DKNY's sport-in-the-city shtick broke wide open this season to embrace the numerous girl tribes of New York at work and at play, from the Kate Hepburn-ish rigor of a white poplin shirt and full pleated trousers to the Latina flair of a floor-sweeping tiered dress in hot pink. Those trousers came in dark denim, an example of the blend of athletic ease and urban polish DKNY aims for. The same mix was visible in a parka dress, sunray-pleated minis topped with layered tanks, and shoes that looked like a cross between sneakers and platform espadrilles. Excitement was provided by DKNY's new silhouettes: a cropped, zipped linen jacket flared out over short shorts; another dress in hot pink kicked out from its Empire-line bodice. The sheer variety of styles made for some confusing staging at times, but things came into focus with the coats. A black-trimmed balmacaan and a red taffeta trench both achieved the DKNY ideal: city dressing with a twist of indisputable chic.
