Her labor-intensive paneled tights were initially developed as a costume for dance performers, and now they’re among the most popular pieces in her fall collection. “They’ve been in such demand since the presentation,” she says. At Cynthia Rowley, where a recent partnership with the United Legwear Company has created a surge in hosiery offerings, a pair of embellished fan-print tights were stunners on the runway. “People talk of risk in this environment,” says Peter Arnold, president at Cynthia Rowley, “but fashion offers an escape. There always needs to be an element of fantasy.” And there certainly is in hose. United Legwear is even producing a slick set of tights decorated with heat-transferred nail heads for the company.