New York hosted the 2005 Fall Winter ready to wear collection at Bryant Park tents last week. While 60-degree weather prevailed outside, winter was in full swing inside the tents, evidenced by the extravagant furs shown in almost every major collection for next winter.

Anna Sui started the week with more of her signature 60's influenced styles. But this time, she strutted some serious bling layers of gold chains, enormous gold fur hats and her usual eclectic parade of fabrics which included metallic gold lame and a selection of statement-making fur hats in pink, yellow and blue. One particularly memorable outfit paired a gold lame skirt and top with a matching gold fur hat and neck muff. It was not in the least bit subtle and somehow really worked!

At the polar opposite of Sui's show was the elegant and gracious Carolina Herrera collection. Herrera showed exquisitely constructed evening dresses and tweed hunting suits. The richness of Herrera's fabrics did not disappoint highlights included a lavish lynx fur jacket, a charcoal broadtail dress and smart fur-collared tweed suits. It was all very hunting-chic.

But the highlight of fashion week was without a doubt the J Mendel show. With broadtail the fur of the season; Giles Mendel furrier took it one step further of course. Mendel whipped broadtail into an icy-white princess coat with tiny ruffles and bullion embroidery. Why stop there? He then took an Aranch mink jacket and pieced sleeves together with strips of leather. Mendel's combination of luxe furs and luxe tailoring - one coat was trimmed with iridescent feathers was unrivaled and magnificent. The finale? An exquisite sheared mink puffer coat with hammered metal belt.

The remainder of the week wasn't a total shambles though! Oscar de la Renta showed several unique fur pieces one patchwork style geometric fur-printed coat that was trimmed in deluxe brown mink and another short fur lynx jacket that was truly delicious.

And Michael Kors was as exaggerated as ever in his approach to furs. He showed a mammoth raccoon coat and the most massive raccoon collars on coats, sweaters and suit jackets.

Ralph Lauren also showed exaggerated fur collars. He showed brown mink collars on jackets of wool suits and also on gray wool coats. It's a good, safe but at the same time, decadent look.

Finally, Marc Jacobs whose collection was dark and moodier than ever before showed one fun striped fur mink coat a light in an otherwise somber presentation it was taupe and gray with threads of white and a giant gray bow tied in the front. Sure, spring is around the corner but seeing the beautiful furs for next season made me wish for at least another 6 weeks of winter!