Powerhouse labels Kors and Boss impress in New York

NEW YORK, USA - Global fashion empires Michael Kors and Hugo Boss dazzled the New York runway on Wednesday, the penultimate day of Fashion Week, inspired by the Duchess of Windsor and industrial beauty.

"It is a very cozy collection," billionaire designer Kors told AFP before his catwalk display of restrained opulence.

Fur featured prominently in long silhouettes and provided splashes of color: as a collar on short-sleeved georgette dresses, as stoles and as oversized cuffs on a fitted camel, long flared coat.

Under the fur were white shirts buttoned up to the neck and worn with flats -- a look straight from a man's wardrobe. There was also a lot of tweed, a strong trend this season in New York.

Kors said the 2015 collection was inspired by the Duchess of Windsor, the American divorcee whom Britain's King Edward VIII abdicated to marry, and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, who was killed in a plane crash with her husband John Kennedy Jr in 1999.

"Very elegant women who... loved luxury, but at the same time, it was not naked, it was covered up," he explained.

He presented a season of beautiful textiles and embroideries, feathers, tweed, a lot of cashmere and lots of menswear fabrics.

"I think all stylish women steal from their boyfriends' closet," he said.

It is a collection perfect for New York, he explained.

"There is a coziness to all of this," he said.

American supermodel Karlie Kloss closed out the show, in which four of the 56 models were men. Kors sees menswear as increasingly important.

In Manhattan, the label recently opened its largest shop in the world, which puts his entire men's and women's collections under the same roof for the first time.

"We have now men all over the world, they love fashion, they are more sophisticated and they are willing to break the rules," said the 55-year-old designer.

"Now he is learning just like women have."

In July, New York will get its first men's fashion week and Kors is looking forward to taking part with a presentation, but not a runway show.

Fashion Week finishes on Thursday, 48 hours before the Oscars and a number of designers are already switching their sights on Los Angeles.

But Kors, who dresses celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michelle Obama, is close-lipped on the subject.

"It's nice to see a lot of clients are nominated, and we'll be there. We'll be watching," he said.

Designer Jason Wu unveiled his third collection for German label Hugo Boss watched by Oscar hopeful Julianne Moore in the front row.

He presented sturdy riding boots and straight, precision cut silhouettes with square shoulders, skirts, jackets and necklines, made curvaceous and feminine by being belted delicately at the waist.

Wu, 32, told AFP backstage that his main inspiration was industrial beauty.

"There is this sense of German precision throughout the collection that I really wanted to come across," he said.

Evening and cocktail dresses were ultra slinky and metallic paired with long black gloves such as those worn recently by Amal Clooney, the British human rights lawyer and wife of Hollywood star George Clooney.

"It's about creating desirable clothes that are not just for one season, and here Boss really excels at tailoring and you can see that there is a strong message coming through," said Wu.