“Nothing replaces work; not titles, not nerve, not luck.” That’s how Gabrielle used define independence. The legendary designer founded her own brand and fought for her Maison’s success as she refused to depend on anyone. Work for Gabrielle was a prerequisite for everlasting success. She not only granted women freedom of movement through traditional masculine garments such as jersey and tweed that made her signature; she also introduced hats to reveal women’s hair and the sun-kissed face a sign of radiant beauty. Nonetheless, she rejected tradition and launched her own perfume, N°5, to establish the olfactory codes; and she also, replaced high jewellery with costume jewellery of fake pearls and diamonds.

Yes, Gabrielle Chanel worked hard for herself and succeeded on all on her own, with one aim-to win her independence. In the honor of the late designer, this year Chanel decided to dedicate in celebrating Gabrielle, where Karl Lagerfeld designed a handbag and perfume called GABRIELLE CHANEL, to be launched next fall.

‘Conquer’, ‘Master’, ‘Love’ are the three verbs that Gabrielle valued in her life, and were conveyed in every short film on Inside CHANEL in 2017. It is like an online open book about the history and heritage of the house, which unveils the facets of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld’s views and inspirations- a story presented as episodes for you to browse freely and make your own. Just as Gabrielle used quote, “If you’re born without wings, don’t do anything to stop them from growing.”

Enjoy the latest release of Inside CHANEL Chapter 20: Gabrielle, The Quest for Freedom.

www.inside.chanel.com

Beirut Design Week (BDW) returns to show the world Lebanon. It is an annual fair organised by the non-profit MENA Design Research Centre focusing on design in the Middle East and North Africa; featuring exhibitions, workshops and open-space studios that displays the work of local and international designers within the country. It is a week that is dedicated to creativity, design education, research and entrepreneurship; with an aim to promote diverse understanding of design and to position Beirut into becoming “the official design capital” of the region.

Courtesy of Dezeen

Unlike other festivals or trade-shows, Beirut Design Week is a platform that brings over 25,000 visitors to explore all the possible creative talent found within the city of Beirut that allows visitors to engage with the designers through their workshops and talks. The slogan for 2017, “Is Design a Need?”- A clear message to raise awareness about design as a tool and to start a dialogue about its importance within today’s society.

BDW will run from 19 to 26 May in different districts all over the city of Beirut. Mark your calendars and check the full program here.

www.beirutdesignweek.org

As the cruise shows continue, Dior headed to the mountaintop last night. The cruise 2018 show debuted at the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve in Calabasas, California, where the infamous movie Gone with the Wind was filmed, who would have known!

Why California? Dior’s creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, referred back to the house founder’s past works fascinated by Lascaux; name the “Ovale” collection; debuted in 1951, which was inspired by the southwestern community who discovered ancient cave paintings.

Chiuri brought the Lascaux collection back into life, by drawings of spirit animals on silk and raffia jacquard displayed on skirts and ponchos, and in big primitive prints inspired by painter Georgia O’Keeffe were on cotton dresses and fluffy fur coats with symbolic motifs that mix the past with the present

As the show started we instantly see Chiuri’s feminine touch, where she had t-shirts printed and painted with tarot illustrations that gave the entire collection a magical charm.

The collection debuted a stunning black cashmere coat with white arabesques paintings, and bead-embroidered denim looks which where the ultimate highlight of the show, along with various prairie style dresses and a-line midi skirt. While, models cascaded down wearing a black leather beret and with every look it matched with a classic flat-brim hat.

Just in time for Ramadan, the italian fashion house Miu Miu unveils a limited bag collection designed exclusively for the Middle East. The timeless range is crafted in a selection of fresh colours and exotic textures from python, Ostrich and ayers, and metallic leather in silver and gold; and all detailed with baroque designs and embellished with shiny gem-stones.

This collection is designed for the eccentric Miu Miu woman, while its playful design reflects the unparalleled femininity and pure elegance.

Scroll down to discover the full Miu Miu special bag collection available across the region.

www.miumiu.com

Calling out all art lovers who want to discover the contemporary art scene in Beirut. The Lebanese capital is famous for acting as a large gateway to the region, with various internationally famed venues and spaces that exhibit works coming straight from the Middle East, especially done by Lebanese and Arab artists. Here’s our edit for the best contemporary art galleries not to be missed if you want to see fascinating insights on modern art and culture that Lebanon has to offer.

Hamra Street is the most popular street in all of Lebanon, and before the Civil War this infamous street was once known as the “Champs-Élysées” of the city of Beirut. Since the 1970s and till this day it is one of the major commercial districts and is renowned for being the most dynamic area within the Middle East filled with fashion stores, coffee shops, restaurants, theaters and major hotels.

Hamra Street 1974

It’s technical name is Rue 31 and it has a history of being the most visited street by the region’s top intellectuals, writers, poets and artists. Today, Hamra is picked as the new niche center within the  heart of the city, one of which is always in a traffic jam and its restaurants are overflowing with people out onto the street.

RUE HAMRA Sign

This dense and populated area remains in between two of the best Universities in the country, the American University of Beirut (AUB) and Lebanese American University (LAU); and due to its close proximity to the universities it has not only influenced the culture but also inspired artist to create massive mural art pieces to illustrate stories and depict the real culture of the city on residential buildings.

Lebanese graffiti artist Yazan Halwani has taken the city by storm in effort to paint over the city’s war past. One of the most recent art pieces he created was a massive portrait of the legendary Lebanese singer and actress- Sabah, found on the building main entrance of the Hamra district.”It has a very nice symbolic presence when you take an image of this wall and you see Sabah looking back at Hamra as if she was leaving, and leaving with a smile” said the young artist. This art piece added a great positive vibe and touched the hearts of many.

Sabah by Yazan Halwani

Once you’ve mastered the entire street of Hamra, end your day with some local street grub of delicious foods with the best cultural experience. Our favorite mix of traditional Lebanese food found on this street are, Abu Naim– a snug family restaurant serves classic Lebanese mezze, a must try is their signature ‘kibbeh nayyeh’ dish. If you are a shawarma fan, head to one of Hamra’s oldest food joints- Barbar and have the best shawarma sandwich you can ever have in Beirut.

Abu Naim Restaurant

Jewellery has the complete power to dress up or tone down an outfit for any occasion; and just like fashion, a piece of jewellery is the perfect way to self express and complement your look. Today, Beirut is constantly nurturing a new wave of talented designers, and they are taking the city by storm with their modern and eclectic creations of wearable art. From distinct to intricate craftsmanship and elaborate designs, here are the top Lebanese jewellers to get inspired by and to keep an eye on this year!

Getting married this Summer? Bridal wear this season gave us a high dose of gorgeous dresses to dream about. Designs varied from simple to extravagant cuts, white to pastels, and straight fitted to voluminous. No matter what your taste or personal style is, we decided to shine the light on Lebanese designers who do bridal and offer you a twist on the traditional wedding staple. Here are favorite 7 Lebanese designed wedding gowns we love!

While Fashion Week offered both unique and on-trend styles, we are taking a look a today’s top shoe trend with crystal embellishments. Shoe lover’s are raging all over those pretty shiny adornment on classic pumps, mules, flats and sandals. Now that Spring is here, it is time to stow away those sneakers and instead seek for something more feminine and sparkly.

Go through our gallery and keep an eye on the trend comeback that we couldn’t wish harder for!

FLATS

Left to Right: Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Lanvin

There is no need to buy a total new wardrobe for the season, these embellished flats will add a whole lot of style to any outfit you own.

MULES

Left to Right: Miu Miu, No.21, Tory Burch 

Mules are totally fresh again! Invest in a pair to make a statement that would take you from day to night.

PUMPS

Left to Right: Balenciaga, Roger Vivier, Christian Louboutin

With the return of the ’80s, it brought back the satin and suede pumps adorned with sparkling crystals and pearls. Try your embellished classics with everything from denim to dresses for a whimsical day-effect.

SANDALS

Left to Right: Aquazzura, Marni, Dolce & Gabbana 

Whether you want to dress casually or go over-the-top with a gown; crystal decorated sandals are the best way to rock after dark and are made to elevate any outfit you own.

Milan had the fashion world fascinated, running six consecutive days of nonstop runway shows and events. The bar was set high from the very beginning in the Italian fashion capital; extravagant trends were spotted in other fashion cities, but Milan put on shows that were like no other.

Scroll through our recap for the biggest Fall’17 trends we saw at Milan Fashion Week!

Return of the ‘70s

Left to Right: Etro, Prada, Trussardi 

This season the seventies influenced many runways, and designers showed a lot of appreciation for one top textile- Corduroy. Prada displayed it in bulk, and both Etro and Trussardi presented this durable fabric in various colour schemes within an ultra-feminine theme.

Sheer Effect

Left to Right: Alberta Ferreti, Fendi, Versace

Soft, feminine looks were at the forefront of Milan runways. Sheer, was a powerful counterpoint and designers went for long silhouettes that fully covered the body. Alberta Ferretti raised the bar with its striped ensemble, and others like Fendi and Versace went bold with decorative details.

Power Suiting

Left to Right: Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Missoni

The power suiting trend took Milan by storm, a trend that presented form and tailored jackets. This year, designers like Giorgio Armani, Missoni and Dolce & Gabbana featured an updated version of the classic fitted suit with a lighter and a more feminine approach.

Cozy Robes

Left to Right: Alberta Ferreti, Jil Sander, Max Mara

Milan introduced lots of new fashion to pick from and our favorite was the robe coat trend. Jil Sander offered a modern energy with a display of faux fur teddy bear coats; Max Mara and Alberta Ferretti, takes on the cozy staple in a practical yet polished approach.

Total Leather

Left to Right: Bottega Veneta, Jil Sander, Tod’s

The leather theme was spotted in past seasons, but Milan designers took it to a whole new level. Jil Sander displayed jacket and pants in soft leather; Tod’s was super sleek in its mono-tonal looks and, Bottege Veneta went all chic with well-tailored skirt suits.

Karl Lagerfeld took us to the moon and back this morning. Like always, Chanel brings a stylish end to Paris Fashion Week, and today Karl transformed the Grand Palais into a space station with a life-size spaceship as the show’s centrepiece.

Anything is possible in Lagerfeld’s world, and his fall-winter 2017 collection offered nothing less. The “Chanel Ground Control” themed collection set a retro-futuristic tone with the ’60s influenced boxy mini dresses and ‘Go Go’ boots. There was an obvious astronaut style found in monochrome hues, outer space prints and mirrored goggles that added a modern twist.

Models with slicked back hair were sent out on a shiny silver runway, in glittering separates, pearl beaded headbands, and there were a lot of tweed and rich knits; and few all-in-white men looks that balanced out the space-age inspired collection. Astronaut printed black dresses, twinkling glitter boots with a patent leather toe, fingerless metallic gloves and shiny space shawls also walked the runway.

Chanel always organizes one of the most striking shows during Paris Fashion Week.  Yes, you heard correctly at the show’s finale, Lagerfeld fired up his completely functioning rocket ship and lifted into the air, while the models line up around it and waited for Karl to arrive onto the launchpad and take his final bow. Now, that was something out of this world!

While many designers during fashion week were looking back to the ’70s and ’80s, Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton went much further back into the past. Burton stated in her show notes that the main inspiration for this fall collection was the “ancient traditions of Cornwall,” a theme she already addressed for her pre-fall 2017 collection.

The creative designer produced a range of beautiful tailored jackets and dresses featuring a highly skillful cross-stitch and embroidery technique. The medieval themed collection displayed a unique tapestry effect with urban touches, seen on long decorated dresses with colourful needle work. Burton went with modern textures of denim, leather, feather trimmings and silk, and sent out gray pantsuits, with belted coats and jackets in leather and asymmetric folds. Looks were worn with flat studded boots or trainers, which balanced things out and made every piece immensely wearable for daytime.

The show came to an end with stunning embellished tulle gowns dripping with rich embroidery bringing the collection together into pure romance.

Stella McCartney’s collection was pretty delightful this morning at the Opéra Garnier in Paris. The longtime vegetarian designer delivered an upbeat moment with a show that was perfectly evened out between day and formal wear. McCartney has always been determined to make women look and feel good every day, and with this fall collection she did just that.

The runway showcased a girl power committed collection full of rich textures, pleated organza and bold checks designed in modernized shapes and silhouettes. McCartney re-edits our closet classics while sticking to neutrals and warm earthy tones of green, burgundy, sky blue and orange.

There were bold suiting, head-to-toe knit looks and one denim-on-denim ensemble; and an elongated blazer with square-toe shoes and enormous duffel-looking bag in camel. Another McCartney signature that always adds a touch of glamour and easy femininity were the lacy cotton sheer dresses.

Once again, there was a joyous finale where all the models went footloose and sang along to George Michael’s hit-song “Faith”- it seems that this will become McCartney’s new approach to closing her shows with an energetic dance, instead of the usual stiff parade.

Phoebe Philo presented her fall 2017 Céline ready-to-wear collection at the Tennis Club de Paris. Once again, Philo pleased the audience with an urban, easy and fresh range that featured everything from over-sized blazers, trench, shirtdresses, and a plenty of tailored jackets and trousers.

Philo subtle as always, displayed a collection of strong minimal silhouette with elongated fit. It was best seen on button-up collars, double-breasted blazers with broad shoulders, a black leather button down dress, tuxedo coats and also appeared on a mono-tonal a-line dress with a fringe detail at the bottom..

The runway presented a variety of pieces that were the right thing to own starting today. The models brought out new large nylon tote bags, enormous thick comfort blankets in khaki and lime green, and of course there was the signature Céline leather Western boots.

This time, Philo focused on a wide-range of proportions, variation of shapes, and the boxy outerwear that skillfully highlighted the feminine form.

For fall 2017, Elie Saab looked to the famous romantic ballet act, Giselle; showing a dramatic, dark coloured yet graceful collection.”The mood of the winter season is poetry in motion,” said the evening-wear pro designer in his show notes.

The show centered around mini-dresses, jumpsuits, chiffon gowns, moto-leather jackets, tailored blazers, capes, and of course, a few pieces with Saab’s signature embroidery. A recurring theme was the lily flower that turned up on fabrics like chiffon, leather and guipure. The designer embraced on his black glossy runway light textures, while using lace, tulle, organza, velvet and feathers, all of which added delicacy and elegance to the entire range.

Model beauty looks mastered the perfect the timeless smoky eye with flawless skin; they were sent out in muted colours of powder pink, black, aubergine and deep blue. Mini-dresses were worn with black polka dot tights and fur accented sandals or demi-boots. Also, there were leather pants paired with tailored jackets and lace dresses layered underneath fitted coats and thigh-high boots in black.

The designer displayed extravagant details: narrow bow tie belt accentuated a long ruffled dress, a skinny velvet scarf accessory paired with lavishing embroidered voluminous dress, and a floor-length cape matched with a chiffon floral-printed gown. The collection was full of mysteries with a clear devotion for glam.

Bouchra Jarrar’s new Fall collection for Lanvin had force, but also was very delicate. The French fashion house tackled the power of elegance by generating a range that made all customers want to buy something right away.

The very French artistic designer debuted her sophomore collection on a wooden floor runway, sending out a few noteworthy themes, like lace blouses and dresses with ruffle and frill details, some quite lovely pleated dresses, a jet black patent leather suit, and airy draped slip gowns. Jarrar used a dense mix of fabrics and textures focusing on a tailored, natural-waist silhouette shown with the full long skirts and a-line sweater dress.

Jarrar evened out this feminine range with androgynous  silhouettes, taking the extra mile to feature looks based on soft dresses, tailored pants and motor jackets. The collection was fully saturated with Jarrar’s identifiable design skills, taking inspiration from exotic birds of paradise and swans displayed on accessories like brooches and belts, and on prints.

Models beauty looks were simple and pretty; and flowed beautifully onto the runway in solid colours of black, powder pink and white, wearing python ankle boots paired with fishnets for a rough touch. It all felt dreamy, modern and practical.

Anthony Vaccarello rides the ‘80s wave in the middle of a construction site for his second season at Saint Laurent, last night in Paris. For the very first time, Vaccarello mixed men’s and women’s looks together on same runway, both sexes were sent out in ultra-cool wearable ready-to-wear ensembles.

The creative designer mentioned in the show’s notes that he took inspiration from the original founder, stating “I love Monsieur Saint Laurent’s subversive approach to clothes, his dark romanticism with a hint of perversity. I wanted this collection to be like a re-reading, a radical fantasy of this heritage.”

Vaccarello stayed true to his aesthetics by displaying daring slit gowns, and he showed scrunched leather boots with matching leather outfits. The milk-chocolate coloured leather was a recurring theme throughout, also featured shearling jackets, mini-dresses and shirt-dresses. The show started with patent leather dresses paired with pants, then followed sultury one-shouldered dresses with ruffled details; also there were many wearable pieces, such as denim, classic trousers and cozy knits. Other key shapes for the range, were cropped shearlings with exaggerated shoulder details and bomber jackets. Vaccarello with this collection featured loads of ultra-feminine looks perfect to take from day to night.

The eveningwear on the other hand, was what mostly looked similar to what Mr. Saint Laurent himself would have designed back in the ’80s. The finale couture looks aimed for the red carpet, introducing high-shine knee boots fully covered with rhinestones and matching lustrous mini-dresses and silver cable-knit sweaters.

Yes, there was a lot of new fashion just enough for Vaccarello to stay true to himself and most importantly to the brand’s DNA.

Giorgio Armani wraps up Milan fashion week with a bright and vibrant collection. The program notes described the collection as “a new adaptation of the Armani style: free, aware, subtly irreverent.”

Fitted trousers were a recurring style theme across the entire show, there were wide-legged with polka dots, cropped and velvet, and with sequins stripes. As usual Armani’s collection always meets the designer’s own aesthetic, meaning his designs evolve from season to season creating timeless signature pieces that serves the brand’s customer base at all times.

Armani displayed new strong wool designs, trench coats, jackets, double-breasted blazers; but what was different this time around was the hint of playfulness he incorporated in his collection, bringing in velvety slippers with a “GA” logo and sweaters with fox terrier. The designer expressed the new season with colours, tops and capes were found in acidic green, black, deep reds, orange, purple and electric blue.

Models walked the shiny black runway in bob hats, while carrying furry bags paired with flat velvet or leather shoes. Their looks were accessorized with tassel details and necklaces, fringes made out of colourful beads and sequins.

Armani focused on a high-polish ending, after bringing out a series of glitzy gowns, the last look was a jaw-dropping long multi-coloured form of body armor dress, all made out of chains. Now that, we have never see before!

Salvatore Ferragamo this season, revealed statement silhouettes keeping in mind quality and practicality; as the design director Fulvio Rigoni defined backstage in four term “dynamic, luxurious, comfortable, yet sensual.”

Fulvio Rigoni opened the show with a fitted leather blazer in gray/beige, paired with a sleek turtle-neck and silk skirt all in the same colour. Throughout the collection, the cuts were as clear as the colour scheme; but the definite highlight was the use of muted animal patterns in light blue and tan on slip-dresses, coats and wrap skirts. Looks were accessorized with crocodile clutches and high platform booties by Paul Andrew-  Ferragamo’s footwear design director.

Worth remembering pieces  were the glamorous coats with oversized collars and the puffer coats that evened out the range with a sport-chic touch. There wasn’t a lot of red carpet looks, but Rigoni displayed simple and elegant designs that fit every women who took part of the work force. After all, the show notes closed with the designer quoting, “Ferragamo is an attitude.”

From the moment Bottega Veneta show opened, one can feel the audience’s excitement all the way backstage. Tomas Maier goes back to the 1940s and exuded a formal collection inspired by old hollywood glamour for both women and men.

With this well-dressed range, Maier focused on the female silhouette, introducing long lines, broad shoulders and rounded hips tailored at the waist, as the designer said in his show’s notes the shape delivers “the pencil mark on a sketch.”

Maier is known for using modern techniques, to make every woman feel comfort. Riding trousers paired with ribbed sweaters and knee-high boots was the first look that set the tone of the show, new modern designs then followed including day-dresses with multi-directional pleats, fur coats and elegant detailed metallic-thread evening gowns gave the collection a pure liquid effect.

Amid all this,  just about every look was pure perfection from top-to-bottom. Suede wedge footwear paired with polka dots stockings and crystal brooch hair accessories finished off the looks quite glamourously. Full of beautiful colours ranged from mustard yellow, tangerine, black, sugar grey, and shiny metallics.

The famed Italian brand Versace is very well-known for spreading positive messages across the world. Donatella Versace is always looking for ways to tackle empowerment, and today in Milan she delivered a show that put a strong spin on the brand’s fundamentals by presenting a powerful vision of women’s strength.

This is not the first time we see a female-empowerment inspired collection on a Versace runway, Donatella had already touched this recurring theme for her last Spring 2016 collection. However, this year’s show the message was more obvious with the clothes covered with inspiring slogans- “EQUALITY, LOVE, STRENGTH, and LOYALTY.” The bold letterings showed on knit caps, shirt dresses, velvet hoodies and oversized puffers.

The brand is famous for its mix of big star supermodels, the regulars were all walking the runway like Natasha Poly, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Anja Rubik; but this time there were two surprising returns- Victoria Secret Angle Behati Prinsloo and Hanna Soukupova. After a decade-long, Soukupova returns to Versace and opens the show sporting colourful hair extensions and wearing a black double-breasted peacoat.  Another classic moment was when American model and actress Amber Valletta closed the show in a black evening gown.

This season, slogans replaced the brand’s signature logo- the Medusa, but instead few items had the word “Versace” on shirt collars and sandal straps. Enough with the slogans already, the best part about this electric collection was its stress on the real sporty clothing, like the neat ’80s inspired pantsuit with loose trousers, neon parkas and oversized sweaters.

Many of the looks still had that sexy Donatella signature touch, but this time around she focused more on modernity and comfort.

Armani is nothing but a pure perfectionist. Giorgio built a reflective runway, something we have seen before in his previous shows, which gave a nice effect as the collection came down the catwalk.

He set the tone for the first section with mono-chromatic hues, and played with shapes from polka dots to checkered or gingham. There were solid coloured trouser suits, then came the floor sweeping black skirts, some luxurious pieces where detailed with snaking white embroidery, as for the casual items they were simply layered underneath over-sized sweaters.

One must say that there was a lot going on in this wide-ranging collection- 105 looks to be exact. However, the brand is known for its minimalistic touch, which helps us to focus on the pieces themselves, especially when it comes to items that are practical for everyday dressing, like tailored coats, boy pants and silk tops.

During the second part of the show, it was by no surprise that we started to see male models walking the runway at a women’s ready-to-wear show. Once again, Armani played with the masculine-feminine trend, which evened out this massive urban-dressing collection.

Today, no one can truly define fashion, but Giorgio Armani’s new range of designs are made to suit every modern woman out there that wants to have a distinctive style.

Prada’s show has always been Milan’s most anticipated fashion show. The show begins with Missy Elliot’s “Remix” track playing, displaying straight on the runway heavy embroidery on corduroy suits, wool skirts, Baker boy hats and crochet scarves.

Now lets talk about that spectacular set of a teenage girl’s bedroom, filled with posters all taped to the walls advertising for the upcoming Fall collection. Unlike any other show, the audience watched the collection as it pranced down the runway sitting on benches and beds.

Miuccia Prada continues on with the ’70s inspired look, featuring flared dresses and extravagant feather hoods. What really stood out were the ostrich-feather trimmings on the hemlines, the swoosh of the crystal-fringing on dresses and the furry footwear. In the middle of the show, few looks featured illustrations of glam women by Robert E. McGinnis- a famous poster-art painter.

All in all, this break-taking collection takes us down memory lane to Prada’s ultimate passion for graphic prints and layering discordant pieces.

Moschino opened the show with Kendall Jenner, Gigi and Bella Hadid slaying the runway in neat beige coloured cardboard inspired ensembles, which Jeremy Scott calls “cardboard couture.” After, the show started with a range of packing material looks printed with “Fragile” and “This Side Up,” in the middle of the show the designer sent out collage printed outfits of old Moschino editorials. It doesn’t stop here, to keep up with the up-cycling theme, Scott introduced duct tape gowns, a dress layered under a dry cleaning bag, bubble wrap cocktail dress, and a fun shower curtain gown with its own bathmat stole.

Scott is famous for his signature touch of irony; for the finale the designer kicked it to a higher level. The show ends with George Michael’s “Too Funky” track cued, featuring seven elegant gowns away from the cardboard chic theme, which evened out the entire collection.

As the show comes to an end, the designer walks the runway wearing leather pants paired with a white T-shirt quoting a short phrase “Couture is an Attitude”on the front and the back read “It’s not a price point”- a simple message Scott cared to share with many who appreciate fun fashion.

How fantastic were those Max Mara coats? Just as usual, it’s want we always expected from the brand.

Max Mara this season sets the bar high for the luxury outerwear category. Natasha Poly sets the tone by opening the show in an over-sized velvety, crimson coat, then Gigi Hadid cascaded the runway in shearling. The collection was all about layering, with intense shearlings and pinstriped trench coats in fuzzy teddy bear textures.

The full range featured chic daily separates from floor-length skirts, tailored pants and turtle neck tops. Every single look was mono-toned from top to bottom, starting with crimson, brown, grey, camel, gold and ending in jet black.

Alberta Ferretti took a one way ticket trip to the most romantic city in the world- Venice, the collection’s inspiration came from the city’s rich history and the visual excitement of its enchanting landscapes.

The opening look was a flowy chiffon dress- worn by Gigi Hadid, printed with a postcard representation of the city and a long cape detailed with a nautical style blue-and-white striped fur lining. Ferreti gave the collection a luxurious touch with opulent fabrics and hand-painted strip patterns featured on many chiffon dresses, gondolier shirts and pants.

As the show comes to an end, all the models marched onto the runway in black days-of-the-week cashmere sweaters, “embodying the captivating power of women day-to-day,” a second edition of the capsule collection Ferretti launched last month at her pre-fall show in Paris.

One of London’s most tactical designers, Christopher Kane, showcased an appealing collection mixed with numerous features that produced an eclectic yet fantastic show at Tate Britain Museum.

Combining space-age techniques with historic design elements, Kane wanted to express this season a “tougher femininity,” inspired in part by female factory uniforms, “looking at abstract shaped, hard angles, and sharp jags.” The designer expanded his range with a magical touch, using light feminine silks and Asian motifs, including a neoclassical pink-hued floral design that appeared on many dress pieces.

There was a lot of new wearable fashion, everything from the fabrics, the colors, to the hard-edged designs. Another winning category for Kane was knitwear; cardigans were trimmed with mother of pearl buttons, while sweaters featured a row of pockets down the sleeves, of what the designer named “OCD pockets” and for evening wear knit dresses covered in metallic hologram.

We all remember Kane’s collaboration with Crocs last season; once again the designer raised the comfy footwear flag, unveiling a revived Crocs design lined with mink fur and slingback sandals padded with huge multicolored squares of foam that looked oddly comfortable.

Yesterday, the Marc Jacobs show closed New York Fashion Week in silence. Mr. Jacobs brought in the youth culture trend that presented a high opulent yet a back to basics collection.

The new fall’17 collection was full of dressed-up sportswear, inspired by “Hip-Hop Evolution” a documentary about a time period when everything changed. As the designer stated in the fashion show note entitled Respect:

“As a born and bred New Yorker, it was during my time at the High School of Art and Design when I began to see and feel the influence of hip-hop on other music as well as art and style.”

The collection debuted on very long runway staged in Park Avenue Armory, with no intricate set, photography was not permitted and no music. The models cascaded alongside the audience who sat in two single rows that led them straight out the door onto the street, where photographers were waiting patiently. Once outside, the models walked the sidewalk and then sat in folding chairs waiting while playing with their Marc Jacobs covered cell phones, until Mr. Jacobs himself came out for the finale.

Marc Jacobs fall collection rewrote the rules for this coming up season, bringing real casual clothes to runway. There were plenty of plaid coats and some with shearling accents and thick bell-bottom tracksuits, baggy jeans and platform boots. Bucket hats and backward baseball caps by Stephen Jones all of which nodded to the culture of street wear. Of course, there was fur, both real and faux with patterned knits. The only pop of color was from the glitzy jewelry designed by Urs Fischer; from large hoops earrings to pendant chains, the color gold was the main head turner.

One can’t ignore the chic-clad attendees who saved a seat front row, and the Marc Jacobs show would only make perfect sense to gather icons like Katy Perry, Terry Richardson, Mandy Moore, Amanda Peet, Lil Kim, and Lottie Moss.

After the last look went down the runway, Jacobs came out for the finale dressed all black with gold chain around his neck. As the designer passed by the models, the girls focused their phones on Jacobs while snapping pictures. The show ended with dramatic orchestra music by Steve Mackey playing, where all the A-listers and editors streamed out the venue to take instagram worthy photos of the looks and the last show of New York Fashion Week.