc Jacobs used it on the lapels of a see-thru trench. Fresh off his Swiss Textiles Award win, Alexander Wang experimented with a number of different fabrics, backing a zip-away leather jacket and criss-crossing lapels with mink. Many of these looks will show up at H&M and Forever 21 too, albeit in decidedly less expensive manifestations. The heretofore fur-free designer’s unfortunate use of pelts in his show makes sense given recent supported from Saga, but thankfully some of it won’t be produced for stores.

Leather was the most common go-to fabric for fitted, asymmetrical jackets. It was also used in more novel ways, as in the case of men’s leggings at both Maria Cornejo and Rad Hourani. To wit, Joseph Altuzarra held high-slit pencil skirts together with straps of leather, lending the pieces a vaguely S&M vibe. Threeasfour, meanwhile, paired it with wool to create a collared, almost hood-like coat and Ohne Titel’s Flora Gill and Alexa Adams coupled it with silk to fashion a chic, patchwork drawstring skirt. In addition to singular pieces, expect to see leather—both real and faux—used as embellishment or in conjunction with fabrics like wool, cashmere and twill.

Velvet’s sartorial connotations ran the gamut—little girl party dress, “festive” formal wear, hippie-chic topper—but there’s little doubt we can escape it for fall. Elise Øverland showed a velvet menswear-inspired suit and tuxedo wrap dress, while Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs fashioned a lace and velvet cap-sleeved dress for their semi-eponymous label. In keeping with his naughty schoolgirl vibe, Peter Jensen’s take was admittedly cheekier (tartan bloomers), while Zac Posen’s conjured thoughts of chi-chi late ’70s holiday parties.

Cutouts continue as a reining trend. When strategically placed they imbue basic black with some much-needed sex appeal, but not-so-gym-toned flesh might be better kept under wraps in any of the season’s other trends. Max Azria’s designs for Hervé Léger have never been a go-to for the faint of heart, so it’s little surprise that his sheer-paneled cutouts came courtesy of some killer mini-dresses. Speaking of itty bitty, Halston incorporated the technique into Grecian-style party gowns, featuring artfully exposed flesh and miles of leg. Preen offered what was perhaps the most wearable take in bandeau bra topped silk and cashmere dresses that revealed the areas above and below the décolletage—and leaving just enough to the imagination.

As we reported a few weeks ago, the runways have been rife with the collaborative efforts of jewelry and fashion designers. But as the weeks have worn on, we’ve also seen just as many alliances develop between the worlds of fashion and footwear. Beyond partnerships between heavyweights such as Yohji Yamamoto and Salvatore Ferragamo, emerging fashion labels are also eager to diversify their collections with edgy shoe design. What’s more, these up-and-comers gain from both the expertise and the built-in fan base that accompany a partnership with a well-known shoe designer.

Ohne Titel and Cesare Paciotti’s joint work is one of the most established of the current linkups. Designers Flora Gill and Alexa Adams debuted a line of macramé stilettos for the Italian shoe company during their spring/summer ‘09 show, a partnership that was resurrected for autumn/winter ‘09 with a collection of slick steel-toed boots. While Ohne Titel clearly benefits from its access to Cesare Paciotti’s production team and worldwide placement, but the Italian label understands the importance of working with emerging names (having already done so with Catherine Holstein and Christian Cota) to attract fresh press as well as a hip, young clientele.

The season’s other collaborations read like side-by-side laundry lists of the new fashion establishment and the old guard of footwear design. Christopher Kane recently revealed a line of crystal-studded platform sandals for the newly relaunched Versus. Editorial darling Joseph Altuzarra teamed up with Gianvito Rossi (son of Sergio) to create a range of fur-trimmed boots for his first official fashion show. And menswear label Duckie Brown teamed up with every Dad’s favorite shoemaker, Florsheim, for a range of lace-free wing-tips and brogue-style ankle boots.

A few seasons down the line, these designers will presumably take their learnings (and earnings) and launch shoe lines under their own brand umbrellas—but that hasn’t been the case for Band of Outsiders’ Scott Sternberg. This season marks his fourth collection for Sperry, comprised of a typically fanciful collection of trompe l’oeil boat shoes and loafers. As Sternberg recently told Valetmag.com: “They just carry such a nostalgia for me and my customer…They make sense in so many ways, they draw upon this Ivy League DNA that, of course, I’m fond of, but then they’re so easy and comfortable.”If anything, this is proof positive that the right partnership can sometimes make a more powerful statement than going it alone.

—Erin Magner

Fashion folks are typically anxious before the major fashion week agenda, a hectic, month-long global extravaganza that takes them to New York, London, Milan and Paris. But this season, the edgy feeling has less to do with the packed schedule and more to do with the pressure amid the worst economy of our generation. The effects on the fashion industry as a whole have been tremendous thus far, with no signs of leveling off in the near future, and fashion’s main players are feeling the growing heat.

Magazines and newspapers have cut back staff. Even respected and seasoned journalists aren’t safe, as with Teri Agins of The Wall Street Journal, who was has recently been laid off. Retailers such as Macy’s and Bergdorf Goodman have also let go of many employees, but continue to be nervous about the slow pace at which merchandise is moving. And for some designers and brands, such as Bill Blass and Obedient & Sons, the conditions were so dire that the only option was to simply close up shop.

But, if you’re a designer or a brand, what do you make of these dire economic conditions? Some have protected their bottom lines by not staging runway shows, as in the case of Temperley, Vera Wang, Betsey Johnson and Carmen Marc Valvo, or, like a true brazen New Yorker with chutzpah, they can stare these dangers in the face, and find creative ways to weather the unprecedented storm.

Following Viktor & Rolf and Marc Bouwers’ online showings of their collections last season, Halston will forego the runway in favor of a music inspired video to be distributed via the internet. Some are taking a collaborative approach such as Nicholas K, Mara Hoffman and Sergio Davila, who will combine three shows into one. Meanwhile, Camilla Staerk’s too-cool-for-school garbs will share the stage with the colorful menswear of Victor Glemaud. It’s not just designers who are finding creative ways to weather the storm, Vman and Ford models, for instance, will hold an ice skating party to celebrate its most recent issue launch. If not exactly for their bottom line, at least the activity will make people forget their financial woes temporarily.

There is something about New York that inspires people to face these challenges with unwavering aplomb, adding even more colorful to the already bubbling scene. Gerlan Marcel, the former print designer for Jeremy Scott, will show her chromatic and enticing sportswear collection at Patricia Field’s home, and art star Terence Koh will host Teddy Willoughby’s conceptual wares at Asia Song Society for the Bland show. Bodkin, is giving eco wear a chic boost, while Prabal Gurung, of Bill Blass fame, will embark under his own accord to create easy, luxurious clothes for the wealthy Park Avenue set. Nice Collective rock ‘n roll aesthetic will come alive at the Angel Orensanz theater, and last season’s darling rookie, Joseph Altuzarra, will present his sophomore effort to prove if his wondrously constructed and feminine pieces can help him expand his young, fashion forward fans such as Victoria Traina and Julia Restoin Roitfeld.

Despite a few runway shows missing this season, we’re feeling that this week will be business as usual. For Bryant Park, this is a particularly bittersweet moment as the shows will move to Lincoln Center starting 2010, but for the whole industry, this season’s impact will be a groundbreaking one that could change the whole fashion scenery.

—Robert Cordero