NEW YORK, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The New York Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week started on Thursday at Lincoln Center, featuring more than 200 designers` Spring 2012 collections on the catwalk.

"New York City is the fashion capital of the world, and from September 8th-15th, Lincoln Center will become the heartbeat of the city,"said Peter Levy, senior vice president and managing director of IMG Fashion, organizer of the Fashion Week.

The first day of the Fashion Week saw BCBG Max Azria take center stage at Lincoln Center. Its Spring 2012 collection highlighted fluid silhouettes and weightless fabrics with a palette of confidence, saturated brights with neutral accents juxtapose tribal prints and embroideries, reflecting an urban, global spirit.

Over the next eight days, New York Fashion Week will present over 80 shows ranged from established designers such as Derek Lam, Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Kors and Vera Wang, to emerging talents like Honor, Juan Carlos Obando and Candela.

Each year, the 232,000 attendees at the biannual Fashion Weeks generate new economic activity for New York City businesses, producing more than 466 million U.S. dollars in direct visitor spending and contributing to 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in annual tax revenue to the city`s fashion industry.

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A model presents a creation of BCBGMAXAZRIA during the spring & summer 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, the United States, Sept. 8, 2011. The eight-day Fashion Week opened here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Wu Jingdan)