Victoria Beckham debuts A/W12 collection at NYFW

Waving the flag for British designers in yesterday's shows was Victoria Beckham, who presented her A/W12 collection of dangerously figure hugging mid-length dresses and sculpted cocoon coats, all accessorised with the fabric of the season, patent leather. A wash of nude, grey and black was seen throughout the show, with punches of pillar box red accentuating the overt sexuality of the pieces. Beckham truly has become a hero of British fashion. The designer also showed off her newest in luxury handbags and named the range of them after her baby daughter, Harper.

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Catherine Malandrino pinned her inspiration on two contrasting words, “virtue and vice”, leading to a collection that teetered over the edge of fetish erotica. Patent leather, embossed crocodile skin, mohair and fur all merged to channel the fetish trend that has proven itself to be the dominating look of A/W12. Jeremy Laing followed Malandrino with his take on the fetish trend. Less obvious and dramatic than his contemporaries, Laing's collection held a more post-goth feel, with Japanese minimalist design and artistic darkness fused together, creating one of the more wearable versions of this otherwise theatrical trend.

More black and leather was seen at Kevork Kiledjian's show, with skin tight dresses that enveloped the models' curves and astonished the crowds. Kiledjian's high necked, cutaway creations were some of the most shocking from New York Fashion Week so far, with pieces that exaggerated the fetish trend and pushed it to its limits. The militant sharpness of the collection gave a fresh originality to the look, proving Kiledjian to be one of the more innovative designers of the week.

A '60s glam housewife feel was presented in Derek Lam's exhibition later in the day. Whilst leather accents were seen, they had a less severe edge to them, with vintage patterns, slim fit capri trousers and funnel neck coats softening the look. Lam's finishing gowns were some of the most beautiful seen so far, with sweeping layers of white chiffon, and the tiniest of black leather strips at the shoulder.

DKNY came next with an amalgamation of office chic and frivolous fun, all brought through trumpet hem skirts, animal print cover ups and belted fur pieces. The clash of grown-up sophistication and young girlish fun made for a truly desirable collection.

Edun gave us bold, dark prints in a way that was more wearable than the over the top double prints of SS12. Edun's floaty blue and black dresses, paired with hard boots, leather jackets and scruffy hair came together to form the perfect wardrobe for the younger girl with a harder edge. Schoolgirl skirts and slouchy knits added to this effect, creating an incredibly wearable collection.

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Diane von Furstenberg the Queen of New York Fashion week herself, took to the runway with her assembly of instantly glamorous pieces that were all about seduction. A beautiful palette of maroons and browns were highlighted by dashes of red and pink. More flattering dresses and separates could not be found by any other designer. An unequivocally fabulous collection.

Structured skirt suits with a definite oriental feel hit the runway with Zac Posen's show. Slicked back hair and sharp make-up added to the organised and acutely feminine look of the exhibition.

Thakoon took femininity in a new direction however, using the red light district as their inspiration. Leather panelling and a palette of reds and pinks gave a dangerously kinky undercurrent to the collection, whilst softer slouchy elements prevented the look from becoming too harsh.

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Timo Weiland was the closing act after a day of fetish-ruled excitement. A parred down take on the trend was seen at the designer's show, with dark inky prints softening tough leather looks. Long skirts and grunge check prints gave an informality to the pieces, whilst fur accents prevented the collection from becoming too adolescent.