During New York Fashion Week, there's so much to see and so little time. This season, I've decided to focus on the shows that will have the most impact on what you'll be wearing for Fall 2012, including the coordinating beauty look.

The energy of the DKNY show is unmatched during Fashion Week. In true DKNY tradition, the show was held off site, with a New York City cab as the runway's backdrop. From the opening of the show through the finale, I was so pleased to see a collection that felt fresh and modern, yet instantly wearable. The Fall 2012 DKNY woman is strong, with a love of tailoring, dark hues and leather, but with a softer side that she expresses through fur, shearling and cozy knits.

With one single collection, Donna Karan declared that the wide belt is back. I know that you curvy ladies have been looking forward to it's return!

To better describe the energy and direction of the collection, the following poem Poetic Rebellion was created:

Inspired by the beat generation,

These are clothes for a true New Yorker—

Sweet and strong, pretty and tough, smart and street.

The city palette is a tonal mix of matte, sheer and gloss:

Black, steel, moody blues, potion and crimson.

The silhouette is one of soft structure -

Rounded shoulders, a soft flirty skirt

With blackout legs and a leather bandeau belt.

Leather rules in everything from sexy skirts,

And molded jackets and coats.

Suits have new height in bonded tailoring

With leather seams and bands.

Dresses openly flirt with front or back cutouts.

Sheer/opaque tops reveal and conceal with sophistication.

The new flippant skirt combines style

And substance in bonded feminine fabrics,

Like lace, crepe-de-chine, wallpaper florals or animalia.

Or play it straight with the stitched-crease trouser or a lean pencil skirt.

Mohair knits and lush shearling sweaters keep it cozy.

And the topper: a woven coat with tonal leather or shearling sleeves,

Or the winter-warm belted and hooded puffer.

Finish with a studded, chunky platform heel

In either an ankle-strap peep-toe pump or a tasseled bootie:

In haircalf, polished leather, polished leather or embossed croc

Add a bandeau belt to accentuate the waist.

Grab a metal hinge-clipped polished leather clutch

Or a haircalf portfolio and venture out day or night

Into the city and beyond.

With a creative rebellion of your own.

If we're being honest, it'll be a cold day in hell before I miss a show from The Blonds. All the cool downtown kids put on their finest & come out to support the dynamic duo and every piece eventually ends up on some starlet (hello, Katy Perry). There's always some element of surprise that makes actually attending the show far more satisfying than simply reviewing photos afterwards.

This season's surprise? The Spring/Summer 20102 collection was sponsored by Playboy. With the series premiere of The Playboy Club in a matter of days, Phillipe & David tapped right into the heart of the zeitgeist. The collection featured beautiful bejeweled corsets and dresses, the brand's trademark, body conscious dresses, fur, hot pants and even a tribute to Jessica Rabbit.

Click through the gallery below for all images from the collection. Do you have any favorites?

Photos by Kimberley Williamson, exclusively for Style IT.

One of my favorite things about Fashion Week is the opportunity to attend a show that you've never heard of before. These shows are generally held in smaller venues and while there may not be an overabundance of "fashion people" seated front row, they're usually a designer worth following. In the case of Sergio Davila, the venue was small, but the future looks bright.

In 2009, Davila was named as Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award for Best Menswear and in 2010, he was a nominee for Ecco Domani's Fashion Foundation. The show featured looks for men and women, with both exuding a casual cool. The menswear looks were strong and seemed to mirror Davila's own personal style.

The twin sisters of pop duo The Veronicas were perched front row, lending their support to the budding designer.

Official collection statement:

Sergio Davila’s Fall 2011 collection is “the style of the men from the Two Americas.”Davila has combined inspiration from his South American heritage intertwined with his life experiences in North America. In one collection, he shows the traditional, the Viceroy, the Gaucho, the all American Boy and the New Yorker.Sergio Davila achieves an intelligent and chic style that although conceived in the USA, employs the millenary techniques used in the Peruvian textiles and knitwear. His line of sophisticated sportswear utilizes touches of warm color, natural textiles, and earthy tones. Davila’s ultra-soft Peruvian fabrics, produced specially for this collection, include wool flannel, camel blend, and pima cotton.