Yes, pretty much the only news in fashion this season is gloom and doom with but a few exceptions. Among them is the collaboration of fashion talent and enthusiast Isaac Mizrahi with big brand Liz Claiborne. Hired over a year ago to relaunch the great American label, and while still very much designing his high-end Isaac Mizrahi fashion collection, the rollout of Isaac’s inspired, sporty, colorful and upbeat first collection for Liz Claiborne begins next month.

In a move that sounds intuitive, but seems to have taken forever for Seventh Avenue to get right, the marriage of Isaac and Liz Claiborne represents the fullest effort to date to provide great design at moderate prices. Everyone is watching to see the results take hold. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, is the marriage of Isaac and Liz just what the consumer cupid needs to excite fashion shoppers in the Great Recession? Reaching out to the Liz Claiborne woman, whom Isaac describes as "smart, sophisticated women who are perpetually 35," we certainly think so.

Here is a first look courtesy of Women’s Wear Daily today.