Statement coats were the stars of Derek Lam's Western-themed show.

While most New Yorkers wore their wellies in the ankle-deep slush pervading New York City for the last two weeks, many of the city’s fashion editors (including us!) stubbornly insisted on braving the elements in their heels. However, we did make a few adjustments, forgoing our velvet Louboutin platforms that we had planned on wearing for snow- and salt-friendly patent-leather Chloé sandals worn with thick tights.

Of course, such inconveniences were minuscule in comparison with news of designer Alexander McQueen’s death (we were at the BCBG show when we got word). We were particularly moved by Ports 1961’s invocation of a moment of silence, a classy tribute to the influential young designer.

Emotions also ran high at the end of Fashion Week, when Tommy Hilfiger closed the last show at Bryant Park. The transition to Lincoln Center next fall will be an interesting one, though we suspect the trend toward more off-site shows will continue with the rise of presentations hosted at venues such as Milk Studios.

In honor of Bryant Park’s final Fashion Week appearance, following are our top three favorite fall/winter shows held at the site:

1. Diane von Furstenberg
Stating “I always wanted to live a man’s life in a woman’s body,” von Furstenberg presented fall offerings with a masculine edge, while hints of silk, rosettes and plenty of soft wool details added a feminine touch. Standouts included an oversized gray chunky knit cardigan, a swingy peacoat atop a metallic skirt and a fitted black leather suit.

2. 3.1 Phillip Lim
Lim’s latest collection offered no shortage of contrasting textures, with asymmetric hemlines and brushed wools also playing a role. His “disco-era” influence was evident in the abundance of gold-appliqué and purple-sequin pieces, but was tempered by the more sedate browns, beiges and blacks that comprised the rest of the collection.

3. Tibi
The colors and patterns chosen by Tibi designer Amy Smilovic transported us from midwinter doldrums to the sunny shores of Palm Beach. Nubby knits mixed with leather bustiers and tweeds made for quite a contrast, not to mention juxtaposing sequined pieces with staid blazers and trousers. Here’s to standing out in a sea of gray this winter!

As for our top off-site show? We were blown away by Derek Lam’s Western-themed extravaganza, held at Capitale on the Lower East Side. Once we looked past the tassels and fringe, there was much to be adored by urbanites — the chic coats left us wanting more, and the stylish separates in neutral colors seemed to complement the towering platform shoes perfectly.

What was your favorite show?

Photo credit: Slaven Vlasic/Stringer

Tags: Alexander McQueen, Amy Smilovic, Bryant Park, Christian Louboutin, Culture, Derek Lam, designer, Diane von Fürstenberg, Fashion, influential young designer, Lincoln cent, Lincoln Center, New York City, Palm Beach Co Inc, Phillip Lim, Slaven Vlasic, Tibi, Tommy Hilfiger