New York Fashion Week: Donna Karan Returns to Her Roots

9:41 AM PST 2/12/2013 by Merle Ginsberg

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The designer went back to her New York bodysuited-roots and did what she does best: sleek dark jersey combined with leather, wool and fur.

Donna Karen NY Fashion Week Split 2 - H 2012

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

WHO: Donna Karan

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WHAT: Fall 2013 runway show New York

WHEN: February 11, 2013

THE FRONT ROW: Uma Thurman, Gretchen Mol (in an odd western saloon style hairdo), Bernadette Peters -- and Vogue's Grace Coddington in a blue coat ... we've never seen her in a color before!

THE MOOD/INSPIRATION: New York eighties -- the return of Donna's "Seven Easy Pieces" -- she invented, of course, the bodysuit as high fashion, and the wearing of slim jersey pieces all in black -- the ultimate New York Woman wardrobe. The skirts were slim and either wrapped and slit up the leg, or shown in a tuplic shape -- shorter in the front, petal-like. The coats and jackets were double-breasted with peacoat elements -- but had very fitted waists and rounded shoulders and sleeves. It was all fluid, feminine and sexy -- and highly wearable. Lots of layered, but nothing bulky -- except a gorgeous fur with leather trim and a furry sweater jacket with furry fringe all over it, definitely one of the pieces of the season.

COLORS/FABRICS: She showed the look in five tonal groups: all black, charcoal grey, dove grey, camel with black -- and a beautiful reddish brown. Each look, outside of the camel with black, was completely solid monotone: the red/brown looks came with red/brown suede boots.

KEY TRENDS: Leather over mesh, leather with jersey -- texture, texture, texture -- and a bit of beading and shine showing up on leather; breastplate beaded bibs in long sleeved-gowns; and gowns with leather and burnout velvet, that are still slinky.

RELEVANCE TO HOLLYWOOD: Donna Karan's jerseys and leathers are perfect for the L.A. climate and perfect for Hollywood working women AND actresses -- not an easy feat. The slim pants and bodysuits are great for the workout crowd who love to show off their lithe curves. The long-sleeve gowns are great for women who are sick of strapless on the red carpet -- we could see Helen Mirren in any of the gowns, and Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman would also look amazing in them. Meryl Streep should own this entire collection and never wear anything else.