New York Fashion Week: PETA, get the paint out

(AFP PHOTO/Stan Honda)

From luxe brands (Carolina Herrera) to New York's cutting edge (Alexander Wang), everything from hoods to dresses will be fur-trimmed next fall.

With an omnipresence of fur usually reserved for its Paris counterpart, New York Fashion Week is sure to have animal activists storming the barricades. Fashion critics were raving, however, about the innovative and wearable use of the controversial fabric.

J. Mendel presented fur coats and jackets but also muffs and even messenger bags; Michael Kors combined fur with cashmere for a luxurious yet sleek look; and Thakoon toughened up with fur bomber jackets and hoods that gave an edge to the soft material.

Even Alexander Wang gave in to temptation, presenting a leather trenchcoat with mink running down its back, while Cynthia Steffe went as far as dressing her models in fur skirts and dresses, taking the fur indoors.

The other dominant material this season was velvet as seen at Marc Jacobs, Sophie Theallet, or Nanette Lepore, for example, while lace will be staying with us for another season.

The fall season presentations showed a rather demure color palette as well as booties and gloves. The latter is an indication of the increased focus on hands: nails are getting longer again, adorned by nail art as seen on Rihanna, for instance, and gloves are becoming an eyecatcher instead of a mere accessory.

As for legs, it can be said that hemlines are moving down a notch (see Marc Jacobs, for example), and where the mini still prevails, leg warmers will be your fall must-have (inspiration: Rag & Bone, Thakoon, Derek Lam, Michael Kors).