Something else that the eygptions could use for their hair was a comb. Combs came in varies of shapes and sizes and value and how good they were. Combs were either single or double sided cones and the materials that they were made from were wood or bone. "It's going to be a show-stopper," she predicts and then, perhaps fearing she sounds immodest, explains, "Every time I do a new collection, I think it's so much better than the last one." Each new collection - pattern, hastily stitched mock-up, fabric choice, sometimes graphic print - is designed at home by Poulos but produced in Broward County by others. "I don't sew a thing," she says, "but nothing goes out of my space unless I've signed off on it." What remains now is the reality check: the reality-show check. How will America greet her work? The Fashion Star website promises contestants "real-time consumer feedback" and "interactivity" that allows "viewers at home to buy the winning designs each week" and, if that's not enough, "a multimillion-dollar prize" to launch their design line in top retail venues. It was part of a trend that was seen across the runways all weekend: fashion combined with function, a combination that can be hard to come by during Fashion Week. Thakoon used plaid another emerging trend for next winter in everything from sleeveless wool dresses to elaborate jackets. The designer also brought the look indoors, with chic cigarette pants and a classic little black taffeta dress with a plunging back. His difficulties with love have forced him to push his feelings aside to focus his efforts into assisting his friends. Niimai's love brings him lots of confusion, as there is little he can do but sit back and wait. Moemi's love appears to start off as a crush. O'Pry's success makes for a great story, but it's the exception to the rule in the female-dominated world of high fashion. A top male model may take home anywhere from $200,000 to $500,000 annually, but most make a less glamorous living from catalog work. Now, thanks to the recession, advertisers are shortening photo shoots and renewing older contracts to save money. There seemed distinct segments of the collection: the uptown lady who wears a belted shawl-collar jacket leather or aubergine stretch flannel, her choice a cashmere cardigan with dyed silver fox trim to go with her pencil skirt; the artsy jetsetter who wears her black-and-ivory, Toile-print quilted skirt suit with panache; and the young socialite who can rock a shocking-pink ballgown with gold embroidery. Moving seamlessly between multiple muses is something de la Renta nailed long ago. He has stayed relevant with something like the black leather coat with gold Toile (you won't find this look on wallpaper), and he knows how to update the tweed suit.