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Rucci, the only American to be invited to show haute couture in Paris under his own name, is a stickler for details, resulting in fine clothes that need to be seen, felt and - probably even better - worn to be fully appreciated. For evening, Rucci's interest in the human body was brought to a handful of artsy prints - prints that would be hard to imagine at a socialite gala. A museum opening party, perhaps? Some designers have toned down the glitz as a nod to the recession. Not Carmen Marc Valvo. Valvo's spring 2010 collection was rooted in gold and shown at a cocktail party inside the NASDAQ building. The designer partnered with the World Gold Council and displayed the line on three separate jumbo-trons in Times Square. Subtle, it was not. But Valvo's philosophy is that in ugly times, people want beautiful clothes. Glittery as it was, Valvo said his inspiration was modern armor for the urban jungle. Indeed, one of the highlights was a black chain-embroidered cocktail dress, a sort of elegant chain mail worn with a black metal organza trench. Boutique owner, collector and custom designer, Alicia Lee, hasn't had much sleep since opening her shop in June of last year. Perched above a nail salon in a hidden alley in Sanlitun dominated by pedestrian traffic, WillowWillow has quickly soared to the top of the city's fashion radar, with Lee's very own haute couture pieces appearing in designer magazines and hanging in the closets of Beijing celebrities.