10 key looks from New York Fashion Week — in pictures

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  Indulgent sportswear at Lacoste. “A mix of bourgeois and street kid” was Felipe Oliveira Baptista’s vision for autumn/winter 2015. The designer put his own twist on founder René Lacoste’s classic tennis-inspired pieces: tracksuits emblazoned with “René did it first”, slim-cut men’s suits over striped collar polo shirts, and tweed coats with cut-off sleeves over tennis dresses. Baptista refined sportswear basics by using silks and heavy jersey fabrics, all the while preserving their original form. The show felt like the cast of Wes Anderson’s 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums had been transported to the runway, complete with Margot’s camel fur coat and Richie’s sweat bands and suits. Frazer Harrison / Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week / AFP

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  What women want at Victoria Beckham. Everything about the Victoria Beckham show was womanly, from the cosy knitwear to the voluminous, yet figure-hugging dresses, in a show that was set in Cipriani’s vast neo-renaissance space in downtown Manhattan. “I began with the dress and looked at evolving and translating it,” said Beckham. In fact, Beckham’s fashion career did begin with a dress — a form-fitting, strict number with a visible zip down the back. However, her designs over the past few years have shifted to include more menswear-inspired pieces, with looser shapes and muted tones. For this season, the designer incorporated the two elements to create a wardrobe “women really want to wear.” Expect draped knits over loose trousers alongside oversized coats and structural dresses. Lucas Jackson / Reuters

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  The new evening wear at Noon by Noor. The Bahraini designers, Sheikhas Haya and Noor Al Khalifa of Noon by Noor, played with colour this season. Their muted palette included purples, blacks, whites and navy, with a primary focus on grey. “We wanted to focus on getting the shapes right and just working on a more simple look,” said Sheikha Haya. The Al-Khalifa cousins added texture to their garments, by weaving in laser-cut leather, embossed and foil knit fabrics. Their lace-up high-top trainer-meets-brogues offered a juxtaposition to the feminine prints and silhouettes. The designers also experimented with glittering embroidery on simpler fabrics, carrying a metallic feel throughout. A full-length, pale grey evening gown was softly pleated at the shoulders and the forearms detailed with crystal flowers, a design that grew in density from the elbow to the wrist. Courtesy Noon by Noor

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  Making waves at Carolina Herrera. The New York Fashion Week staple, Carolina Herrera, delved into the different interpretations of water. Fabrics were printed with literal depictions of water in navy, teal and powder blue to start off the show. The designer’s vision took an abstract turn as she experimented with different fabrics — silk gazaar, textured jacquard and glossy broadtail. Herrera added three dimensional elements by incorporating ruffles onto the neckline of chiffon dresses and the hems of tulle skirts. She sprinkled embroidery using a techno appliqué method to gave the illusion of water droplets bouncing over the surface of the garments. Joshua Lott / AFP photo

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  Black magic at Donna Karan. Donna Karan’s love for New York City is a common theme throughout most of her collections. This season she took it further still, by using a night-time skyline of the city as the backdrop to her show. Similar to Stuart Vevers, Karan worked with the idea of New York as a melting pot of different cultures and styles; however the results are strikingly different. With a primarily black palette, the designer sprinkled in some browns, whites and golds into her moody pieces. Perhaps the most significant element was Karan’s effortless layering — button down shirts with velvet, silk-lined jackets and voluminous wool and jacquard coats, all cinched at the waist with glossy leather belts. Even the hems of jumpers and skirts were layered with intricate pleats and folds. JP Yim / Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week / AFP

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  Innerwear as outerwear at Diane von Furstenberg. The model-turned-designer was all about seduction this season, and though Diane von Furstenberg may have taken this idea too literally for some of her looks, her innate ability to create a suggestive, yet elegant dress remains. A cosy, confetti-knit sweater dress was paired with a lace underskirt, while midriff-baring panels on a slimline black gown sat alongside mixed prints of spots — and her signature lips. A standout was the concept of flirting with slip dresses as outerwear. The plain silk garment usually worn under clothing was transformed with swathes of lace, simple prints and extravagant fabrics in black and crimson. Randy Brooke / WireImage / Getty Images

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  Modern Bohemia at Tory Burch. “Marrakech meets Chelsea” was Tory Burch’s catalyst for autumn/winter 2015. Walls, floors and seats of the elaborate space where the early morning show was held were covered in matching, antique rugs. Burch reinterpreted the geometric shapes of the Moroccan carpets into her pieces — small sections of the rugs were blown up and placed on skirts and entire prints were mirrored onto dresses, bags and heavy wool coats. Pale blues and greys moulded into violets and brick red. Waists were dropped to hip level and loosely tied with fringed belts. Jumpers dusted with gold sequins evoked the shadows created by tin punch lanterns on carmine ceilings. An overall feeling of free-spirited ease was palpable. Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images for Tory Burch / AFP

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  Geometric peaks at Prabal Gurung. After a rocky spring/summer 2015 show, it was surprising to see that Prabal Gurung carried on with a third season inspired by mountains. Although the first two were influenced by the Himalayas in his native Nepal, the latest instalment took us to the Adrinodack mountains of Upstate New York. Perhaps the change in environment was what Gurung needed — his autumn/winter collection was a beautiful symphony of shape, texture and colour, far removed from the over embellishment of the past season. The pristine lines of under-the-knee dresses were slashed with elegant slits and Chevron prints were conceptually peppered on coats, leather dresses and beaded evening gowns. Joshua Lott / AFP photo

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  Ladylike florals at Oscar de la Renta. The new creative director, Peter Copping, had big shoes to fill this season at the late Oscar de la Renta’s eponymous label. Copping, formerly at Nina Ricci, successfully integrated De La Renta’s style aesthetic into the new collections — ladylike prints, sleek silhouettes and opulent, jewel-tone fabrics were a staple at the show. Florals, normally reserved for spring/summer collections, took an austere turn with Copping’s evening looks. Painterly, black roses decorated strapless white and gold dresses while flower-embroidered lace sat atop the cascading hems of gowns. Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images / AFP

This New York Fashion Week was all about, well: New York. From Coach to Vera Wang to the footwear designer Paul Andrew, the city proved to be an endless source of inspiration. The overall mood was dark, with a heavy emphasis on greys and blacks, blended with maroon, cream and white. Wardrobe staples, such as evening gowns, power dress and coats were deconstructed and masculinised with hair and make-up kept to a minimum.