Any fashion history buff can easily check the influences of Yves Saint Laurent’s ’80s rive gauche chic, the magnificent ruffles a la Pierrot, and the exaggerated shapes of Cristobal Balenciaga. Mashing up all these influences with a pretty gelato colour palette, demi-couture proportions and finishes like glitter and shine, on the other hand, is a pure Jacobsian masterstroke. Though the homage to aforementioned design influences isn’t explicitly spelt out by the designer, the point is how he’s still unabashedly championing the forgotten glamour of dressing up at a time when practical everyday dressing is the norm.

Wearing transparent plastic ponchos, guests who gathered at a rooftop of a school on Manhattan’s Lower East Side seemed to mirror the lightweight and layered elegance that Phillip Lim sent down the runway. Think Berber-striped gilets paired with a metallic bra top; pants and cotton tunics with a slouchy trench; oversized foulard and flowy wide-legged pants. In all, this collection is a fine lesson in effortless layering.

Trust two designers known for mining the rich treasure trove of inspiration that is Americana and American culture to create a fun homage to iconic old Hollywood movies. Raf Simons turned to Steven Spielberg’s 1975 underwater thriller Jaws at Calvin Klein 205W39NYC (top left) and montages the movie’s iconic poster with the brand’s own heritage CK logo. Over at Coach (top right), its executive creative director Stuart Vevers unveiled a fourth collaboration with Disney by rehashing prints of iconic retro cartoon characters from The Aristocats, Alice In Wonderland and Dumbo.

Yes, the label is a go-to favourite for gowns and occasion dressing. But could creative directors Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim also be fashion’s most underrated accessory makers? Judging from the array of witty and novel evening-ready bags at Oscar De La Renta, the answer points to a big fat yes. Of interest is the “caged bird” minaudiere which features a fringed leather bird encased in well, a cage. Then there is the brand’s popular TRO miniature bag — now rendered in an explosion of straw.

After taking a two-year break from showing at NYFW, the Mulleavy sisters rebooted their Fashion Week tradition and staged a show at the New York City Marble Cemetery in the city’s Bowery district. And what a show it was. The collection a fairy tale outing comprising yards and yards of tulle, bows, tiers and ruffles that are accented with crochet, stripes and amazing floral headpieces. You’d be forgiven for thinking that there was a big bridal show taking place Downtown. The saccharine sweet and frothy designs underscore what the design duo does best: evening dresses with an OTT viewpoint of romanticism.

Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta may have already built a strong fan base among editors and the fashion set who appreciate the label’s disruptive take on wardrobe staples. The last is often executed with their fabrications, off-kilter silhouettes and whimsical finishes. For S/S ’19, the designers run with that idea further and showcase their deft hand at manipulating fabrics in a rich and unexpected way —spanning tie-dyed jeans to a slashed checkered knit sweater.

You might already know this Liberian-American designer (top far left) behind the Telfar label for snagging last year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Or you might also have read how he kitted the more than 15,000 workers of White Castle. Indeed, it’s not just his conceptual retail ideas that often blur the lines between commerce, art, photography, and social commentary that have made him the newest darling of American fashion (cue: he recently set up a showroom with discount retailer Century 21 and let the public vote on Instagram for the clothes from his upcoming collection that they’d like to see produced). It’s also his no-fuss viewpoint of androgynous fashion that’s made him a name on our must-know list.

As we walked into the dim show space at Pier 94, we could already spot the rusty frame of a dinosaur from afar. But, one would only realise the enormity of the structure — a Frankenstein of a playground that’s constructed from old tyres, car parts and construction machines — when it towered above you up-close in person. To further highlight the desert-slash-post-Apocalyptic effect, Coach’s entire show space was covered with desert sand, as though we were stuck in a nuclear winter.