[Daryn Kagan, Cnn Anchor:] New York's fashion week struts to its midpoint. It's the semiannual designer showcase taking on a different look: The last gathering was abruptly halted by the September 11 attacks. Our Gail O'Neill is backstage at the Douglas Hannat fashion show, with more. Gail, what goodies have you found for us?
[Gail O'neill, Cnn Correspondent:] Daryn, look at my outfit. Need I say any more? I have been swept up in the fabulousity of fashion week.
[Leon Harris, Cnn Anchor:] Oh, my God.
[O'neill:] It's only day four, and the wonderful thing about these collections I hear somebody saying, Oh, my God.
[Harris:] It's Leon.
[Kagan:] That was Leon.
[O'neill:] Leon, I am bringing this back for you. The great thing about the collections is that you get to see how designers put their personal stamp on clothes and at the same time, somehow reflect the national psyche. Let's take a look at that. Fashion Week has returned to the Big Apple after being interrupted on September 11. Designers are going back to basics for their fallwinter collections, in keeping with the nation's more grounded mood.
[Unidentified Male:] There's a real return to the business of fashion. I think fashion for fashion's sake, not just for a show, to put on a spectacle.
[O'neill:] But in a business that has always thrived on high- drama, impracticality, and especially fun, anything but a spectacle can be downright disappointing. Still, the design team at Anne Klein took a chance: The signature look was subdued and introspective, and that generated excitement.
[Cindi Leive, Editor-in-chief, Glamour:] Tremendously wearable. Real clothes for real women, the kind of thing that people are going to walk into stores and see it just as it was shown on the runway and say, Yes, I want to have that.
[O'neill:] The last time fashion's A-list got together was on September 11, and within hours of the strikes on the World Trade Center, all shows were abruptly canceled.
[Unidentified Male:] We haven't had closure from the terrorist attack, so to think about fashion is really facetious right now. It's not going to be fun until we achieve closure, and then people can think about fun and fun clothes. Now with Seventh Avenue's return to fashion, it seems that everyone has grown up a little. And the catwalk at Sean John was a prime example, where music mogul-turned-designer Puffy Combs blended vintage elements with contemporary design for a feel that was gentlemanly feel dapper.
[O'neill:] And now we have gone back to fabulous. We have Douglas right here. Isn't he handsome, Leon? Douglas, the '60s brought us counterculture and the fashions that reflect it in grunge and hippy wear and fringe. Dior gave us wonderful opulence after the deprivation of World War II. What may September 11 have done to fashion? I can't speak, I love this jacket so much.
[Douglas Hannant, Designer:] Individuality is the most important thing for fall. It's about fabrics that are broken in, familiarity, that old worn piece you will have forever and you can never break it in because you've worn it for a couple of years. Well, I'm doing new clothing that way, with the finest fabrics, in a very refined way. You can see here Ann's dress. Threat work is very important. And the fact that this is frayed to look old, though, of course, it's not. Then on Andreas, we have a hand-beaded caviar smoking jacket. It's beaded on lamb skin suede. It's an alternative to black tie; the tie is no longer necessary. He's just very relaxed and nonchalant, and there's an ease about clothing.
[O'neill:] What is with the button-down guys. I mean I'm liking it, but is Leon, are you going to go for this look?
[Hannant:] It's about freedom. You feel much freer when your clothes are not constricting. Nothing is tight. Everything is loose now. There's an ease about it. The pants are falling down on the high hip. Nothing is tight and cinched and.
[O'neill:] Do you have a favorite look? Is there a signature piece that women must have for fallwinter 2002, as well as men?
[Hannant:] It is about individuality. You need the piece that's special and one of a kind. You know, the thread's just frayed in a way you could never reproduce it again. There are a lot of pieces like that in the collection.
[O'neill:] I think this is it for me. Thank you, darling. Back to you, Daryn. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com