Ten Best Looks from the New York Fall 2005 Shows

- by Bernadine Morris, senior editor lookonline.com. Bernadine was for thirty years the senior fashion writer for The New York Times.

The good news is that after a little more than a decade the 7thon6th collections in New York have achieved a certain professionalism that ranks with the best anywhere. Shows are running more or less on time (starting on average only a half hour late, with the exception of Marc Jacobs who was one and a half hours late, followed by a lot of explanations and apologies as well as complaints).

While the French couture, once the lodestar of the fashion world is notably retrenching. ( Ungaro has given up his custom collection. Givenchy didn't show one this time, Hanna Mori has dropped out of the Paris shows). Meanwhile various Americans have upgraded their collections. Chado Ralph Rucci is comparable to Paris in workmanship and styling (the audience gave him a standing ovation, which doesn't happen all the time). On the last day of the collections, the show merited such a sign of approval.

But there were other shows here that rivalled the French shows of the past. Among them were Ralph Lauren who merited a standing ovation, Oscar de la Renta, who is constandly improving (and whose stint doing Pierre Balmain's collectiion in Paris didn't hurt his technique) and Carolina Herrera, who once wore couture clothes herself and has now cracked the code on how to manufacture them. The Americans, as a rule, avoid the wilder shores of chic. which the Europeans cultivate. They make clothes that are eminently wearable, a desirable mode.

In addition to the top-ranked houses, a new breed of designers is emerging here. This group is improving its dressmaking skills and includes Zac Posen, Peter Som, Vera Wang, Proenza Schouler, Tuleh and numerous others, some of whom will develop into tomorrow's stars.

What is impressive about the New York collections as a whole is their diversity. The range is from casual, tailored sports clothes to glittering evening dresses. This enables a woman who has found a designer she fancies to stick with him or her. Most designers are showing more individuality than they did in previous collections.

Another aspect of the show is that European publications continue to be well represented. Some European fashion houses choose to show here. Atil Katoglu, a Turkish-born designer who works in Vienna has been developing a following.

The audience seems to be growing up too. They tend to arrive closer to the scheduled time, take their seats without too much running around, and in turn help the shows get started sooner. Part of the success may be attributed to the fact that the guides and security people themselves were more knowledgable--knowing where the shows were scheduled, courteous about asking to see tickets and pointing out assigned seats.

New York seems ready to take its place among the established fashion centers--Paris, Milan and London. It is no longer regarded as the "provinces" as it once was. And the clothes themselves? Within the diversity, there was plenty of choices. And of course there were recurring trends. The clothes were soft and fluid. Even the tailored styles tended to have a soft blouse or a bit of shine. Basically the lines were slim, but fullness did appear in blouses as well as skirts and dresses. There is no dictatorship about lengths, but the tendency is to longer hemlines, even mid-calf. What it all adds up to is a feeling of ease. The clothes look comfortable. One exception is the wide waistband, like a corselet. This serves to keep the fulness in check.

As seasons go, this one was eminently successful. Mainly, it resulted in clothes that are good to look at and pleasant to wear. Fashion is no longer out in the cold. It"s heating up.

Below are my 10 ten best representative looks from the shows. They are in no particular order. All photos are by Randy Brooke except for Geoffrey Beene by Ernest Schmatolla. Click on images for larger views...