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Fashion Week Wrap: Part 3

Kanye West, Kirsten Dunst, and Sofia Coppola filled the seats Tuesday at Rodarte, where the collection evoked a 1930s prairie feel. See highlights from New York Fashion Week's sixth day.

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Here's a new kind of Prairie Home Companion: Rodarte's collection was inspired by the Great American plains of the 1930s. It was a nostalgic collection, with traces of Americana: dresses adorned with art-deco versions of a patchwork quilt; evening dresses edged with prints of wheat; honey-colored knits over geometric cowboy boots designed by Nicholas Kirkwood. The models' hair, too, billowed like a horse's mane. "We were inspired by concepts of light and dark," said Kate Mulleavy, one-half of Rodarte's design team, after the show. The collection was much more streamlined than the past few seasons. It consisted of several trademark elements, such as high-waisted pants and criss-crossed swags of fabric on shirts. For evening, there was a red sequined knockout dress on Karlie Kloss (who wore the show-stopping red dress down the runway at Lanvin last season and at Prabal Gurung on Saturday). But as opposed to recent seasons, when prints have been mismatched and complex layers of knits offered, this collection was remarkably simple.

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Rodarte's Fall Show at Gagosian Gallery on Tuesday morning drew a selection of high-wattage rappers, Indie heroes, and fashion stars. Kirsten Dunst posed for photographers with Somewhere director Sofia Coppola; singer Karen Elson looked ravishing—although not entirely seasonal—in a pink floral dress by Rodarte, and Kanye West, who was harangued by reporters after the show, flashed his diamond grills and kindly demurred. "I'm not doing press," he said. "Sorry." Vogue Nippon Editor Anna dello Russo arrived in a gold fringe mini-dress and sunglasses. She paused for a minute to reflect on the upcoming Oscar race—and explain why Natalie Portman (nominated for her role in Black Swan, for which Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy designed the costumes) needs to wear Rodarte to the Academy Awards. "All the clothes were done by Rodarte," dello Russo said. "If she's going to win the Oscar, I know she'll wear the right outfit of Rodarte. It must be Rodarte." And when we asked how she felt about Elle Fanning, Somewhere's 12-year-old star, who wore Rodarte to promote the film, dello Russo laughed: "Ahhh yes, the small actress," she said. "I mean, she's too young... she is spoiled!" Though Fanning was nowhere in sight, another teen was there: 14-year-old blogger Tavi Gevinson. "What did you think of the collection?" we asked her after the show. "You can read it on my blog," she responded. "How do you think this season was different from last season?" we asked again. Tavi: "You can read it on my blog." And—because third time's the charm—"What was your favorite piece from the collection?" "You can read it on my blog." Ouch.

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Monday night, Marc Jacobs brought us into a "1950s dressing room," with pencil skirts, gorilla jackets, and a sea of polka dots. On Tuesday, he gave us just the opposite: flowing silk dresses, floppy hats, and gold cropped pants. The tone couldn't have been more different at Marc by Marc Jacobs, the designer's more affordable line, where he gave us more functional shapes and textures for next year.

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"Old Hollywood" is a catchphrase you often hear on the Oscar red carpet, where young actresses are praised for reviving vintage glamour with some dark lipstick and finger-wave curls. But on Tuesday it pervaded the New York runways as well, when Mark Badgley and James Mischka—the dynamic duo behind Badgley Mischka—debuted a collection that was inspired by films such as All About Eve, Dark Victory, and The Women. The collection ranged from bright purple to emerald green. And, lest you get bored of beaded gown after beaded gown, there was a bit of whimsy in it too: tulle exploding from a hip, a great pink bustle flying off a pink strapless number. Other highlights: belted furs, long leather gloves, a dress with a neck full of feathers and—Bette Davis would be proud—a column dress swinging with beaded fringe. Things couldn't have been less "Old Hollywood" in the front row, where Pretty Young Things packed the seats: Demi Moore spawn Rumer Willis sat next to Kelly Osbourne—not far away from Lo Bosworth, of Hills fame.

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Frigid winds ravaged New York on Tuesday, testing fashion editors on teetering heels and creating a free-for-all outside Lincoln Center, where showgoers jockeyed for taxis. But inside Rachel Roy's presentation on Tuesday, there was a prevailing sense of calm: here were clothes that looked good for Fall. Roy provided an interesting mix of prints—such as floral dresses—belted under fitted jackets. There were oversized ponchos, alpaca vests and neck wraps—and, thank God, a simple black tiered evening dress with a thin belt. It may seem like an eclectic mix—but that's in keeping with Roy's overarching theme which, she explained, was meant to evoke the "world traveler."

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If Vera Wang has anything to say about it, there are two things you'll need next Fall: a flowing chiffon dress, and a big parka to go over it. Pastel-colored dresses blanketed the runway one minute, and bulky coats the next. The inspiration, too, was somewhat surprising. Wang says she was inspired by three American women from the 1930s: Wallis Simpson, Viscountess Thelma Furness, and Lady Emerald Cunard. As Wang described in her notes, the collection was about "grace, romance, and effortless style." One graceful person found his way into the front row: Olympic skater Evan Lysacek, who comes out to support Wang because she designs costumes for him to wear on the ice.

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There are certain things that are ingrained at Halston: floor-grazing gowns, drapes, and a '70s vibe. The latest iteration of the storied brand stuck to just that: at the house's presentation in Chelsea on Tuesday night, designer Marios Schwab debuted a collection of several ivory column dresses—adorned with a requisite amount of drape. The collection was themed "Ultra Electric," and had a distinctly disco-glam feel. "Fabrics move fluidly, caress the body. An evanescent aura of chiffon settles over weightly jewels," the description continued. Models stood on columns around the room as crowds circulated at their feet. Donna Summer blasted over the sound system, dresses glinted with disco-ball crystals, and, as The New York Times' Eric Wilson put it, "It was like a scene frozen in time—even the clothes."

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Narciso Rodriguez is well-known for color-blocking. It's his thing. But this season, he loosened up a bit. At his show at Lincoln Center on Tuesday night, Rodriguez sent an assortment of wools and soft chiffons down the runway, some with leather trim and strong accents of color. Stripes appeared on dresses in layered tiers, and silhouettes were looser than usual. Suddenly, Rodriguez's lines are blurred.

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