>> Before the finale march, Anna Wintour ducked out at Donna Karan to hightail it to Queens and Roger Federer's guest box for the US Open men's title match. But she stuck around long enough to catch Donna's "urban atmosphere," as the designer put it to WWD, adding that she was "inspired by the power of the elements — the sky, water, wind, sand, earth, and fire" in her show notes.  Karan's signature draped jersey was out in full force in all shades of neutrals, and the clothes felt very of the moment — meaning the moment many women are currently feeling to invest in solid, wearable, classic pieces rather than be tempted by those transient, of-the-moment-or-maybe-the-season-if-you're-lucky pieces.

The show was held in Karan's downtown studio space, which ended up packed to the gills, and Milla Jovovich sat front row. Charlotte di Calypso, who's not having good luck with her accessories this week — yesterday her belt popped open at Derek Lam — glided by at one point, adjusting her Stephen Jones hat all the way around her loop, to keep it from falling off her head.

>> In a show venue like the inside of a lab — white walls and floor, white benches, and bright, bright lights — which caused for a sweltering experience — Marc Jacobs sent out his theater and romance-inspired Spring 2010 collection. Anna Wintour arrived twenty minutes early from the US Open — she ended up missing Roger Federer lose — and despite rumors that the show was to be celeb-free, Madonna and Jesus Luz took their seats and Lady Gaga, arriving mid-show, stood in the photographer's pit with Lorenzo Martone.  Marc later told WWD that he hadn't invited either, but Madonna called three hours before the show — "after working with her [on the Louis Vuitton campaign] I couldn't say no" — and same goes for Gaga, who is performing at Marc and V Magazine's party tonight.

Jessica Stam and Suvi Koponen both walked for the first time this Fashion Week — in fact, instead of breaking new faces as his usually does, Marc stuck mostly to the familiars: Iris Strubegger opened, Kamila Filipcikova closed. The girls had on geisha-style makeup and topknots, and there was lots of femininity — pearl embellishments, lingerie layered over suits, ruffles — and a few surprises — scrunchies and kitten keels, for instance. Full play-by-play here.

>> You would never guess that Derek Lam has recently had to address rumors of label mismanagement — he gave the Wall Street Journal a lengthy interview that could be seen as his way of responding in detail — because there was no storm in his Spring 2010 collection, only sunny, beachy lightness, an "ode to summer."

For his first time showing at the Tents, Lam decided to switch things up; he told Style.com: "I haven't done full-on color for a while, and it feels like the right moment now."  He peppered a star motif throughout, studding wrap belts (one of which, unfortunately for Charlotte di Calypso, popped open halfway down the runway, leaving her to smile embarrassedly and hold her dress together the rest of the way), printed on dresses, centered in Dean Harris's earrings for the collection.  And the finale was a set of pinup-style "deckside one pieces," not for swimming.  Vogue's Elissa Santisi styled, Caroline Trentini made her season runway debut, and Lily Donaldson accompanied Lam for his bow, the two chatting and holding hands the entire time.

>> Joseph Altuzarra may be a bit of a Vogue Paris darling — he told The Daily he credits Carine Roitfeld for encouraging him to start his own line, she's supported him by wearing a coat of his to Paris Fashion Week in March, and her former assistant and Vogue Paris junior editor Melanie Huynh styled his Spring 2010 show — but it sounds like he's committed to New York; he told The Daily: "We want to establish the brand as an integral part of the New York scene."

Altuzarra, like Alexander Wang, switched up his look this season, explaining to the New York Times: "When you start a collection, you have to push yourself to limits that may make you uncomfortable but that are also challenging.”  Instead of building on the body-conscious jersey minidresses from his Fall 2009 collection, he decided to channel the '70s with lots of olive suede and white ruffles.  The show, in which both muse Vanessa Traina and Dewi Driegen walked, attracted Colette's Sarah Lerfel, Giovanna Battaglia, Carine Roitfeld and daughter Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Steven Kolb, Fabien Baron, plus Alexander Wang, who showed up midway through (his show was slotted right before Joseph's) and watched from the back next to Cathy Horyn, who had gotten up from the front row to stand next to the photographers right before show started.

Altuzarra expanded from 18 looks last season to 29 this season, and dreams of continuing to move further forward; as he told The Daily:

I basically work and live in the same place, which can be really good or really bad. We want to grow by baby steps, but I'm very happy now . . . A few more clothes and a large shoe and jewelry line would be nice, though. Our immediate goal, of course, is to find an office space and move operations out of my apartment.