Since that is the case, we can only hope Gucci's Big Bird coat will NOT be all the rage this year.

Okay, so there are always a few inexplicable catwalk messages, but some true beauties also emerged for fall 2001. Look for more restrained styles in sober black and mod winter white, plus some unusually wild fur treatments given the season's move away from opulent hippie chic. Other than that, furs were once again key statements in these collections, encapsulating each designer's unique vision.

Prada took good-girl chic to new levels with little broadtail lamb capelets. Going to the opposite extreme, Roberto Cavalli was as sexy and dangerous as ever with a leopard-look skirt suit and a lynx cat-lined dress. Blumarine was the fur accessory fan's dream, adding fluffy fox hats, bags, boots and even mittens to crisp, '80s-style black. Dolce & Gabbana continued to champion the eclectic hippie look with rich curly lamb and exotic fox everywhere. Fendi's Karl Lagerfeld turned his back on that style altogether, showing mod winter whites in clean, punchy lines.