More coincidence than conspiracy at fashion week

“Wrapped in a swirl of twisted chain-link, she steps into the night, lights flashing. With an effortless glamour, she winks at herself and smiles at her shadow,” von Furstenberg said in her notes.

DKNY

Donna Karan’s DKNY label features a lot of lipstick red and hot pink looks for fall.

Yes, there were tough-girl looks, including a long quilted bomber jacket and a long silk-and-jersey dress with sheer panels in black. But it was the brights, and especially the animal-print brights, that lit up the runway

There was a “heartthrob red” quilted crop top worn over a flowing, long silk dress and a tailored, peak-lapel blazer in “pop pink” over a button-down shirtdress. The animal prints showed off a long tunic-length sweater silhouette.

Colorblocking was freshest when Karan used sophisticated camel, crisp white and downtown black on a paneled parka, and when she mixed gray herringbone, white and black on a flirty dress with a slim bodice, full skirt and soft shoulders.

TRACY REESE

There were animal prints all over Tracy Reese’s fall collection.

A cheetah-print coat opened the show, paired with a black lace shirt and a charcoal pant. The collection also included a cheetah tunic covering a cheetah skirt, a zebra-print trench over a crepe floral dress and an “animal jacquard” coat in tan and black worn over a sequined sweater.

“There are so many cool ways to use animal prints,” Reese said backstage. “Subtle and not so subtle. Even in the beading.”

Reese said she hoped women would become bolder about mixing prints _ like pairing an animal print with a floral. “Most women like to wear only one print at a time. But I like to mix them, and I wanted to open up the conversation a bit.”

Her collection also included a floral-printed neoprene frock in pink, orange and black and a sleek black knee-length number with huge red flowers on it, its dainty shape contrasting nicely with the boldness of the print.

VICTORIA BECKHAM

The opening look at Victoria Beckham’s show was a windowpane plaid coat. She also incorporated more sweaters and knits into her collection, with a nod to mod with some geometric, colorblocked shift dresses.

The most unexpected looks were the flashes of bright yellow, including a sleeveless trench; the techno shine she added to pleated skirts that the audience could only see as the models walked; and the long cape-style tuxedo coat.

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