The essentials: Fur coats, satin and alligator jackets, jersey dresses, velvet suits, beaded frocks, flowing organza gowns, knee boots.

The palette: Black, gray, silver, white, beige, taupe, tan, brown, yellow, burnt orange, army green.

Bottom line: Rucci's craftsmanship is undeniable, but most of his fall pieces seemed to suffer from overembellishment. The result? Fussy and a little old-fashioned.

Beauty report: A dramatic mod eye and latex-coated updo hinted at futuristic mod--a look best reserved for costume parties.