Also at the show, Anthony Nak and VPL presented secondary collections as part of the CFDA@D&A initiative. The exhibition launched the program with the Council of Fashion Designers of America in September, allowing two CFDA members to show at a CFDA co-branded booth at the events in New York and Los Angeles. Jewelry line Anthony Nak presented its newest collection, 0108 by Anthony Nak, and VPL designer Victoria Bartlett brought along the VPL Two diffusion line.

Anthony Nak created the 0108 line just for the show, and named it after the day the CFDA called about its participation. The collection features silver looks at wholesale price points of $100 to $690, as opposed to $900 to $25,000 for the company's 18-karat yellow gold designs. "The response has been phenomenal," said co-designer Anthony Camargo, adding that, based on the success at D&A, he and his partner, Nak Armstrong, plan to build on the diffusion line. "We now see a great opportunity for a diffusion business," he said.

Ed Mandelbaum, who coproduces the show with Barbara Kramer, said, "All the stores are out shopping, but there's definitely caution in the air. People are writing orders, but they are also taking more notes, it seems. Thankfully, this end of the business is where the growth has been, so I don't think we will be affected by the downturn."

Kramer noted that many booths offered more sophisticated and tailored wares, and that accessories had a strong showing, "which is also a sign of what is happening," she said. "When the economy is tough, they may not buy new investment clothes, but they want to freshen up what they already have."