SASS & BIDE Australian design duo Heidi Middleton and Sarah Jane Clarke presented 40 looks on the runway Monday night under their Sass & Bide label (their other project is called Wolfnation, described as a collection for “rich girls who like to kick butt”). Each model wore fingerless gloves, a mini studded helmet, and knee guards. All hair was braided and bunned, giving the models a uniform – though strictly runway – look.

The stylized effects created a pleasant viewing environment, one where you didn’t have to work too hard to watch the clothes going by. But the consistency of the looks – mostly clingy dresses or tops and skirts in solid brown or white with racer backs, cutout sections, decorative straps, flaps, and panels – felt limiting, as if the collection had been programmed on repeat.

It was in the tailored pieces, rather than the clingy, cutout dresses, that the looks stood out in subtle variation: in the simple black wool trench with a few panels in the rear, the black silk satin blouse that tied at the waist, and a red-and-white striped corset that screamed Gwen Stefani.

DKNY Once again, Donna Karan gave us a classic “NY” fall collection, forgoing the runway in favor of mise-en-scene. This season, she installed her mannequins in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel for a cocktail party.

It was tricky separating the guests from the mannequins – a good sign. Comfortable but chic, the latter posed in their cliques, styled by Patricia Field with look-at-me leather caps, belts, and heavy hardware upping the sex appeal at the expense of ruffled sweetness. Ms. Karan knows how to tailor vulnerability for the big city, hitting a balance between feminine and masculine elements: A textured wool plaid jacket in ochre and blue was layered with a cheery, paisley poet blouse and navy pinstripe skirt; a hunting-plaid riding jacket was paired with a brown silk beaded camisole and a navy skirt with gold garlands in jacquard. The waist and neck figured prominently, the former with the use of belts – often in the style of a corset, tied and cinched, or an obi with a thick sash of color – the latter framed by blouses with ruffles, hefty jewelry in styles from punk to retro-kitsch, plunging lines, or scoops.

Moving from the workday into nighttime with ease – meeting friends for cocktails, say – is how Ms. Karan built her reputation, and this practical sophistication was abundant: in the cropped charcoal pants that tied at the knee; the embossed leather boots; an ochre lace and chiffon dress; a lush cowl-neck sweater paired with a flannel kickpleat skirt.

MONIQUE LHUILLIERA strapless magenta cocktail dress; a black Chantilly lace gown with seamed bodice and hand-tufted skirt, and a rust-colored chiffon gown with a beaded neckline – Monique Lhuillier designs for night.

The focus here is on elegant party frocks, and as with her Spring 2005 collection, Ms. Lhuillier relied mostly on distinct colors – this time around in olive, magenta, rust, mustard, chocolate, and the requisite black – with elaborately jeweled necklines inspired by the Jewels of the Maharaja. Two patterns emerged in counterpoint to the solid color: vintage 1960s paisley and leopard-print chiffons. And whether in a single color, lace, or a bold pattern, each gown was perfectly pitched, the drape, sparkle, and cut coalescing in unfussy though undeniably sexy – and self-conscious – glamour.

The same might be said of the day looks, a handful of mostly jewel-encrusted or metallic tweeds appropriate for formal daytime functions (though I am not sure exactly what those might be – there was a lot of glitter). Taking the night out of day is definitely a challenge for Ms. Lhuillier – but God bless her for it. Perhaps this is why one look in particular stood out: the single black tweed v-neck day dress worn over a delicate Chantilly lace blouse. It was the perfect daytime meeting of practical and quiet luxe.

-Erika Kawalek

MARC JACOBS Every once in a while, Marc Jacobs takes an unexpected turn and shows a completely unpredictable collection.

For the past two or three years, it appeared Mr. Jacobs was on his way to building a global super brand a la Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. His collections were easy, pretty blockbusters with just the right amount of fashion edge to appeal to Hollywood It-girls like Uma Thurman and Drew Barrymore (who were in the audience Monday night).

But the tone of his Fall 2005 collection displayed a refreshing irreverence and resistance to getting stuck in a formula. Gone were the florals, frills, and glimmering sequins of past seasons. Somber black and charcoal cashmere coats, sweaters, and long skirts were sparse, asexual, and had an almost subversive anti-fashion flavor. The silhouettes were clean but full: Trapeze jackets and fur-trimmed princess coats came in just on the right side of bulky, and skirts were either full or loosely tulip-shaped. For evening, Mr. Jacobs experimented with boldly-patterned toned silk smocks – with an exaggerated baby-doll shape that seemed to exist somewhere between “Valley of the Dolls” and Henry VIII – and gowns with black velvet bodices and jewel-toned satin skirts. This collection may not go down in history as Mr. Jacob’s biggest hit. But all that cashmere is bound to keep us warm.

ALVIN VALLEY Sometimes, looking at a fashion show’s audience can tell you more about a designer than the actual clothes on the runway. The ladies attending Alvin Valley’s fall presentation were a rail-thin, diamond-encrusted, fur-clad, and immaculately groomed bunch that looked like they could have stepped right off the pages of “Bergdorf Blondes.” In other words, Mr. Valley makes luxurious clothes for luxurious lifestyles.

It’s easy to see why the 30-year-old designer has developed such a devoted following of socialites and celebrities. His clothes are pretty, feminine, sharply tailored, and unabashedly decadent. Mr. Valley cited Native American folklore and the Southwestern landscape as inspirations for his collection. Those influences could be spotted in long and luscious mink ponchos, Navojo-beaded details on skinny jeans, and a sumptuous skirt and jacket adorned with multiple layers of feather ruffles. But there were also plenty of uptown classics, such as bowed polka-dot blouses paired with narrow pencil skirts in tweed. The super-lean silhouettes were tailor-made for women who consider staying in shape a full-time job; any surplus flesh would ruin the elegance of the long, cigarette-slim pants and delicate backless (and practically frontless) baby-doll evening gowns. Thankfully, the show’s strongest features – coats and jackets – were more forgiving. Amazing creations like a tweed trench with mink and anaconda applications and a fluffy white mink coat with gold trim exuded bohemian luxe at its most opulent. No wonder Mr. Valley’s ladies were frenetically checking off items for their August shopping lists.

-Johanna Lenander

BILL BLASS A fall color palette of orange, bronze, and brown – with much embroidery and sparkle – defined a stunning Bill Blass collection. Gray pinstripe suiting was intermixed with python pieces in a blush pink color, resulting in a powerful combination of sex and corporate prowess. Pinstripe pants were also paired with a beautifully embroidered gray jacket. Things were softened by an English hunt-country look with jackets in fabrics like Harris tweed and tattersall.

For evening, designer Michael Vollbracht bravely showed several black pieces, from a charming cocktail dress with a full skirt to a beautifully draped one-shoulder matte jersey gown. But color was not forsaken; a green silk crepe gown with an embroidered bodice brought out some romance in the collection. A stone-colored chiffon halter gown was topped with a huge pearly beaded collar. Metallics, too, made a strong presence: a gold lame one-shoulder gown and a bronze lame halter gown were dazzling.

The winner in this collection, though, was a cocktail suit made of a pinstripe iridescent fabric that shimmered with orange, bronze, and green tones. A trim of feathers peeked out from underneath the skirt and lined the sleeves. The same color-shifting fabric was used in various pieces in this collection, but this suit was sumptuous.

BCBG MAX AZRIA From casual looks to full-length gowns, BCBG was full of dark colors and attractive shapes. Several looks were accessorized with studded suede belts that accented the waist and lent a tough-girl edge to the flowing styles.

Silk chiffon was used for tiered skirts and dresses, creating a dressed-up hippie feel; the best of the lot was a green crinkled fabric with a small gold chain at the front. There were several cozy-looking sweaters, including a sleeveless brown wool pullover paired with slim pants, as well as a basic zippered cardigan with a huge sailor-type collar hanging in the back. An openwork crocheted sweater was worn loosely over a chiffon blouse; if you can get past crochet as grandmotherly, the sweater had sex appeal. Indeed, crocheted insets and details appeared here and there, giving the looks an extra patch of exposed skin. An espresso halter dress had floral crocheted insets at the waist, making that part of the body an eye-magnet.

Many of the looks in this BCBG collection are like morsels of food that taste good, then even better when the aftertaste hits. A black wool coat looked simple enough – but trimmed with an orange and purple tinted fur collar, it was a head-turner. A more romantic silk chiffon gown was pretty, but the long, Victorian-style sleeves that buttoned up along the wrist gave it mystique.

CHAIKEN Though this label didn’t make waves, this wearable, intelligent collection could easily make a lot of sales. Pieces here were for the decidedly design-conscious and fashion-savvy, but not for the ostentatious.

The must-haves were the coats. A dark brown leather shearling wrap coat stood out with its fitted cut. A jacket that curved gently away from the chest was sharp in cheetah print. A black wrap coat looked spy-girl sinister in Persian rabbit, and a deep purple wool trench was wrapped with a tight wide band at the waist.

As marvelous as the outerwear was, some of the oversize sweaters shown wouldn’t have fit underneath them. One wide-knit sweater had multiple overlapping layers, and another tunic sweater in cranberry wool went all the way down to the thighs.

Other thin pieces could slip beneath the tight coats quite easily. Cashmere sweaters with poet sleeves billowing at the wrist were shown with slim gray trousers. And a super-slim pair of green velvet trousers was nearly painted on. A beautiful sheer dress of black and nude wool, pieced together with delicate strips, begged to be worn without a coat at all.

-Pia Catton