The first of the men’s fall 2008 collections bowed on Friday as rain pounded the tents at Bryant Park. Nautica presented a stream of nylon anoraks and quilted vests meant for ice sailing or snorkeling in its signature palette of primary blues and yellows. But the sportswear company also made a bold effort with three-piece suits, velvet smoking jackets, and formal outerwear: A gray wool two-button sports coat with navy ribbon trim paired with a navy wool turtleneck made for a handsome combination.

At Perry Ellis, creative director John Crocco drew inspiration from the pursuit of big game, mounting three elk heads at the rear of the runway. Jackets of wool herringbone and lambskin were layered under vests befitting an upscale hunting lodge. A pair of wool-alpaca-blend long underwear in burnt sienna worn with a dark brown utility jacket and mountain boots was among the strongest looks Mr. Crocco sent down the runway. Only flashes of paisley on a few silk dinner shirts struck a dissonant note, evoking disco-era button-ups and clashing with the equally elegant and rugged looks on show.

The designers of Duckie Brown, Daniel Silver and Steven Cox, took to heart William Shakespeare’s oxymoronic verse “with mirth in funeral,” with their gleefully somber runway show, also on Friday. A funereal procession of restrained, black- and gray-clad models in flannel narrow trousers, cashmere hoodies, floppy caps, and stiff four-pocket army jackets marched down the runway to an eerie, almost silent soundtrack. The fall collection underscored that the Duckie Brown man is a fashion risk-taker who wears his dark side on his lace sleeve.

On Saturday, show-goers ventured into Lower Manhattan, where the Gilded Age presentation was staged at the Woolworth Building. The tailored looks recalled Daniel Day-Lewis’s oil-soaked turn in the movie “There Will Be Blood.” Mr. Lewis’s sharply dressed prospector was beautifully re-imagined here with the models — posed along either aisle of the building’s splendid marble staircase — swathed in layers of washed plaid shirts, cashmere hand-knit zip cardigans, and waffle cotton sweatshirts. Nearby, others sat on shipping crates and showcased creative director Stefan Miljanic’s foray for fall into accessories: roomy leather and canvas duffels and saddle bags in rich browns and olives.