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Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. collection was the most highly stylized of the day. The clothes ranged from retro mod frocks to wearable-yet-sexy sheath dresses, all shooting out onto the runway against a black-and-white video backdrop on models wearing clunky heels.

The palette was almost entirely black and white.

A handful of the outfits were costumey — particularly a double-breasted coat that she called the Abingdon Road coat and a pair of matching short shorts. Stefani might be able to pull this off onstage, but the average woman would have trouble wearing it, no matter how cute it looked on the runway. Overall, though, Stefani, along with stylist Andrea Lieberman, offered several looks that were in step with her young, hip customer, including a military-inspired jacket with a peekaboo neckline worn with a plaid pleated dress and a houndstooth beaded shift dress with a pleated cape jacket.

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Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. collection offered both mod frocks and sexy sheaths. BCBG Max Azria showed sheer, flowy dresses, while Abaete turned to '40s-inspired sheaths and halters for the collections shown at Bryant Park.

New York Fashion Week lasts eight days, previewing the spring-summer looks of 60 designers for fashion editors, retail buyers and stylists. Highlights this season will include Ralph Lauren celebrating his 40 years in fashion with a black-tie dinner Saturday night.

Dresses have been a strong trend the past three fashion cycles, but what started with short, boxy shifts in the spring morphed into shirtdresses for fall. It seems next season's shape — at least in early shows — is a loose sheath, one that glides over an hourglass shape without sticking to it.

For men, Nautica showed shorter hemlines while Perry Ellis experimented with different textures, such as bamboo fiber.

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L.A.M.B. has been one of the few celebrity brands to find a success at high-end retailers, and it has gained the respect of the fashion industry. She launched the label with a big Fashion Week show two years ago and has done smaller previews since then. The big difference between that first big catwalk event and this one, Stefani noted, was that she wasn't scrambling for accessories: L.A.M.B. now makes its own.

The very first shoe on the runway was a yellow, green and black platform pump called the Kingston.

"We're still learning, but we also have accomplished stuff that shocks me. I don't want to brag, but I'm feel pretty proud of a lot of this," Stefani told The Associated Press earlier this week.

Some of the audience appeared to agree, with a standing ovation from the celebrity section, which included Eve, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and actress Sophia Bush.

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The show was the most highly stylized on a schedule that also saw spring previews from BCBG Max Azria and Nicole Miller, among others. The clothes ranged from retro mod frocks to wearable sheath dresses, all shooting out onto the runway against a black-and-white video backdrop on models wearing clunky heels.

A handful of the outfits were costumey — particularly a double-breasted coat in a black-and-white check that Stefani called the Abingdon Road coat and a pair of matching short shorts.

Stefani might be able to pull this off onstage, but the average woman would have trouble wearing it, no matter how cute it looked on the runway. Overall, though, Stefani, along with stylist Andrea Lieberman, offered several looks that were in step with her young, hip customer, including a military-inspired jacket with a peekaboo neckline worn with a plaid pleated dress, and a houndstooth beaded shift dress with a pleated cape jacket.

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She also noted a group of Indian-inspired outfits that were decorated with gold applique details. Many of the colors in the collection also seemed rooted in the spices of the region, including lemongrass and saffron.

However, one of the most noteworthy gowns was a magenta strapless gown that mimicked an unfurling flower, with uneven petals of fabric. The gown surely would be stunning on one of Keren Craig and Georgina Champman's starlet fans, but one has to wonder how that wearer would ever be able to sit.

Other dresses appeared to be courting a tougher chick than Marchesa's typical customer, especially some form-fitting shorter dresses with mirrored beads and strategically placed cutouts.

"Marchesa's spring 2008 collection examines the British Raja and the resulting fusion of two opposing cultures," the designers explained in their inspiration notes. "Victorian romance merged with Indian tradition and sensuality."

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The presentation was held at the Chelsea Art Museum, and socialites, editors, buyers and stylists had to wend their way through a maze of white curtains to see vignettes of elaborate eveningwear.

"That's a goddess dress," gushed Candy Pratts Price, executive fashion editor at Style.com, when she spotted a long, black, lace-and-tulle slipdress with embroidery, an ivory underlay and ribbon detail at the empire waist.

A strapless gown made of tulle and covered with gold embroidery was equally impressive, maintaining an appearance of delicacy under a hefty amount of metal. "It's a fantastic gold plume dress," Pratts Price said.

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Facchinetti said she aims to present her first Valentino collection in March.

"I am honored to be part of this new project," she said, calling Valentino an "icon of style and elegance."

Valentino Garavani, 75, said Tuesday he was stepping down as head designer of the fashion house after 45 years in the business. Over the course of his career, his trademark red gowns have graced the world's royals, Hollywood stars and international jet setters.

Valentino said he would show his last ready-to-wear collection in Paris in October and his couture collection there in January.

Facchinetti began her fashion career at Prada's second line Miu Miu, where she stayed for seven years, eventually rising to become design brand coordinator for both the men's and women's collections.

In 2000, she became design director next to Ford at Gucci; four years later she was named creative director for womenswear when Ford resigned. But Facchinetti resigned a year later in a disagreement with management, and in 2006 joined Italian sportswear maker Moncler