NEW YORK, Sunday, February 3, 2008 - Clear blue skies, a crisp chill that snaps in the air. Could there be any better way to put a spring in your step than a perfect New York winter day?

Not that many of us who spent the better part of Sunday traveling from West Village to West Side Highway have exactly been bouncing under foot: the vertiginous heeled chunky hybrid shoe/boot, maybe with a hiking-style detail or six, is being worn by just about everyone. Even one otherwise dapperly attired suited and tied gentleman outside the DKNY (top right) show. (Please, guys, I beg you, do not try this at home. And if you must, then stay there.)

As a Brit, today felt like I'd gone back home to London. Firstly, there was Preen (left), the duo of Thea Bragazzi and Justin Thornton, who showed oversized plaid lumberjack jackets and draped jersey and sequin dresses, all worn with an expanse of bare leg and teetering pumps.

Secondly, the Scot Jonathan Saunders (right) made his debut at the Tunnel nightclub in far west Chelsea, where he explored a sci-fi meets nature theme, with a sinuous waisted silhouette that was color and fabric blocked, the strictness softened up with fluttering pleated panels and fishtail hems. (Both shows, incidentally, sponsored by Topshop, who will likely have a store here by the late fall, in New York's SoHo: Mark your calendars.)

A big thank you to which ever-genius person made the decision that walking into the Tunnel had to be manageable and not life threatening. Normally, the ambiance is totally nightclub pitch black. You need a flashlight just to walk the twenty paces to get to your seat. Easy to exit this time too, though that had its downside. "There will be no cabs because of the Super Bowl," one editor wailed. And you don't need to be in a spike heeled shoe-boot to share that pain.