Checking out the new fads

Giving others a chance

With Raf Simons the lone standout and the departure of established trend setters Rodarte, Proenza Schouler, Thom Browne and Altuzarra to Paris, it gave editors, bloggers and buyers time to check out shows several confessed they would never have bothered to see otherwise.

One was Mexican-born Victor Barragan, 25, who got a packed house for his third New York show, offering an original take on what it means to be masculine/feminine, the female body and defying conventions.

End of the runway

A hot topic of conversation for some time, an increasing number of designers are searching for something different. Ralph Lauren unveiled his collection out of town alongside his collection of racing cars.

Duchess of Cambridge favorite Jenny Packham, who next year celebrates her eponymous evening label's 30th anniversary, ditched the runway in favor of a photographic and video campaign to be released on Thursday.

"I got what I wanted really and I just felt it needed a bit more integrity really," she says.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE