The initials were huge in red across the back of the catwalk, which was red as well. But the 14 men's outfits that were sprinkled amid the show Donna Karan staged for her second line could've used a bit more heat. That already signposted red provided a welcome accent in a sweater or a tie or a scarf, but otherwise, jackets and jeans said it all, really. The jacket was anything from a classic blazer to a leather blouson to a damped-down combat to a chunky cardigan—all dark and uniformly paired with the indigo jeans that were the sole trouser option.
Layering is an emerging story for fall '08. Wool over nylon, for instance. This show also offered a cardigan over a jacket—and its reverse. There was a hint of technical expertise at work in the way a major cardie could fit under a wool blazer. And a few seasons back, Donna declared her intent to get the DKNY man in a tie. That's clearly a battle she's won: All the young gents in this show sported a collar and tie to make their mothers proud. But still, one burning question went unanswered—what would the DKNY girl in her flouncy Biba-influenced finery make of the screwed-up-tight DKNY boy?
