Live New York

New York Fashion Week Takes On The Recession

The world has been mired in a global economic slump for so long that some may have wondered if people still new how to party. New York Fashion Week gave fashion fans a chance to peer into the mindset of some of the world’s top designers. Although a few reflected a somber mood, others seemed downright ebullient.

Recession-busting Diane von Furstenberg, president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, turned out a relaxed, nomad-chic look with short velvet or leopard-print dresses under long coats, multi-hued shawls over short skirts, and lots of bold, sturdy knitwear with bursts of plaids and sequins, all topped with fuzzy wool chapka hats.
Donna Karan won praise for what many said was her best collection in years, with functional yet alluringly draped outfits with big shoulders, belted waists and long, loose skirts or trousers.

If nothing else, all the beautiful women dressed in stunning fashion gave Fashion Week participants and onlookers a chance to escape from all the “gloom and doom” talk that seems so prevalent these days.

Fashion Week ends today.