New York signals the return of the high waist

Volume is emerging as the new buzzword for fashion as design heavyweights - Marc Jacobs, Betsey Johnson and Oscar de la Renta among them - play with proportion.

Trapeze-shape dresses and coats and silhouettes of high waists, full below-the-knee skirts and metallic beading are among next season's trends if New York Fashion Week is anything to go by.

Fur was also a big player while Jennifer Lopez launched her first catwalk range and Vera Wang proved she's not just a bridal designer.

New Zealand designer Rebecca Taylor wowed audiences with her new collection. Taylor, whose label generates an annual turnover of US$12 million ($16.6 million), counts Hollywood celebrities Jennifer Lopez, Courtney Love, Kate Winslet, Uma Thurman and Cate Blanchett among her clients.