Grown up fashion

Monday was a day of sophistication and opulence on the runway, starting with Carolina Herrera, whose collection had more of an edge to it than you might expect from this glamour queen -- lots of black and navy and dark, basket weave detailing and jacquard prints complicating otherwise gorgeous eveningwear. As usual, Herrera's clothes were dripping in fur -- this time in the form of over sized cuffs on enormous, loose sleeves. Lots of movement to the clothes, which is nice to see. Nannette Lepore is in love with brown and purple this season and she worked it every which way - sweater dresses with plunging backs, menswear inspired trousers paired with lady like buttoned up blouses, dresses that were, well, dressier and sexier than what you might expect from this designer who is known for her fitted suits and sweaters. Oscar de la Renta was a crowd pleaser with sumptuous sweaters, belted dresses and jackets and plenty of sparkle -- which is everywhere on the runways this season. Max Azria is all about texture this season, with pleated dresses and skirts, layers of tweeds mixed with more delicate fabrics, and, as is proving to be the trend, voluminous sleeves, a dark palate and shots of metallics. And then there's Marc Jacobs who is never a follower. (I didn't get in. At least I was at a fab party instead. More on that later.) He traded last seasons billows for a sleeker line with slim trousers, knee-length shirt dresses and pantsuits straight out of the '70s.