Designers Show a Somber Side for Fall
Instead of the light-as-meringue frocks and sweet interpretations of femininity so dominant in past seasons, the clothes unveiled for fall 2006 are more substantial both in weight and tone.

It only makes sense that the clothes have a certain gravity. Designers are like sponges, absorbing the uneasy and fearful mood of the culture. Then they spill out masterly emotional summations of what it means to live in the world at a precise moment.

One can choose from a long list of topics -- political, social, religious, cultural, avian -- to find a reason to fret, protest, drink or simply stock up on canned goods and dive into the nearest fruit cellar. But sobriety has been good for the designers here, who have taken that dark energy and tried to make sense of it.
The Washington Post, March 3, 2006