From talk of an impending recession to a new White House regime, big changes are on the American agenda. But on the fall New York runways, the trend in brand-building remains constant. Teetering on the brink of a shaky economy, designers are adamant about maintaining individual voices, and financial backers are determined to make indelible imprints on the hearts and minds of consumers that will guarantee sales, no matter what the financial climate.

One of the most anticipated branding exercises of New York fashion week, which wrapped last Friday, was the resurrection of the legendary Halston label by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and a team of investors, some Toronto-based. While past attempts to revive the brand have been unsuccessful, the timing could be right: After seasons of embellished clothes, modern simplicity is appreciated once again.

On Weinstein's arm, former label muse Liza Minnelli was a blatant brand endorsement: Dressed in vintage Halston, she said is thrilled with what former Versace collaborator Marco Zanini did with the collection. Elegant looks included a cashmere sweater coat in turmeric and a plain flowing chocolate wool jersey gown. The collection oozed ease - a safe, solid start.
On the flip side, Proenza Schouler is poised to become one of America's most exciting new brands. The label boasts financial backing from the Valentino Fashion Group, respect from style cognoscenti, a line at Target that raised mass awareness - and one of the week's best collections.

"It all started with playing around with paper airplanes," co-designer Lazaro Hernandez explained. "It's always a playful thing with us," added his partner, Jack McCollough. Their origami-themed vision featured folds in twill coats and dresses, in shades of marigold, emerald green, sea blue and aubergine. Jackets were artfully pieced together, with an architectural motif that highlighted detailed craftsmanship. Paillette-embroidered inserts lent understated glamour to smart wool coats, while long-haired shearling sleeves and a shaggy skirt added hits of wild to an otherwise sophisticated story.
In the realm of established designers, Narciso Rodriguez finally had the means to go to the next level, thanks to banking from mid-brow brand Liz Claiborne. With Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld and Enchantment star Amy Adams looking on, Rodriguez sent out a range of sleek, beautifully structured pieces, mostly in black. Fabrications included ribbon and chiffon tweeds, and embroideries were kept to a minimum. But a peacock feather dress and skirt were drop-dead glam.

"It doesn't get any better than this," said Project Runway's Tim Gunn, who is chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne and recently helped to recruit Isaac Mizrahi to take the design reins of the main label next year. In the meantime, Mizrahi is concentrating on his own eponymous line; he presented quirky pieces such as a bronze shirt gown, a black-and-white mink jacket that looked like a retro ski sweater, and a grey tweed ball gown.

The celebs also showed up for the Michael Kors show (while the star power was lower than usual at most shoes, he knows where his brand is buttered). The audience included rapper Pharrell, Eva Longoria, Sigourney Weaver and Ellen Pompeo. Backstage, Raquel Welch was gloating. "Michael was inspired by icons for this collection, and I'm an icon after all," she said.
But it was edgier icons - Amy Winehouse and Alfred Hitchcock - that Kors cited as inspiration for a collection that could have come out of Grace Kelly's closet. His colour palette swirled around iris and olive, splashed across sophisticated sheaths and cashmere separates. Canada's Coco Rocha shone as she peered out from horn-rimmed glasses in a cheetah-print suit that looked like it came off some campy film set.

Zac Posen's brand is known for its celebrity appeal as well. But this time out, save for Broadway's Patti LuPone, the designer's front row was void of stars. Evidently, he wanted to move beyond the hype-and-grab focus and put the attention on his clothes. Models in glam makeup, all with two black pompons atop their heads, buzzed around backstage. "Minnie Mouse meets Helmut Newton," Posen said with a grin, sending out a whimsical collection that looked like a Disney fantasy gone awry. Suits in shimmering gun-metal bubble wrap brought weightiness to an otherwise airy, fairy-tale collection that also featured sparkling tuxedo-style looks and transparent dresses, with lots of layering and fine tailoring.

But while most designers stuck with the tried-and-true - Oscar de la Renta went ultraluxe with rich brocades, fur trims, lush tweeds and sparkling embroideries - the week wrapped with a mini revolution: Marc Jacobs, notorious for keeping his audiences waiting for up to two hours, changed his ways and started early.

Chaos ensued as guests, including Victoria Beckham and Kevin Federline, scrambled to get to their seats. Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth belted out the tunes as a barrage of models, some sporting Paul Revere tricorne hats, flaunted Jacobs's new direction, which is light-years away from last season's controversial, ultrasexy "undressed" collection. This time around, Jacobs played with greys and muted pastels, producing voluminous blouson jackets and coats with fluted backs and peaked shoulders. Pants were slouchy and walking shorts featured dropped crotches. The sober collection was decidedly unsexy, save for lamé-draped dresses.

"I don't understand why people are so surprised each season when I change direction," Jacobs said post-show, lighting a cigarette. "I mean, isn't that what fashion should be all about?"