New York Fashion Week: Trends And Highlights From Day One [PHOTOS]

The first day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York was a stellar start to the introduction of the Spring 2013 collections despite the MTV VMA awards taking place simultaneously at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

Nicholas and Christopher Kunz, the designers behind the perennial 9 a.m. season opener at MBFW Nicholas K, made a memorable close for their edgy, downtown-esque collection, bringing out their canine companion to take a bow at the show's end. The casual line was dominated with layering, from airy cottons to bomber jackets to stylized anoraks over flowing dresses in camouflage neutrals, to channel a modern-day nomad, according to the sibling designers.

BCBGMAXAZRIA always gives something to talk about thanks to designers Max and Lubov Azria,who this year channeled their inner BDSM and completed each "Une Femme Dangereuse" look with leather harnesses over their ehtereal dresses, all of which were demure in length and neckline.

With Nick Cannon seated front row, Richard Chai debuted his Spring 2013 collection on Thursday as well, setting the tone of the week with a sporty collection and soft color palette.

Since onlookers were seated all day, it was a blessing to be taken on a journey down the modern silk road with Japanese designer Tadashi Shoji's Spring 2013 collection of elegant dresses and separates blending Eastern and Western influence into a fashion melting pot.

The biggest trends seemed to be form and fit, which was looser and less body-con mixing neutrals with muted brights.

As usual for the shows in September, Fashion's Night Out came and went with shoppers and spectators taking in all the glory that is retail on the most fashionable night of the year. IBTimes caught the scene at Nine West where Nigel Barker made an appearance, for the third year in a row, to lend his photographer hands for the Nine West Runway Relief program to benefit the CFDA's charity, Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.

"It's a very very cool initiative," Barker told IBTimes at Nine West in New York City's Rockefeller Center. "The reason why this is a cool and rather sexy campaign is because we have a whole team of the world's top supermodels stomping for a cause. They all volunteered."

"Raising awareness of any serious issue is important and whenever I can use my photography or imagery to wake people up to an issue or grab their attention in return donate, advocate, volunteer, I jump on it."