Oscar de la Renta’s Autumn/Winter 09 collection has drawn mixed reviews at New York Fashion Week

The 76-year-old designer unveiled his new pieces in a decommissioned Park Avenue church, but drew criticism for failing to push fashion boundaries.

The collection was full of his usual ladylike cocktail dresses, satin evening gowns and tweed suits, and featured lots of fur – including sable, broadtail, mink, chinchilla and skunk.

The designer also used faux fur – key pieces included a lynx-printed puffer vest and a lame leopard-print dress.

Waists were cinched with gold belts, while splashes of jewel colours offset the vast swathes of black featured.

Models were sent down the catwalk with their hair scrapped into backcombed chignons, which vogue.com noted were “dramatically ageing”.

Also drawing criticism were a clutch of aubergine coats and dresses, which only served to make models look old.

American designer Anna Sui’s show was more successful.

From the outset – when British model Agyness Deyn, who has been mysteriously absent for the rest of fashion week, strutted down the catwalk – Sui’s obvious delight at showing her collection was clear.

Texture was key to the show – combinations of lace, chiffon, wool, velvet, tweed and thermal cotton were all apparent.

Prints were also the order of the say, with Sui describing some of the patterns as "golden buttercup tulips and ikat plaid", "black and cream wallpaper floral stripe" or “black and cream Proustian butterflies”.

Like Oscar de la Renta’s collection, Sui’s featured lots of black, with models sporting embroidered boleros with beaded fringes and lots of velvet.

Proving she’s not quite ready to ditch her kooky image, Sui also sent faux birds tied onto stocking hats, printed stockings and over-the-knee fur-trimmed boots down the catwalk.

Other recent highlights include the Michael Kors show, which included beautifully cut, simple pieces and the 3.1 Philip Lim showcase, which focused on wearable glamour.

Narciso Rodriguez showed well-structured, sharp clothes in a series of eye-popping brights.

As well as the more stayed designs which have seen US President Barack Obama’s wife Michelle become a firm follower, Rodriguez also wowed the crowd with a series of sci-fi inspired headwear.

Photo: Model from the spring-summer 2009 collection of the designer

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