Redefining luxury for the modern American woman is the aim of Fashion Designer Douglas Hannant, the New York based designer who has been compared to a "young Halston" and praised by critics as "the new master of American couture." With his choice of luxurious fabrics, great attention to detail and impeccable finishing, Hannant underscores his designs with a simple, yet central idea: contrast unexpected choices and combinations to create sportswear-inspired designs with "dressed-up" sensibilities.

Sculptural yet unstructured, Hannant's ready-to-wear collection blends day and evening with confidence and focus, "chic does not mean fussy or contrived. I like to see women wearing pants at night or an exquisitely beaded tank top during the day. I consider my designs more dressed down eveningwear than dressed up sportswear," says Hannant.

"There was a need for good taste, modern design, and something special in luxury clothing to go against the uniform style of the 90's."

Texas native Lela Rose is known for pretty dresses in interesting fabric combos that young socialites and starlets love. Her Spring '06 collection was inspired by a 1960s William Klein photo featuring two models on the Piazza di Spagna in Rome. "It is this spare, almost abstracted notion of 'pretty,' that inspired my spring/summer 2006 collection,” says the designer on her website.