SPRINGING IN FOR 2010

       Marc Jacobs moved fashion towards femininity at New York Fashion Week, even if the other designers who previewed spring collections aren't quite there yet.His show, with Madonna in the front row,didn't take a completely new direction from the emerging look of the season, which was already a little softer than autumn's warrior.Jacobs just pushed the needle a little farther with lots of ruffles, pearls and even bloomers.
       Elsewhere, it's been the bandage look that has been popular - at Herve Leger, of course,where it is the signature item - but also at Carolina Herrera, Alexander Wang, Lela Rose,Nicole Miller and in Victoria Beckham's new collection.
       Slashes and cut-outs came along with the bandages, adding a little sex appeal at Derek Lam, Rachel Roy and Zac Posen, among other runways. The slashes show some skin, but not so much that it couldn't be officeappropriate when placed on a shoulder or back.
       MARC JACOBS
       Marc Jacobs reminded style-watchers why he is called a bellwether with his very feminine clothes, which is probably what other designers will present two seasons from now.
       There were frou-frou ruffles and pearl embellishment, yet his muse was still a woman with an edge. Think of his customer as the cool, creative type who can find the best thing in a vintage store, or buy Jacobs' blushcoloured ruffled jersey dress that mimics it.
       Some of his looks went much farther than that - balloon genie pants and pleated bloomers come to mind - but those are for magazine spreads, not the real world. For store racks, he offered wearable jackets that had a hint of military influence and suits that could be the wave of the future, with a stream of ruffles down the jacket that continued on the skirt or trousers.
       ZAC POSEN
       Zac Posen did things differently. He switched from a night-time blowout show to a tranquil morning one, a big venue to a small one and - most importantly - he presented clothes you might see someone wearing.
       Posen had increasingly focused on dramatic, over-the-top clothes. Remember the whole Midwestern storm theme a few seasons back? Great looks if you happen to be an edgy multi-platinum rocker.
       His 2010 spring collection was a complete switching of gears, with adorable, see-through,candy-coloured raincoats setting the tone of an upbeat, youthful collection.
       Posen hit on the floral trend with a gladiolaprint gown with an open back, and a series of finale gowns with sequin flower appliques.He also used the trick of using cut-outs to create sexy silhouettes without showing too much skin.
       DONNAKARAN
       Nothing has moved on the Fashion Week runway quite the way Donna Karan's spring collection did.
       The silhouettes were slim, with Karan touting "body skirts" and "body dresses" that fit like second skins, but the light viscose jersey,linen and silk fabrics allowed them a vibe of easy elegance - and wearability. Colours included sky blue, a barely there blush and a lot of neutral skin tones.
       If there aren't enough places to wear her jersey wrap dresses - especially the blushcoloured, off-shoulder number that was a little reminiscent of old-school Halston there were everyday clothes, too. A wrapstyle skirt suit, for example, is something we should see more of.
       CAROLINA HERRERA
       Carolina Herrera showed transporting clothes with exotic rope and raffia details.
       There were many textured fabrics, offered in a natural colour palette that ranged from redwood brown to light stone.
       The occasional use of amber, rose and caramel were made to match the "waning light cast at the end of a summer's day",Herrera said in her notes.
       Her inspiration was baskets, she explained.That translated well into a strapless gown with a woven bodice and a quartz-coloured dress that looks like a checkerboard of organza.
       THAKOON PANICHGUL
       Thakoon Panichgul's spring styles rode the same ocean-inspired wave as quite a few other collections presented so far, although his take on things certainly had more attitude.
       His colours were mostly blues and greens,with a few flashes of pink and scuba-inspired silhouettes. What set him apart were mashups of prints and often edgy mixes of styles on a single garment.
       First lady Michelle Obama has worn the Thakoon label on many occasions, but it would be hard to imagine her wearing many things from this spring line.
       The cool fashion types in the audience?That's a different story.