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At N.Y. Fashion Week, coats and capes to bundle up beautifully

Whether going back in time, toward the future, or around the globe, the New York Fashion Week presentations of fall 2014 womenswear collections were focused on journeys.

By Oscar de la Renta, menswear-like pinstripes. JASONDeCROW / AP
By Oscar de la Renta, menswear-like pinstripes. JASONDeCROW / APRead more

NEW YORK - Whether going back in time, toward the future, or around the globe, the New York Fashion Week presentations of fall 2014 womenswear collections were focused on journeys.

And according to their designers, what cozy, comfortable trips they will be.

Clearly, we'll need luxurious coats for the treks. For the first time in many seasons, designers treated outerwear like showpiece finale gowns.

But instead of bodice-baring halters and illusion netting, models were cloaked in tartans, wrapped in wools, and draped in full-length furs.

Model Karlie Kloss donned a three-quarter-length mink (and a black wig) to open Oscar de la Renta's show Tuesday. What followed were a bunch of pinstripes and peplums for menswearlike pieces with a heavy dose of de la Renta chic.

Carolina Herrera opted for jewel-toned capes with dramatic fur trims. And Tory Burch's medieval grouping of mid-thigh miniskirts and jeweled sweaters were layered under wrap coats fashioned from tapestry-type fabrics. Burch's leather swing jackets featured enviable knife-pleats in the back. And her furry hand muffs made many a shivering fashionista in the audience jealous.

Michael Kors did full-length heather-gray coats with his usual workingwoman flair.

Elie Tahari presented leather bombers and color-blocked cover-ups topped with knit hats that were very downtown.

Alexander Wang sent copper wool coats and oversize leather biker jackets with fur trim down his futuristic runway (all the way in Brooklyn!). All his coats came equipped with pockets perfect for carrying smartphones. No more digging in the bottoms of your bags, fashionistas.

The same could be said for the fitted, quilted parkas by Humberto Leon and for Carol Lim's current label Opening Ceremony. Pockets aren't just for stuffing your gloves in anymore.

A trip to the past inspired a few of this week's vintage runway looks. Monique Lhuillier's dressy pieces were very 1940s Dior, accented with a modern mix of leather and lace. I've really enjoyed Lhuillier's evolution from angelic to edgy and dark - some of her pieces feature skull detailing.

Christian Siriano mixed '80s glam, with shoulder pads and aviator glasses, into his grown-up grouping where black-and-white checkerboard patterns were as memorable as his exquisite brimmed hats. Parts of his collection had a monochrome color story, with one look that featured a sumptuously shaggy indigo fur.

Diane von Furstenberg celebrated the 40th anniversary of her wrap dress by looking forward. But the modern-day queen of prints on prints also gave a nod to her disco roots. This season, her dresses danced with metallics.

Milly by Michelle Smith, however, seemed to have the most fun with gold glitter. Smith's collection - like Philadelphia's own Project Runway winner Dom Streater's - was inspired by ballerinas, but Smith's primas weren't afraid of glitz, especially when it came to sequined trousers. Party time!

Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis' Suno collection was about the journey from rags to riches. The trip began starkly with no-sheen, black-and-white looks in shapeless silhouettes. The collection segued into some waist-defining pieces with attention-grabbing turquoise-and-orange striped dresses - think new money - and ended with royal velvet day dresses in deep navies.

Prabal Gurung's winter florals were inspired by a trip to the Himalayas, and Nicole Miller's entire collection was fearlessly sexy, featuring sheaths fashioned from peacock feathers and so many cute, furry minis - what would fit more like muffs on the rest of us.

Nonoo's periwinkle coat with the snow-white fur collar was one of several pieces that made designer Misha Nonoo's made-to-be-layered collection of paneled skirts and printed sheaths very cool-weather mod.

Last, Rag & Bone's creative directors, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, gave us an unexpected back-in-the-day treat. The duo collaborated with Coogi, best known for its colorful knitwear, to make a handful of minis in the company's memorable striped knits - a perfect nod to Philadelphia's favorite sweater-wearing dad, Bill Cosby.

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