NEW YORK, Feb 18, 2002/ FWD/ --- Now this is good downtown dressing.

Using some novel staging, Donna Karan presented her DKNY men's and women's collections for fall 2002 Tuesday evening in Bryant Park's Gallery in one of her strongest showings ever for the line.

Karan opened with more than two score of models posing in a phalanx on stairs built on the side of the runway.

Their hair was disheveled, their cheekbones cathedral-high and their attitude suitably distant.

As music meister Michel Gaubert spun a series of variations on Nirvana's classic "Smells like Teen Spirit," the models spun off in different directions back and forth on the runway.

The mood was definitely vintage and even workerist but never old.

The collection itself was packed with commercial items with just the right mix of quality and street credibility.

Karan's leather looks were especially cool: faded and deconstructed loft-dweller jackets, aged gray shearlings and hip double-faced suede coats.

Karan also played around skillfully with ruched leather skirts with ruffles and whipped up some great cargo pants that were utilitarian yet flattering to the figure.

Also excellent were the knits - cashmere drop stitch turtlenecks, viscose tanks and merino angora monogram sweaters with a playful new logo.

In short, an impressive performance where street and chic meet mellifluously.

The designer is clearly enjoying a new lease on life working with her new owners, the giant French luxury conglomerate LVMH.

Their goal of pushing up the luxury quotient in Karan's collections is clearly on track with this hip collection.

And the new partners -- Karan, company CEO Giuseppe Brusone and LVMH fashion commander Yves Carcelle -- celebrated the success of the show by dining together at Greenwich Village restaurant Il Cantinori post-show.

DKNY Fashion

DKNY Fashion