NY Fashion Week Designers Ask: Who Wants a Hug?

Since the economic downturn began, fashion designers have brought us plenty of hard-edged looks: rock-star leather, gladiator shoes, '80s-style shoulder pads.

The spring 2010 collection of Lacoste is presented during Fashion Week in New York, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

(AP)

The message was clear enough — fashion was preparing us for battle.

But for spring 2010, designers seem to be asking instead: Who wants a hug?

A softer, easier look dominated as New York Fashion Week entered its third day on Saturday. The look was, if not comfortable, at least less armor-like. At Adam, the soothing cream-and-beige palette was jazzed up just a bit with copper discs and seashells, and the heart of the Lacoste collection were easy, breezy apres-beach styles.

There were also several vibrant and optimistic looks: Lacoste sent models out for a finale in bright, sunshine yellow, from sunglasses to slip-on flats. Georges Chakra presented a series of candy-colored dresses.

But such a sunny disposition seemed a little out of place at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents, where the audience was still in almost all black, shod in gladiator sandals or studded boots.

Lay down your armor? The crowd says, not yet.

ALEXANDER WANG

OK, so it's not a conventional a love story, but the Alexander Wang tough-chick muse has found herself a jock. On the runway, that plot thickened into sweatshirt-leather combos that surely will be considered among the most trendsetting looks at New York Fashion Week.

Wang is considered a bellwether for style. His message for spring was softer than last season, but his girl clearly still has an edge.

On her time, she wears a lace-up, cognac-colored corset attached to a gray, rainy-Sunday sweatshirt and oversized army-green capes with a bra top underneath. That athletic influence creeps into her look with a varsity sweater, quilted leather baseball shorts and a skintight black referee dress with white trim.

The bare-belly tops that have emerged as a popular look on the runways were well represented here — some skirts had the midriff cut out — and plenty of skin, with super-short shorts and see-through tinsel dresses that served as his finale.