New York fashion week: DKNY, Alexander Wang and Jason Wu

Highlights of the weekend's shows include gothic tailoring from Alexander Wang, coats-a-plenty from DKNY and prim masculinity at Jason Wu.

Highlights of the weekend's shows included gothic tailoring from Alexander Wang, coats-a-plenty from DKNY and prim masculinity at Jason Wu.

Alexander Wang's show began with supermodel Natalia Vodianova wearing a buttoned up tailored pinstripe jacket. And thigh-high socks. Yes folks, there's a trendspot from the off - many of Wu's models were styled with legwarmers/socks that stopped midway up the thigh teamed with long jackets, short skirts or long shorts. We look forward to seeing those in Topshop come next autumn.

The feel of the show was 80s Wall Street with a touch of goth, although Wang said the goth part was actually freewheeling gypsies. 'It's about women who make money and women who steal money,' he said. Very politically correct of him. 

SEE PICS OF THE ALEXANDER WANG SHOW

The outfits were jigsaw-like: jackets and waistcoats were tailored for men, but deconstructed and taken apart leaving expanses of bare flesh visible to the eye. Texture came in the form of strips of fur and velvet on the woollen jackets.

For eveningwear the pinstripes seen in his suits appeared picked out in pearls on velvet jackets and skirts. Velvet cape dresses and pieces embellished with lace came in a colour palette of 'Old Italian Renaissance' - inky blacks, emerald greens and mustard yellows.

This was the collection of the coat from DKNY designer Donna Karan. They came in all shapes and sizes. From masculine peacoats and boyfriend blazers, to cute fitted riding jackets with leather trim. Appearing in a beautiful array of autumnal colours - camel, grey, off-white and burgundy - they were made out of heavy wool and angora. On dresses Karan played around with colour and texture working with small strips of material of all different kinds. It made for a very modern look with pops of silver giving a light touch to the collection.

SEE PICS OF THE DKNY SHOW

SEE PICS OF THE JASON WU SHOW

At Jason Wu, the look was prim and proper. There was many a skirt suit on show and polka-dotted officewear. However, there was a harder edge to the collection with a lot of masculine tailoring on shirts, trousers and jackets. An angora tuxedo jacket particularly stood out for us. There was also a touch of sportswear in Wu's collection: in a green tartan jacket and a grey woollen one whose hood was trimmed with fur. For evening Wu played about with structures creating a couple of bell jar-skirted dresses. We liked the gold spatter print which adorned shift dresses.