Victoria Beckham.

My, hasn't Mrs Beckham come into her own? There are definitely some winning pieces in this collection, and that's solely down to the fabric choices. High street silhouettes with couture fabrics, although she's achieved this with some panache. Not my favourite, but glad she shows at NY instead of London.

Rodarte.

The only show I anticipate with fervour at NYFW is Rodarte. I know I'll either passionately love it or utterly despise it and both make for the most vehement of posts from me. You'll be glad to hear that I thoroughly enjoyed the latest contribution from the Mulleavy sisters.

It was definitely a collection that appreciated the need for a good jacket. Leather jackets, long-line boyfriend blazers, belted trenches, double-breasted silk pea coats and even a denim jacket thrown in for good measure. I'd quite like to get my hands on that blush pink boyfriend blazer with the rolled sleeves please, mmm. I felt like some of it was an ode to Rick Owens at times, but never derivative. This collection was upper-class grunge at its best. However, no appreciation for the 3/4 length leggings. And that model with the orange & green hair has to go.

Reem Acra.

Reem Acra wasn't anything that deviated too much from the same old thing we see at NYFW around this time every year. Moody palettes, lots of lace and furs seem to be as much of a staple in Fall/Winter collections as pastels and florals are for Spring/Summer. Ground-breaking, I know.

But I decided there needed to be a little appreciation for the brave fabric choice that was woven throughout this collection. Fishnet. I know what you're thinking; strictly 80's, trashy, slutty, ew. Look, though! The beautiful Ms Acra has somehow managed to create some incredibly refined pieces with this much dreaded fabric. My favourite was the almost sheer evening dress with a slight cowl neck and matching evening gloves. Divine! I mean it wasn't trail blazing stuff but you can't admit it isn't quite beautiful.

Proenza Schouler.

How perfect was the styling at Proenza this year? I appreciated the little flashes of black polo necks and the print range of this collection was sublime! There was an altogether more grown-up & sophisticated feel. As ever, everything was created with a level of craftsmanship that not many NY designers can match. Exquisite tweed bouclé jackets with a round form that evoked a little of Balenciaga's early days and a very demure take on chain mail, these guys are still pioneers in their field.

Oscar de la Renta.

Oscar de la Renta was sublime. As usual, one might say but look a little closer. I know you can see it too, everyone in fashion was keeping a close eye for any tell-tale Galliano touches. Drop waists, effortlessly draped necklines on those delicious jackets, oversized, exaggerated hip lines, the smoky eye make-up, those kooky hats, finger curls! He's there, hidden in plain view. Oh sure, Snr de la Renta was omnipresent as always, that's undeniable. But you find me a fashion person who wasn't excited by the prospect of Galliano's return, even if it was a mere 3-week residence.

Now I should say, Galliano did have a massive public meltdown, what he did was inexcusable and vitriolic. The man was my hero and to see him take such a public fall from grace was devastating and heart breaking. But I would be lying if I said I wouldn't love to see him, perhaps one day after an extensive public apology, make a return to fashion. & let's be honest, you just know there are even more disturbing things occurring in the fashion industry being covered up by enablers and publicists. People in glass houses...

Jenny Packham.

 Jenny Packham supplied me with the little bit of sophisticated grandeur I had been desperately seeking as I browsed all the NYFW shows. I always find NY a little bit tedious for some reason, perhaps it's because it's all very RTW and I'm an avant-garde loving couture fiend.

Either way, Jenny Packham silently impressed me. Inspired by 17th century Paris salons "where strong-minded women met to discuss arts and culture", and this was evident between the layers of ethereal powder blue tulle and finespun silk. That incredible ruby slipper-esque strapless dress is a red carpet number for sure. The coats & sweaters were a nice touch and exquisitely tailored. I can see what Kate Middleton sees in Ms Packham.

Elizabeth & James.

You don't need to trail through my archive to know how much I am infatuated by Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen. I adore those damn twins and have followed their foray into fashion from the days when they made side zipped jeans and Balenciaga bags popular. Nobody can deny those girls are not only achingly stylish but understand good tailoring and craftsmanship. I dream of the day when I can afford their $25,000 crocodile bags but until then, I'll continue to salivate over The Row. Elizabeth & James, not so much.

I feel like the girls have reached some kind of plateau in their current style. Effortless chic has become a mish mash of horrifying clashes, loafers with tracksuit bottoms and trainers with dresses? I'm sorry girls, you've pushed even the most hardcore of your fans to the limit, and this Elizabeth & James collection is not exempt from my berating. There's no cohesion, no stand out pieces and a sincere lack of styling. I never thought I'd say this, but girls just don't want to be Olsens anymore.

Donna Karan.

I always appreciate a designer who continually reinvents themselves without dwelling on their successes of the past. With that being said though, sometimes a modern take on old design concepts is welcomed, and none more so than those of Donna Karan. Deigning her the queen of opaque hosiery and jersey doesn't seem like a title mighty enough for Donna Karan, but she reminded us with this collection just how much of a stamp she has made in the fashion industry over the past few decades.

The collection involved elaborate jersey dresses embellished with flowing capes, amplified with furs & double breasted jackets. A few key leather pieces studded the collection, but the palette was limited to muted greys, blacks and chocolate browns. Perhaps a little colour would have added some much needed modernity to what I think was a very safe collection from DK. She's still the queen, though...

Badgley Mischka.

Badgley Mischka can appear a little underrated at times. Sure, there are loads of designers that do the femme fatale thing; fur gilets, flowing organza, pencil skirts and evening gloves. But I loved this collection, I loved the demure styling paired with delicate fishnets and the obnoxious, in your face furs. And I'm a sucker for a 50's silhouette, you guys know this already. Also, that coral lipstick? To die for. Another enjoyable, if not somewhat predictable collection from Mark Badgley & James Mischka.

Alexander Wang.

So I should probably apologise for my extended absence over the past...few years? A myriad of things hindered my fervour for fashion week; endless essaying, reading, and perhaps most disturbingly, a rather noxious break-up. Yes, me and Photoshop parted ways after my old computer descended into self-destruct. But enough of the excuses, I'm back.

Which leads me to the first semi-positive utterings I've ever posted (of late) about Alexander Wang. If you are a new reader (where have you been? I know I've been gone but you really should have been revising in my absence!), then you won't yet have reached my prior anti-Wang diatribes, but I promise they were all substantiated.

It's nothing personal Mr Wang, I just wanted to love you so much and god knows I tried. But you let me down continually with your lacklustre tracksuits, below-par palette choices and mismatched styling. And let's be honest, you never really superseded the success of your first collection. So I stopped paying attention to the AW hype.

But being a stickler for alphabetism, I had to start my show reviews with 'A' and gave AW a peruse. I was uncharacteristically surprised. AW's fabric choices really transformed this collection from regular old RTW to something opulent and evoking grandeur. Alpaca furs, delicate silks and butter-soft leathers all gave the impression that this collection was one more sumptuous than AW's previous offerings. The silk tailored cigarette pants and the divine fur coats were a fine example of how AW's taste has matured and his skills honed. Dare I say I'm almost excited to see what he does with Balenciaga?

Of course, the silhouettes weren't entirely original in their execution; we've seen these boxy shoulder lines and drop waists a million times. But I couldn't end on a positive note, you know me...