Alexander Wang glows in the dark at NY fashion week

NEW YORK, Sept 9, 2012 (AFP) - Alexander Wang thrilled his guests with futuristic outfits that glow in the dark Saturday as he reaffirmed his flair for the theatrical at New York fashion week.

As if on cue, menacing dark clouds swirled over the spartan Pier 94 warehouse on the Hudson River just around the moment Wang's late-afternoon show began inside, but you didn't have to be outdoors to pick up a sense of drama.

Cutout stripes featured prominently in Wang's latest creations, one of which was modeled by Liberty Ross, spurned wife of Rupert Sanders, the director who notoriously canoodled this summer with "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart.

Ross sported a white hoodie with pencil skirt and strappy white high heels.

Models with hair pulled severely back and parted down the middle with an alien-like stripe stepped out in monochrome looks that included tailored shirt dresses and an generously sized biker jacket.

For the surprise finale, eight blond models posed in formation on the runway. Out went the lights, and on came the dresses, literally, glowing florescently in the darkness.

"I loved the futuristic vibe, the color palette ... and I loved the volume of the clothes," editorial hair stylist Omar Lopez told AFP, dodging raindrops from those big dark clouds on his way out of the show.

"It was strong; it was urban," added Rajni Jacques, fashion features editor of Glamour magazine.

Wang, 28, who this year is opening more than a dozen boutiques in East Asia in a bold expansion drive, is one of the biggest attractions of New York fashion week, which wraps up Thursday.

His A-list guests Saturday included Justin Theroux, fiance of actress Jennifer Aniston, and Yo-Landi Vi$$er of the South African hip-hop crew Die Antwoord, who turned up in a white netted mask and black hoodie.

In other shows Saturday, brave souls in dizzying heels trekked bravely to another gloomy warehouse by the Hudson River to catch Nepalese-American wunderkind Prabal Gurung's looks for spring-summer 2013.

He drew from a wide range of fabrics, including organza, tulle, silk and ostrich feathers, in gleaming white or vivid red, with frequent frilly details to create a particularly feminine look.

Backstage, Gurung -- who cited celebrated British sculptor Anish Kapoor as a source of inspiration this season -- said he was shifting away from body-hugging silhouettes in favor of looser, more fluid lines.

"The idea of giving freedom and ease to women seemed appealing, and that was the starting point," he said in an interview, explaining how his latest dresses were "gentler, softer" and a little bit cascading.

Earlier in the day, Felipe Oliveira Baptista revisited the heyday of Lacoste with a New York fashion week show collection Saturday that mixed sporty lines with a sense of fun.

With the crocodile-logo sportswear label marking its 80th anniversary next year, its Portuguese designer told AFP he wanted to "pay homage" to its founder, French tennis legend Rene Lacoste, with a "chic, graphic aesthetic."

The resulting street-savvy silhouettes that Baptista sent onto the runway at Lincoln Center -- with basketball stars Chris Bosh and Kris Humphries among the front-row celebrity guests -- were in turns elegant and athletic.

First out were polar white looks, including loose-fitting men's blazers and oversized parkas, but then came welcome splashes of bright orange and dark blue, with witty graphic prints inspired by the classic Lacoste T-shirt.by Robert MacPherson