Rock style lives at NY Fashion Week

NEW YORK—Who said rock 'n' roll was dead? The look at New York Fashion Week Sunday was pure rock: form-fitting, sleek—and after a year of gray, black.

Max Azria brought back the bandage look of Herve Leger and outfitted rock starlets Joss Stone and Mandy Moore in the signature style in his front row. Rock & Republic turned for inspiration to the underworld and deep purple (the color, not the band). And DKNY evoked an updated '70s glamour.

The rock look has been evident since the start of New York Fashion Week, when Nicole Miller veered away from pretty cocktail dresses and invited Joan Jett into her front row.

Clearly, they're not the only ones who still love rock 'n' roll. Mercedes-Benz Fashion

Week runs through Feb. 8, with Oscar de la Renta, Zac Posen and new incarnations of Bill Blass and Halston yet to preview their collections.

Models wear fashion from the DKNY fall 2008 collection shown during Fashion Week, New York, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. ( AP Photo/Stuart Ramson) (Models wear fashion from the DKNY fall 2008 collection shown during Fashion Week, New York, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. ( AP Photo/Stuart Ramson) )

HERVE LEGER

Max Azria figured out 51 ways to tie a bandage before he presented his Herve Leger collection Sunday.

A skintight, bandagelike dress is the signature of the Leger label, which the Los Angeles-based Azria—of BCBG fame—recently resurrected by putting many celebrities in vintage versions of the formfitting yet surprisingly flattering silhouette.

This was the first time a new line was presented at the Bryant Park tents to editors, stylists and retailers along with likely customers Joss Stone, Mandy Moore, Sophia Bush and Padma Lakshmi.

Azria

never strayed from the bandage formula but he tried it in more fabrics, including chunky knits, and experimented with coats, pants and tops, too.

But the dresses, ranging from minis to gowns, still were the stars here. Azria wasn't afraid of calling attention to them, adding all sorts of embellishment—feathers, sequins and grosgrain ribbons—with varying degrees of success.

DKNY

Donna Karan showed off her handiwork with the fall DKNY collection with the theme of "eclectic glamour."

There was a '70s vibe to the bow blouses, slouchy wide-leg pants and floaty peasant dresses, but what really stood out were the knits, especially fringed sweater dresses. A silk georgette fringed skirt looked like individual pieces of yarn—camel, purple, gold and red. Those same colors were featured in the silk prints used for balloon-hem minidresses and plaids on jackets.

The DNKY collection targets a younger and trendier customer than her signature—and more expensive—Donna Karan label that will be shown to editors, stylists and retailers on Friday.

DKNY also has men's clothes. Next season, Karan is offering them dark denim jeans with flannel wool blazers worn with cardigans underneath.

ROCK & REPUBLIC

Rock & Republic is all about gangster chic for fall.

With an orchestra—complete with a shiny baby grand piano on the runway—providing much of the 1970s rock 'n' roll soundtrack, sleek black suits dominated the runway Saturday night. Other old-school, underworld classics, such as fedoras, trenchcoats and watchman jackets, brought the mafia looks of yesteryear to an audience that included Joss Stone, Christina Milian and Tyson Beckford.

The toy-gun accessory worn in a holster on slim, low-slung black trousers was too literal and unnecessary. But the suits, especially those for women, looked right on target.

The palette here was limited, mostly black, gray and the occasional flash of deep purple.

The fall 2008 collection of Rock & Republic is modeled during Fashion Week in New York Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008. ((AP Photo/Stephen Chernin))

The collection by creative director Michael Ball and input by new designer David Cardona certainly fit in with the rock 'n' roll look emerging as a trend, but some audience members mused after the show—what happened to the denim that made this label famous?

The fall 2008 collection of Herve Leger by Max Azria is modeled during Fashion Week in New York, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. ((AP Photo/Diane Bondareff))

Singer Joss Stone attends the fall 2008 collection of Herve Leger by Max Azria during Fashion Week in New York, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008. ((AP Photo/Diane Bondareff))