AS WE REFLECT on the fourth annual San Francisco Fashion Week, it is apparent that this year's designers teleported to various style eras for their inspiration.

The eclectic aesthetic of the Bay Area was reflected in the collections shown from Aug. 23 to 25. More than a dozen designers from the greater Bay Area presented diverse collections with looks ranging from the Southern-influenced, elegantly aristocratic gowns of Emily Jane to the vibrant Heatherette-esque "Romantic Sparkle Circus" collection from Sacramento native Richard Hallmarq.

The common thread woven through the collections was nostalgia. The current flow of fashion has been revisiting vintage styles and adding a modern twist. Many of the designers used their creative juices to craft looks that paid homage to distinct periods of style

Kimo, the San Francisco-baseddesigner of Effie's Heart, showed a contemporary redux of the Roaring'20s, and the San Jose-based Genevieve Primavera gave a wink-wink to the'80s with an eye-popping fluorescent color palette.

Spring Style Goes on Safari

To your left, look at the exotic species "hungry model." To your right, see the genus "overexposed celebrity."

The catwalk turned into an urban safari as New York Fashion Week drew to a close on Wednesday, full of khakis and tans and plenty of pockets.

The only wildlife spotted was of the Hollywood variety: Jennifer Lopez added a little extra star power on Tuesday, debuting her JustSweet collection in the footsteps of Gwen Stefani's and Nicky Hilton's earlier shows.

Neutrals were prevalent throughout the eight-day previews for stylists, retailers and editors, along with candy-colored gowns that displaced the standard little black dress.

Not even evening gowns were spared from organic materials and landscape-inspired palettes. Donna Karan made the most of khakis and tans, while Zac Posen listed "wheat" as one of his muses for a collection inspired by the American plains.