Quotes of the Day

	Kate Betts dishes the dirt on the new lineup for spring • The Three D's of Fashion For designers like Diane Von Furstenberg and Thakoon Panichgul, determination equals success- 9/11/06 • The Master of Mood The Marc Jacobs show is about more than clothes. The designer reminds us that we shouldn't take fashion too seriously- 9/12/06 • Dressing like a Goddess Several designers, including some runway rookies, are presenting romantic visions of what women should wear- 9/13/06 • Where Some Designers Get Their Ideas This season collections had a wide range of inspirations, from 18th century painters to 1980s hipsters- 9/14/06 • Signature Looks From Vera Wang's ethereal ready-to-wear layers to Zac Posen's glamourous looks for the red carpet- 9/15/06 • Creating the Mirage Designers Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren have the skills to transport us to exotic locales- 9/16/06
	Current Issue •Photo Essay- How is Fashion Shaping Up? Fur skirts? Winged sleeves? Six-inch platforms? Designers are anything but risk-averse when it comes to leveraging fall style •Who's Got the Power? Fashion designers may get all the glory, but they don't necessarily pull the strings anymore.

Every designer has to look somewhere for inspiration, and this season the sources of ideas are as varied as the designers themselves. Michael Kors showed a sleek collection of slightly 1980s-style stretchy bodysuits and slick, oversize jackets and sweaters. The layering theme he tackled paid homage to dancers, specifically the Broadway kind and the appropriate soundtrack mixed in music from A Chorus Line.On a completely different track, Peter Som looked to the 18th-century French artist Jean-Antoine Watteau for a beautiful color palette of watery blues and grays. Som's opening number, a dove gray jacquard coat, was a hit. And his finale of evening dresses in washed organdy will undoubtedly leave his front row of socialite fans singing his tune.

The day also belonged to a handful of outsiders who have come to New York to strut their stuff. Tia Cibani of Ports 1961, a label based in Xiamen, China, showed a soft, pretty collection inspired by the gauchos of Argentina. And Diesel honcho Renzo Rosso pumped up the volume with his 1980s-style high-waisted skinny jeans and blousons — all in white and gold. Finally a trio of California surfer dudes who go by the name of Trovato presented their collection of preppy chic polo shirts and cotton canvas clam-diggers in a tableau vivant that was meant to evoke an estate auction. They sing their tune by way of telling elaborate stories that give the straightforward merch a sexier context. This season the plot consisted of a rich, irreverent couple who had lost their fortune and had to sell their belongings for cash.

• Kate Betts
• This season collections had a wide range of inspirations, from 18th century painters to 1980s hipsters