NEW YORK — Joan Rivers, Giuliana Rancic and a trio of Seattle Seahawks (Super Bowl champs Bryan Walters, Walter Thurmond and Phillip Bates) helped designer Elie Tahari celebrate the 40th anniversary of his namesake label with a fall/winter collection that has plenty of chic coats to keep customers warm when temperatures fall.

Tahari said he based his collection on "a ray of light through the darkness," which must have accounted for the bevy of upside down clear plastic umbrellas that lined the ceilings of his Fifth Avenue flagship store. The wearable collection features shades of "storm clouds" (dark and light grays) with pops of color (red, light teal and sky blue) that provide contrast.

While urban-inspired hand crocheted sweaters, leather leggings, pleated skirts and fur vests are standouts, coats and jackets dominate the collection. Styles include bomber jackets with shearling hoods, cocoon coats with knitted sleeves, A-line wool coats in bright red or pastel blue, and high-tech varsity jackets in jackets in techno fabrics.

Many looks are layered — in one case a coat covers a matching leather bomber jacket — with knit scarves, beanies and fur trapper caps as accessories that provide a warm feeling.

Taking in the scene were Houstonians Dona and Robert Murphy, who won a trip to see Tahari's New York show in a raffle in Houston last fall where he was the featured designer at Catwalk for a Cure. "I'm a New Jersey girl. I've been wearing and watching his clothes since 1972," Dona Murphy said. "I'm so excited to be here."

The mischievous Rivers, star of Fashion Police, posed for selfies with fans and playfully set up a photo of a waiter serving drinks to several models. She ran it on her Twitter account with this caption:

A woman wearing the Elie Tahari fall collection won't be left out in the cold with cover-up coats.

  

Photo by Bfa

A woman wearing the Elie Tahari fall collection won't be left out in the cold with cover-up coats.