The fall ready-to-wear collections showed tremendous imagination - furs in a variety of textures, shapes and colors. From sables and crocodile at Michael Kors, goatskin coats at Donna Karan and Vera Wang, to fuzzy cuffs on an evening jacket at Diane von Furstenberg, silver fox capelets at Cynthia Steffe to mink pompoms on Kate Spade velvet pumps, furs were simply out of the ordinary. Sure there was the requisite shearling coat but for the most part the styles for next fall, if the NY shows are anything to go by are heading in the same retro-modern direction as the now ever-present mini skirt.

Ralph Lauren did his interpretation of ``rocker chic'' with ivory shearling motorcycle jacket and black stretch pants. Matthew Williamson's girl was pure 1960's with embroidered shearlings and pale pink and lavender fur vests. Psychedelic man! Kors also went with the tough but sexy look with slouchy anoraks with fur trim.

Anna Sui showed coats of blush velour and pink silk jacquard floral with fur collars and cuffs and Oscar de la Renta decorated cashmere knits with sable. Bill Blass' collection was a prime example of luxurious practicality - he showed a black cotton twill parka with black sable hood.

A few designer furs, however, stood out. Namely, Calvin Klein's shearling baseball coat, Donna Karan's goatskin kimono-style wrap coat, Zac Posen's hooded jacket with a fur trim that ran over the head and down the spine, ending in a tail and Marc Jacobs silver fur-trimmed parka. Short coats were a big trend and Michael Kors hip-length Sedgewick style mink was too die for as was Imitation of Christ designer Matt Damhave's beaded white fox and lamb bolero.

Short, colorful-a-go-go is the message for next fall's fur season. Psychedelic baby!