Vera Wang

Kate Winslet joined the many famous faces at NY Fashion Week as she stepped out in the Big Apple last night. She attended the opening of CFDA's new exhibition at FIT called "Impact: 50 Years of the CFDA." Kate, who is the current face of St. John, wore a fitted black dress from the line and was accompanied by St. John designer George Sharp and CFDA CEO Steven Kolb for the occasion. Also on hand to see the work on display were Prabal Gurung, Vera Wang, Lorraine Schwartz, and Anna Wintour.

Kate's coming off an exciting award season win last month. Kate picked up a Golden Globe for her work in Mildred Pierce and was joined by boyfriend Ned Rocknroll at the big show.

Citing Jane Birkin and 1960s Yves Saint Laurent as muses, Vera Wang offers up a Pre-Fall collection that's teeming with both the whimsical and the vintage — all while being totally grounded in a modern woman's aesthetic. Rife with textures and layers and dotted with full-bodied prints, Wang marries older references, like 16-button gloves, with newer purposes, like wearing those gloves as sleeves. Rich fabrications feel all the more wearable layered up from head to toe — for every wisp of a dress, she counters with ribbed knee socks, vests, and overcoats, giving us the downtown girl with a flair for Parisian polish.

• Trends: Layering, gloves as sleeves, sportswear, abstract prints.
• Colors: Gray, black, rich multihued prints, orange, purple.
• Key Look: The soft, purple print high-low dress and cropped gray jacket.
• Accessories: Gloves, knee socks, loafer pumps.
• Who Would Wear It: The modern femme.

>> Vera Wang's Pre-Fall 2012 starting points were Jane Birkin and Yves Saint Laurent circa the late 1960s, but she ended up with a layered collection of modern looks. Ribbed knee socks and minidresses were paired with coats, cropped sweaters, or vests, and rounding out the collection was a sweep of evening gowns, surely prepared for the upcoming awards season.

>> Winter white came out to play this week — much to our pleasure. See who chose the snowy hue — and who chose otherwise — in the slideshow.

Blair Waldorf is among the lucky ladies who get to wear Vera Wang on her wedding day, but if Wang's signature line is too heavy on the purse strings, there's no need to fret. The designer's White by Vera Wang line, exclusively designed for David's Bridal, is quite amazing, offering up a bevy of trademark Vera Wang style — without the signature price tag. The new Spring '12 collection was designed for every bride in mind, ranging from minimally modern gowns to frothy strapless confections. But there's more: Vera Wang also recently launched a diamond engagement and wedding ring collaboration named Vera Wang LOVE, with Zales. Like her bridal collection, the dazzling collection, priced from $700 to $16,000, varies from simple wedding bands to more intricate designs. Ready to plan your special day? Ready below for our top picks, then just click the slideshow to see more wedding dresses and engagement rings.

• This short wedding dress is too adorable and perfect for the nontraditional bride.
• We love the idea of finishing off a wedding day looks with this jeweled encrusted hair clip — so romantic.
• We cant forget the ring; this simple, yet dazzling cut is our top choice from the line.

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>> Vera Wang, who debuted 15 wedding gowns during her bridal show last week, nine of which were black — causing quite a stir — suggested that after a year of major white weddings, she was ready for something new.

“I found black to be fresh and tongue in cheek,” Wang said. “With all the big weddings that happened this year, it was fun to step out of the box.”

Wang has experimented with purple, pale green, and neutrals in past bridal collections, but wanted to explore ways for black to read "wedding day": “I did take it to a witchy kind of place. For me, it helped build a sense of mystery that I was hungry for. And it added this sensuality and sexuality, and a little bit of severity, too.”