Dana Lee, the New York-based menswear designer by way of Vancouver, has debuted her Fall/Winter 2012 lookbook. Shot by the talented Jody Rogac, the images are artfully framed and feature straightforward, unfussy designs with a decidedly masculine sensibility. Dana has described the guy who wears her clothes as someone who has an opinion about style and likes to stay current but isn’t preoccupied with his appearance, and the collection reflects that low-maintenance perspective. These are timeless looks full of basics that guys will want to put on time and again, featuring rich colors and a subtly retro vibe. The outerwear program is the standout here, but the entire collection looks to be easy to wear.

Levi’s launched its first ever global collection during Fashion Week in New York, transporting Brooklyn to SoHo’s Mercer 82 event space. Following an art installation featuring jeans frozen within clear blocks of ice and denim-attired bartenders serving up Brooklyn Lager, the crowd was eventually treated to the runway show, in which part of the space was designed to resemble a Brooklyn apartment. Keeping up with hipster vibe, the guys wore scruffy beards and classic, unstudied looks with a bit of offhand retro appeal, showcasing plenty of raw denim but also cropped pants in powder blue, vintage-inspired knits and various interpretations of the classic Levi’s trucker jacket. While the brand touted authenticity and craftsmanship, what the show really demonstrated was Levi’s reclamation of cool.

Michael Bastian’s collection for Gant is made for a larger audience than his own namesake line, both in terms of price and aesthetics. Its inspiration is younger, more casual, and for Fall 2012 the most personal yet for the American designer, as he drew from his own experiences at school in 1980s Boston during what he calls a “mod revival.” The result is classic Americana and Ivy League Prep with a youthful sloppiness, chock full of tweed blazers, striped rugby shirts and cargo pants. Look closer, though, past the layers of windowpane plaid and marled fleece, and one notices a new wave influence peaking through, in the form of fingerless gloves, a checkerboard belt and pork pie hat. It’s not a full-blown revival — rather, it suggests a Dartmouth guy who’s just discovered Quadrophenia.

Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein, the creative duo behind Timo Weiland, crafted a well thought out collection that put a twist on classics (tuxedo pants featuring stripes on the inside of the leg), and inventive prints on woven shirts and trousers. The guys used color in appealing combinations, like a color-blocked shirt in purple and navy, or a grey plaid toggle coat lined with hits of red. The lasting impression was a string of pieces that could readily form the foundation for a solid wardrobe, like hooded sweaters, soft-shouldered blazers and wool car coats, all emphasizing quality fabrics and fit.

On an exceptionally frigid night in New York, Moncler Grenoble sent 150 skaters onto the ice of Wollman Rink at Central Park to show off the season’s looks. The surrounding trees were lit up in vibrant hues as the procession, made up professional skaters on loan from the Ice Theatre of New York, glided onto the ice in pairs to the accompaniment of “New York, New York,” courtesy of a full choir. Skating in formations grouped by color, the performers wore down filled puffer jackets, lattice knit sweaters, ribbed turtlenecks and padded pants. Shivering onlookers huddled in their seats as snow began to fall, no doubt wishing they could snag one of the Alpine jackets skating past them.

The runway was littered with Persian rugs at the Y-3 show, indicating that a journey, if not a magic carpet ride, was in store. The trek would combine Eastern promises with a strong tribal flavor: the trademark Yohji Yamamoto silhouette — loose and exhibiting plenty of drape — was adorned with generous helpings of leopard print, seen on shorts, jacket collars and placket details. Keffiyah scarves were paired with blazers trimmed with batik print and rainbow colored sneakers. Still, the looks maintained a general elegance, thanks in part to a color palette dominated by black and olive, as well as the relatively straightforward selection of outerwear. They suggested the global traveler who practiced restraint while visiting the bazaar.