Revival of the fittest

New collections from Halston, Leger, and Bill Blass share the spotlight with fashion's rising stars

Followed by spotlights, models return backstage after the presentation of Temperley London's Fall 2008 collection at Fashion Week in New York yesterday. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

NEW YORK - Liza Minnelli may have been the only one to whoop in delight as the first look came down the runway for the debut collection of the new and improved Halston. But she was far from the only one excited about the rebirth of the company that defined '70s jet-set glamour before it descended into a creative and financial mire.

At Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, names that were once discarded as dull relics are once again generating buzz with their collections for autumn/winter 2008. Thanks to new talent (and financing) some of the hottest tickets this week are at shows for Halston, Herve Leger, and Bill Blass. Meanwhile, a fresh crop of young designers is stealing the spotlight from many more established names. In several cases, their stunning new collections managed to surpass expectations.

Even before newcomer Jonathan Saunders premiered his fall/winter 2008 collection here on Sunday, he was enjoying favorable word of mouth (and a valentine in the latest issue of Vogue). Saunders is well-established in the UK, and on Sunday he offered his dramatic American runway debut with a collection of form-hugging dresses that turned his models into art deco statues draped in camel, black, and loden green.

His inspiration, a combination of science fiction and sand sculptures by Brancusi, was brought to life through cashmere knit dresses, bouclé wool frocks with leather panels, and chiffon evening gowns. The pieces, artfully tailored and flawlessly designed, showed that innovation can still be quite wearable.

While there was far less pre-show buzz for Rubin Singer's runway presentation, the up-and-coming designer and Oscar de la Renta protégé also channeled science fiction, creating a dark, futuristic, and lovely homage to the silent film "Metropolis." Singer sidestepped gimmicks - save for the matching bowl-cut wigs - but did manage to send one model out in an evening gown called The Heart Machine.

Fashionista of the moment Erin Fetherston, who showed a drab spring collection of gray seashell prints and crazy headbands, redeemed herself with a series of pretty boho dresses. Mara Hoffman, making her debut in the Bryant Park tents, also made up for misdeeds of the past (and there have been many) with elegant travel-inspired pieces.

But the week belonged to Saunders and also to younger designers such as Alexander Wang and Rodarte, whose stars continue to rise. Editors and buyers were waiting to see if Wang and Rodarte could match the success of past seasons and prove they had staying power. It seems they do.

"Rodarte is as close to modern-day haute couture as you can get," Harper's Bazaar contributing fashion editor Mary Alice Stephenson said after the Rodarte show. "Their craftsmanship is unparalleled and they have a point of view that comes through. Even though it's ready-to-wear, it's art. The sisters [Kate and Laura Mulleavy] are two of the most talented young designers working today."

Similarly, Wang's show in West Chelsea was a crush of urbane hipsters who seemed just as interested in the music and the scene as the clothes. His forward-looking collection of small skirts and wide trousers was as gritty as it was pretty.

With big-name runway shows such as Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Zac Posen, and Marc Jacobs taking place today and tomorrow, much of the early week excitement here revolved around the re-introduction of classic names Halston, Herve Leger, and Bill Blass.

Halston's rebirth comes courtesy of new owners Harvey Weinstein and Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon. Designer Marco Zanini of Versace fame offered a collection of minimalist knits that was a modern reworking of some of Halston's classic looks. Yet in his attempt to remain true to the designer's original vision, Zanini's collection lacked the wattage of Halston collections of yore.

It was a similar story at Herve Leger. The label was acquired by Max Azria in 1998, and the designer began reworking the famous Leger bandage dress last year. For the first Azria-designed runway collection, shown on Monday, the stretchy, form-fitting dress, a huge sensation when it was first introduced in the 1980s, was the star attraction, and the first half the show sported the bandage dress in solids, patterns, and ombré.

"I think the trick to successfully relaunching Herve Leger is to remind women about the bandage dress, but not to slavishly copy the original," says celebrity stylist Robert Verdi. "This first collection was a little too close to the original. I would have liked to see some more innovation. The first collection is the reminder, the next one should be more innovative."

Bill Blass received a much needed creative boost when 37-year-old Peter Som was brought in as designer last year. Som will show his first Blass runway collection this afternoon at Bryant Park. To find inspiration, he went into the Blass archives and revisited the late designer's love of pattern and fit.

"That was the starting point," Som saidyesterday while fitting models for today's show. "What I really wanted to do was bring a fresh aesthetic to the line. The challenge to me as a designer is moving the look forward whileremaining true to the great work that he did."

Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com.