Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing knows which runway looks will travel briskly to the racks of top retailers.

Why? Because as the person leading the buyers of one of the biggest luxury department stores int the world, that’s his job!

Downing’s thoughts on Fall 2010, thus far:

“There’s still the battle between masculine and feminine…all the great leathers…the double-faced wool coats and furs…it’s less about mink and more about fox, Mongolian, even faux fur! There’s definitely a sense of optimism…think about the luscious, amazing outwear at Burberry. We all need to hope for a very cool fall. And pants, pants, pants. The return of the pantsuit–I can’t remember the last time I said those two words together! The wide leg pant is back, too. But all that menswear is contrasted by a bit of Victorian attitude with lots of lace, and of course, velvet.”