Editor's Note: With 350 designers at fashion week, there's no way Clifford Pugh could see all the shows. CultureMap contributor Lindly Arnoldy sought out some new fashion talent. Here's her report.

NEW YORK — Viewing the runway shows of major fashion houses at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week is a thrilling experience. There is something truly glamorous and titillating about being a stone’s throw away from the key editors and photographers who have long standing presence in the industry.

However, there is also something to be said about seeing an emerging designer present for the very first time, where the talent is palpable but the crowd is much thinner.

One of my favorite experiences from fashion week was viewing the presentation of newcomer Mathieu Mirano in the Box at Lincoln Center. Unlike a typical runway show, Mirano’s presentation felt exotic and otherworldly, paying homage to his background in piano with intense classical music setting the tone.

His 2012 fall collection was inspired by a dream he had involving women and dragons, which was visible in his use of fiery reds, golds and blacks with the incorporation of exposed zippers, claw studs, dragon heads and talons.

The result was a dark, somewhat mystical collection that reminded me of the sort of ostentatious, regal feel of something put forth by Balmain or Versace. My favorites were actually two gowns — a black turtleneck velvet gown that had a sort of renaissance appeal to it and a red and gold floor length satin with a V-neck and cap sleeve.

At only 20 years old, Mirano is making a name for himself for his sense of imagination and couture skills focusing on high levels of construction. He dropped out of Parson’s School of Design and in the last year morphed from a student trying to sneak into the tents at Lincoln Center to a talented, emerging designer presenting from the inside. I was very impressed with his work and predict he will be one to watch.

Sea monsters on the runway

Another favorite at fashion week was newcomer – though not first timer – designer Karen Walker. She has really made a name for herself in the industry with her sunglass line, a gift to all of the attendees in the first two rows at her runway show. She used the Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea as the inspiration for her “Sea Monsters” presentation, which translated into lots of navy, yellow and orange separates with funky paisley prints, brocades and boxy coats.

I love Walker’s ability to offset a sweet peplum or pussybow blouse with a boyish, drop crotch trouser. There were also '60s mod undertones, seen similarly in her signature round sunnies, with her use of fuzzy sweaters and A-Line silhouettes. I particularly loved how she brought the paisley prints into her pointy toe booties with vibrant colors and sweet ruffles. The wild colors and prints were refreshing next to all of the black seen at many of the other shows.

The show attracted some notables. I spotted well known blogger Man Repeller tweeting from the front row and Elle style director Kate Lanpher seated directly in front of me. Walker’s knack for eclectic mix and her ability to execute multiple influences really made her stand out to me as a whimsical, talented designer who we will continue to see more of.

Lindley Arnoldy writes the fashion and style blog The Flip Side.

NEW YORK — Once a stuffy old brand, Lacoste has made a comeback in recent years, just as its alligator emblem has grown bigger and shown up on clothing in dozens of different ways.

Under the guidance of designer Felipe Oliveira Baptista, Lacoste remains sporty but has grown hipper looking, too. The Lacoste fall 2012 collection, shown during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week with large rectangular snow globes bisecting the audience, was a winter wonderland of cool styles that you'd be tempted to wear even if you didn't come anywhere close to the slopes.

Baptista looked to the styles created by Lacoste for the 1966 French ski team and mountain challet photos from the 1930s featuring founder René Lacoste and his family as inspiration for his second Lacoste runway collection.

He updated knits and tweeds in space-age fabrics that range in shapes from form-fitting sweater dresses and matching leggings to large egg-like parkas with a rounded edge. Raw seams and zippers add an urban touch. The sleeves of several dresses in fabrics ranging from colorful tweeds to black leather zip open to create a cape-like cocoon.

In menswear looks, ski sweaters feature rows of crocodiles along the arms and nifty coats are quilted to add texture.

The fabrics throughout the collection are so light that layering never looked so good. Makes me wish for a cold spell in Texas.

See the Lacoste fall 2012 collection - and the snow globes:

NEW YORK — Fashion always reflects the times. So with the uncertainty in the economy, the popularity of The Hunger Games and interest in paranormal activity, many fall collections shown during Meredes-Benz Fashion Week were a little dark and unsettled. "It used to be happy endings. Now it's all about the dark side," Roseanne Morrison, fashion director at The Doneger Group, explained to me before one show.

Ever perennially sunny Tory Burch seemed a little moody. She based her fall collection on a prim girl who is obsessed with a bad boyfriend. "She's innocent, unaware of her own sex appeal," Burch wrote in the program notes. Influenced by the 2000 Hong Kong movie, In the Mood for Love, in which neighbors each suspect their spouses of being unfaithful, Burch created a collection that is polished and proper, but with subversive undertones.

To evoke the mood, the designer, a big music fan, selected the hypnotic song, "Under Your Spell," by Desire. (It was featured in the movie Drive.) Models walked down the runway to the words, "I don't eat, I don't sleep, I do nothing but think of you. You keep me under your spell."

Burch has quickly built a worldwide brand by offering stylish clothing well below designer prices. Her latest collection rachets up the level of sophistication and sensuality, with snugger silhouettes and a mix of fabrics like tulle and leather.

Yet it still includes plenty of saleable separates, including cardigans trimmed with pearls (very Chanel), tweed blazers with fringe detail, sweaters trimmed in tulle appliques, crinkled leather coats, patent skirts and handpainted plaids with sequin detail.

A variety of handbags, which range in styles from boxy with a chain link strap to embellished clutches, and shoes (T-strap and spectator pumps) gave each look a polished touch.

It was only Burch's second full-scale runway show and when I caught up with her that night at the Narcisco Rodriguez show, she seemed exhausted by the rigors of putting it together. Later, on her website, she listed the numbers involved in creating the runway show. It entailed:

Seats: 626
Racks of clothes: 10
Pairs of shoes: 500
Trips to fabric stores: 75
Sequins sewn by hand: 3,500
Hours to create custom hand-painted Gracie wallpaper: 1,200
Stores called for Fogal tights: 40
Pre-show food deliveries: 21
Boxes of Girl Scout cookies consumed: 12 (surprisingly, less than we expected)

Rather than get some rest, Burch and her boyfriend, record producer Lyor Cohen, sat in the front row of the Rodriguez show, alongside Gloria Estefan and Claire Danes. Burch and Rodriguez are close friends even though their design sensibilities couldn't be more different. In nearly 10 years of watching Rodriguez's shows, I don't recall ever seeing anything embellished. His designs are so pure and deceptively simple that it was surprising when several outfits in the fall collection were marked with T-shape fabric that looked a bit like flying birds.

This collection is also populated with eye-assaulting colors of deep orange, chartreuse and wine in colorblock patterns as well as black and shades of gray. Eyecatching dresses in angular patterns and bell-shaped coats showcase Rodriguez's unique design style.

NEW YORK — As editor of Harper's Bazaar for more than a decade, Glenda Bailey realizes the importance of constantly reinventing the magazine to keep up with the ever more frenzied pace of fashion. She recently unveiled a new design for the monthly, beginning with the March issue, on newstands now.

Before the DKNY show began, I caught up with her in her customary front row position to discuss the magazine's changes, spring trends and her special affection for Paris designer, Andrew Gn, who will be in Houston next month.

CultureMap: Why did you decide to make over Harper's Bazaar?

Glenda Bailey: Actually it's evolution, not a revolution. Every six months we always update the design. But the reason why it looks particularly different now is because we've actually grown one inch wider. I know I'm the only person in fashion that wants to be wider. And the paper quality has improved. So the evolution of the design feels very substantial.

The timeline has changed in terms of where we get our fashion information. We go online to get our news. For something to be important enough to stay in your home for a month or longer, then it really needs to be something you treasure, a collectible, something you want to keep.

We looked back on our history and were inspired by Alexey Brodovitch and that wonderful typeface that he does and it was a question of bringing that up to date.

CM: How have you changed the inside the magazine?

GB: We're trying to make it easier to navigate because I am so conscious of our readers' time. It's the most precious commodity any of us have. We are in a priviledged postion of seeing the very best in the world, regardless of the price point, and being able to present it to our readers. If I can show it in a very clean and concise way, then it's going to help her make her decisions more quickly.

CM: Are you keeping some of the popular features?

GB: Yes, "Fabulous at Every Age," "A Fashionable Life" — all of these reader favorites remain in Bazaar. But we have signposted our sections a little bit differently. The shopping section is called "The Bazaar," and if you look at it, it's more similar to online shopping. We look forward to be able to announce our e-commerce venture later in the year.

CM: How is the cover different?

GB: The subscriber cover is very daring. I like to take risks. We have Gwyneth Paltrow, which is very appropriate because she is relaunching Goop this month. It's a full-length (photo) of her, with her hair down, and you can't see her face.

Also a star of the cover is an Anthony Vaccarello dress. He's a designer that's had only two collections in Paris. He's an Italian who grew up in Belgium. He works in Paris, but he has very little publicity in the American market. Since the cover came out only days ago, I'm happy to report he has received so many offers of backing. It goes to show the power and authority of Harper's Bazaar, not with just our grand tradition but showing the stars of tomorrow.

CM: What about the newstand cover?

GB: We have to show what the magazine is about to readers who aren't familiar with Bazaar. It's Gwyneth looking incredibly sexy in a black all-in-one YSL pants suit. We have cover lines on the news stand because it's very important to attract new readers and to tell them what's inside the magazine. Whereas with the loyal readers they know exactly what's in Harper's Bazaar.

CM: Let me ask you a couple of trend questions. What are you excited about for spring?

GB: I love the sleeveless jacket, particularly when it's like what I'm wearing today, like a tuxedo, this is a Lanvin coatdress. I think it looks incredibly modern. I also love a peblum top. I think pencil skirts look right right now. And I would really invest in a pair of stilettos with a pointed toe.

CM: It looks like what we're seeing on the runways for fall is a tougher-edged look.

GB: We're seeing lots of military, lots of black, red and gray. We'll see a lot of document-case style bags because you want to look like you mean business. In the pre-fall collections, one look that really stood out was a three-piece pinstripe Céline trouser suit. What that's saying is it's fashion waking up to the economy and realizing that women have to compete against men in the workplace. All of a sudden it's even more important to look smart, strong, confident, because you want to look like you mean business.

CM: You have been a champion of Andrew Gn's work since early in his career.

GB: The reason I love Andrew's work is he very much has a couture sense of design. He has a love of fashion history and is able to produce something that is a distincitive signature that is right right now. He really understands his customer and her needs in terms of how she needs to dress for certain occasions in her life. And he really fulfills those needs.

NEW YORK — No once does the English countryside look better than Ralph Lauren, so it came as no surprise that America's iconic designer looked to the PBS blockbuster hit, Downton Abbey, for his fall 2012 collection.

Music from the British soap opera, which ends its second season on KLRU Sunday night, wafted through the intimate studio as models came out through a carved dark wood entrance and walked down a runway parquet floor with massive chandeliers overhead.

The first third of the Lauren show featured tailored menswear looks that the designer does best. Models appeared in three-piece suits, with button-down shirts and contrasting white collars, houndstooth coats, Fair Isle sweaters and plaid jodhpurs, accessorized with top hats and bowlers. While the female characters in Abbey, which is set in pre- and post-World War I England, aren't quite ready to wear pants, we can imagine the rebellious Lady Sybil adopting the look in future episodes.

Eveningwear had a tingle of the roaring '20s art deco influence, particularly in the closing look, a wavy all-gold gown. Other nifty nightime looks included black evening gowns with jeweled collars, evening pants with jackets trimmed in gold, and a black-and-gold ostrich feather cape.

While such obvious references to the past were evident, Lauren created looks that feel modern and fresh. He included some nifty cropped motorcycle jackets and paneled leather skirts that added a dash of pizzazz.

Lauren, who has often appeared at the end of previous shows in jeans and a casual shirt, dressed in a three-piece gray suit with matching tie when he made his runway bow. With such an uptown Downton collection, it seemed appropriate that he dressed for the occasion.

View the Ralph Lauren fall 2012 collection: