There's a feminine strength with what she calls "boyish undertones" in the collection of layers that included soft boned bustiers reminiscent of her very first corset dresses, knits and prints of strong greens and earthy reds and oranges. While not everybody will run for the balloon volume she put in some skirts, her coats were solidly wearable - and sellable. Some appeared layered but were not, with knit sleeves sewn on for effect.

"Everything's quite light. We need to take into consideration the different territories where we're selling clothes," she said of her fall/winter looks that did not scream frigid temperatures like those that greeted her guests Sunday morning in Manhattan's cavernous business district downtown.

There's no fear here of leaving seasonal boundaries behind. She put out bare shoulders in the dead of winter, along with cozy knit leggings, most worn with pointed flats and chunky rocker boots.

Coats are great, Beckham said, and she put out a few, but "It's nice to show what's going on underneath. ... I just wanted to look at what I've worn and what I love and just rework those pieces to make them feel new and fresh and just show how my personal style has evolved."

Among her more unusual touches were loose threads of wax cording that fluttered down the runway.

Ken Downing, a trend watcher for Neiman Marcus stores, had a smile on his face after the show.

"I love the unpretentious, relaxed elegance of the collection and being able to touch on all the important ideas for fall," he said. "Menswear, flats, but done in a feminine way, and that sexiness of a bustier that really becomes a pivotal item, done in satin and layered under a little dress, or becomes a knit that layers over another knit but grounded with a great boot or pointed toe. The shoes were fantastic."

In terms of commerce, Downing said, Beckham has it right.

"It feels like fall but you can wear those clothes any time, and that's actually where the customers' mindset is right now," he said. "It's the idea that you can buy it now, wear it now, and it did not feel overtly winter. It's just chic clothes."

As usual, Beckham's hubby David Beckham and the kids were sitting front row.

-Leanne Italie