With duffle coats, fisherman's knit sweaters and tartan skirts, Max Mara's fall collection was all about the classics, which should have appealed to the low-key Katie Holmes, who was setting off a million flashbulbs in the front row at the show.

(No wonder, Holmes will receive this year's Max Mara-sponsored Face of the Future Award at the Women In Film Awards in Los Angeles in June.)

But not everything worked. The collection did have some high points, namely angora jackets and coats with fur appliques, worn belted over leggings, stirrup pants or short trapeze skirts. But there were  awkward moments, too -- those black-and-white cow print skirts (no woman wants to look like a cow), and kilts made into ill-fitting bustier dresses.

-- Booth Moore in Milan, Italy

Photos: Looks from the Max Mara fall-winter 2011 runway collection shown during Milan Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson and Peter Stigter / For The Times.

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For his namesake line, Max Azria interpreted spring's new lightness with breezy maxi-dresses; fluid, wide-legged pants; and weightless tops in ice cream shades of vanilla, peach and mint green.

Draping the models' tanned skin, anchored by the skinniest of straps, the clothes seemed as if they were pinned to a line, fluttering in the breeze.

Even the top layers had ventilation, namely a utility jacket in cream perforated leather. It was a pretty take on the trend.

-- Booth Moore

Max Azria spring - summer runway collection photo gallery

Photo: Looks from the Max Azria spring-summer 2011 collection shown at New York Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times

On the Max Mara runway, the military drumbeat was loud and clear -- cadet jackets worn belted over knee-length or ankle-sweeping skirts, lame dresses and knickers the color of brass buttons, skirts encrusted in gold embroidery. Enough already, we get it!

At the last round of shows, the star of the Max Mara collection was the classic camel coat. And this season, the Italian label gave us the summer version in sandstone silk, plus lots of other softly tailored pieces in easy silhouettes. Fluid silk cargo pants, tie-front safari jackets and shirt-dresses in neutral shades might have seemed a little dull on the runway, sure, but everyone needs those kinds of pieces in their wardrobe.

-- Booth Moore

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Photo: Max Mara Spring-Summer 2010 runway. Credit: Peter Stigter and Jonas Gustavsson / For The Times

MILAN -- Sometimes basic is the best a design house can do. Such is the case at Max Mara, the outerwear company turned fashion brand that, over the last few seasons, has had some disastrous flirtations with dropped-crotch dodi pants and sequined jumpsuits.

For fall, the collection turned back to tailoring, beginning with the perfect, belted camel coat worn with a fur bonnet. Pencil skirts, pea coats with cuffed short sleeves and classic vented blazers followed. Not the kind of thing that gets the heart pumping, but the kind of thing everyone needs a little of in their closets.

-- Booth Moore

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Photo: Luca Bruno / Associated Press

The rain may be falling in biblical proportions (by L.A. standards anyway) this week, but that didn’t slow down the fashion-loving set from attending a couple of fun gatherings last night.

New York-based designer and girl about town Elise Overland made a personal appearance at Melrose Avenue boutique Arcade. Guests perused her Fall '08 line as well as placed orders for Spring '09, with the night’s big seller being her stretch leather tights.  Nicky Hilton stopped by and bought a few things. The designer’s sexy, body hugging pieces are perfect for the socialite’s rail thin frame. Speaking of thin; watch out for Overland’s dreamy, paper-thin leather motorcycle jackets for Spring '09.  They are ultra-soft and come in the most amazingly vibrant colors like red and yellow. Looks like the biker jacket trend is carrying on through to next season -- in appropriately lighter-weight leather, of course.

Meanwhile, just west of Overland’s edgy-rocker crowd, Max Mara celebrated the official opening of their new boutique. The new space, which is a few blocks north of their old boutique on Rodeo Drive is twice the size and can house way more merchandise (much to the delight of the well heeled women who were inspired by the weather and tried on all the trench coats in the store).  All was for a good cause, 20% of proceeds went to Women in Film.                              

Elizabeth Banks came by, wearing an apple-red dress with a cute flutter sleeve. 

It was nice to see people out and about despite the wet weather.  Who says people in L.A. don’t know what to do when it rains? Clearly, they shop.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: At left: Elise Overland and Nicky Hilton appear at Arcade. Credit: Elise Overland. At right: Elizabeth Banks wears a apple-red dress at Max Mara. Credit: Andreas Branch-Patrick McMullan