There is always a sense of urgency in fashion with no time to reminiscent on the past. Not so with designer Kyle Fitzgibbons as the young presented the Fall/Winter 2011 line of Native Son. Overlooked the spacious Chelsea Piers, Fitzgibbons teleported audience members through a triptych of time, a visual time machine of how men looked in the past, the present, and forecast of the future. Fine men’s suiting, usually associated with Savile Row, met head-on with American rustic. Cummerbund over a one piece pin-striped suit, fingerless gloves with double breasted blazer, all tied in with cropped hems and slim silhouettes.

Like his collection from previous seasons, Fitzgibbons accompanied the presentation with a video. Created by Isaac Rentz, the finely crafted commentary “The Track, The Train, The Traveler”. Featured 3 individuals from different walks of life – a carpenter, an artist, and a film student, each was to be restricted within a room no bigger than 10’ x 16’ for a total of 36 hours and asked to accomplish 3 separate goals. With each tasks an indirect influence on the next, the film drew the often invisible creative process of making something out of nothing, the interaction with designs by others, and the inevitable nature of disruption and need to rebuild.

Floral theme been an omnipresence through the last few presentations by J. Sabatino, led most in the audience to believe the extension of the theme to Fall/Winter 2011 Collection.  What came out was not a free love, flower child from one of Armistead Maupin’s novels but a gold prospector from HBO’s Deadwood series.  Long shearling coat with loosely set pants, with exception of cowboy boots, the models looked more like miners of the uncharted regions due west, from a time 2 centuries past.  Accessories, like the wide brim shapeless hat, played its part in proximate the time period as well.  Musky color coordination brown and moss green, interjected with dark palettes of washed blue and black create an aura of mystery.  Like the supposed miner in a spaghetti Western, never to reveal their true selves.

The current economic downturn had an effect on creativities of all fashion labels.  But none more so evident than Y-3, the collaborative label between designer Yohji Yamamoto and adidas.  Gone are the days of mega runway productions, of faux thunderstorms on bright summer days and giant ice wall.  Even the usage of vaulted Park Avenue Armory, home to Y-3’s runway presentation the last 3 seasons, went the way of refrainment.  Instead, the show is relegated into 2 smaller venues with one during Paris Fashion Week and the other in New York Fashion Week in the hopes of finding new buyers.  Austerity measures are also visible in the designs themselves.  Somber in mood, the mostly black collection hinted a familiarity, as if the designer resurrected some of his most popular items from the past.  Yet, none looked tired. Instead, the designs have a timeless element to them that could only come the sleight of hand ability of a seasoned professional.

Perhaps there is a need of a disclaimer on the following photos. That the odd placement of audience members wasn’t a lapse in planning but in actuality unsuspecting commuters caught in an elaborate performance for Moncler Grenoble Fall 2011 Presentation. A song and dance number within Grand Central Terminal, one of New York City’s busiest transportation hub, the idea could only come from one man, Etienne Russo of Villa Eugenie. Known for his grandiose event production and notoriety when he imported real iceberg chunks for a Chanel show in Paris few years back. Some 363 dancers/models took part, hired via local agencies and Craiglist wanted ads. To ensure utmost secrecy, performers only rehearsed for 5 days sans their cellphone to avoid leaks. All came to fruition Sunday night when performers briefly took over the main hall of the station. For about 8 minutes, performers danced to the tunes from Prince, Barbra Streisand, Tchaikovsky, and more, worn top to bottom items from Moncler Grenoble.  After the initial shock dissipated, commuters became audience members for their first fashion show in person.  In essence, it was the goal of Moncler’s CEO Remo Ruffini to bring the often cloistered world of fashion show to the masses.  There was no better place to do so than New York Fashion Week.

Central Park looked a bit closer to Lincoln Center as G-STAR RAW presented its Fall/Winter 2011 Collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Up against the backdrop, a photo of the park’s snow covered trail gave the impression as if the models magically teleported between the 2 incomparable landmarks. And if the stuff of science fiction was a reality, G-STAR certainly made good use of it last evening. Catered to the urban Ernest Shackleton wanna-bes, the collection bordered on 2 eras of denim, one of which denim was merely workwear of common men, the other, a future where denim was a magical “do-it-all”. Between both, the label explored all options, including denim life preserver to dandy cloak with offset pockets. In supporting roles to the denim centerpieces, coats and pants filled with insulation as if in preparation for the next snowpocalypse. Others became measures for possible future confrontation with printed camouflage. At the end, most of the audience realized the show’s theme wasn’t just a stroll in Central Park, but a trans-dimensional exploration.

Director Luchino Visconti’s movies weren’t just fares for the silver screen, each in itself was a mini opera, visually opulent and dotted with complexity, that only happened to be on film. Similarly, you will find the same visual cues, though much latent, in designer Robert Geller’s new collection for this Fall. Loaded with goods in colors of coal, slate, and fine sand, to invoke the texture of aged films for his audience, Geller reenacted his interpretations of Visconti’s black and white films in shaped forms of fine leather wears, blazers, and pants.

As if the rebellious youth Geller presented last season has grown up, there was a touch of formality in the Fall 2011 collection, particularly in the silhouettes and his signature layering. Wool topcoats integrated with double breasted blazer and tuxedo shirt underneath, As if the rebellious youth Geller presented last season has all grown up. Yet, peppered each look was that rebellious undertone, studded belts and cummerbund, leather bike vests and refined wool snoods, all somewhat indicative to the familiar notion, you can never tame those wild at heart.