Oscar de la Renta doesn't need trends. He has his faithful brigade of well-shod women who appreciate the clear care and attention he gives his reliably ladylike collection. His mission, always, is to celebrate femininity.
He showed myriad printed day dresses with fitted waists and full skirts. They were ruffled, laced, or printed with a painterly grid.
Even his separates were marked with a certain refinement and gentility...a peachy-nude twinset topping a cream floral-cutout skirt that skimmed but didn't cling.
One saddle-belted navy cocktail frock with a sculpted bodice looked perfect for a Betty Draper. It clearly signaled the start of de la Renta's evening.
For galas, the opera, and whatever event calls for some major drama, de la Renta offered up dresses with a retro spirit, especially in the handful of carnation or polka-dotted princess gowns.
Calvin Klein
In a season dominated by white, it seemed fitting to close out the week with Francisco Costa's Calvin Klein. That whole cliché about saving the best for last certainly holds true in the case of this positively chic lineup that pretty much defines the new minimal. His whites, which he called anything but "white," came in an arresting parade of boxy suits and louche dresses.
Costa added in a trio of brightly colored dresses, one red and two blue. These were stiff, short, and sexy in their severity.
Sexiness, in fact, was really the point of the collection. Not an overt way but rather in the deep-V of an otherwise covered-up black dress or the racerback of a straight mini with pockets.
Details came via tight, tiny pleats on some gowns or the thinnest waist ties on suits and dresses...
Welcome to the Wild West, folks! For spring, Ralph Lauren rounded up the stylish cowgirls for this most classic of American motifs. He worked a very pale (white or cream) palette with plenty of fringe and lace, evoking a tony vision of prairie life.
Ralph Lauren
Welcome to the Wild West, folks! For spring, Ralph Lauren rounded up the stylish cowgirls for this most classic of American motifs. He worked a very pale (white or cream) palette with plenty of fringe and lace, evoking a tony vision of prairie life.
He knew, though, to pull back the reins and inject a little Eastern cool in simple silhouettes with delicate lace and beaded details. Elsewhere it was all skinny leather pants, white blouses (button-down or poet), and brown suede coats and shirt dresses.
Midway, a pretty Little House moment introduced prints and calicos on lace-trimmed dresses. He even did an updated version of a union suit — this one in robin's egg blue silk.
Evenings were a strictly glam affair on the Ralph range with gold sequins and lamé, the best featured as a tiered-fringe pencil skirt and worn with a pale green plaid shirt.
For the red carpet sirens, there were plenty of floor-length gowns, both slinky and flowing. Even here, though, that rough-hewn American theme was seen thanks to wide, distressed leather belts with steer belt buckles cinching nearly every look.
Proenza Schouler
When Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez do ladylike, it's like no other. Starting with an icon of uptown chic — the tweed jacket — they reconstructed the whole concept according to their own rules. To start, everything was cooler, including the aforementioned topper when paired with a trim, printed, above-the-knee skirt.
They delved into pretty pastels — more of those stretchy skirts that hug, button-down blouses, knits, and a few fuller skirts.
They did a gorgeous crocodile coat in a salmon pink with hook-and-eye closures that were part of the design, not hidden behind.
When McCollough and Hernandez did veer into a brighter, neon (and sheer) moment with a parade of lacy short and long slipdresses, they came with their own underpinnings.
When McCollough and Hernandez did veer into a brighter, neon (and sheer) moment with a parade of lacy short and long slipdresses, they came with their own underpinnings.
Michael Kors
Michael Kors invited us into his laid-back California dream — all casual and fluid with plenty of white.
He stuck to classic shapes but spiffed them up with a dose of classic Kors luxe, like a sweatshirt tee topping a tan leather skirt.
Tapping into the biggest color trend, he showed plenty of crisp, cool whites, from the softest-looking T-shirts to flowing skirts and his take on the season's suit.
Kors is an all-American kind of guy, reflected in the everyday looks that modern women need: trenches, button-downs, skirts, and pajama pants. And let's not forget all those supple leather bags and Park Ave-meets-Burning Man sandals.
The otherwise navy, white, gray, and camel color palette gave way at the finale to a series of neon-bright drape-y gowns in lemon yellow and pink.
Narciso Rodriguez
With the very first look out — a sexy-severe black sleeveless sheath — Narciso Rodriguez made a clear statement about spring — minimal.
What followed was a collection that called attention to the way Rodriguez manipulates fabric around a woman's body, whether that's with a deceptively simple T-shirt dress or a slouchy, collarless white suit — one of the best we've seen this season.
The lineup of column dresses, flowing long skirts, and sheer tops was all sleek modernity done in a cool palette of light and dark icy neutrals, with a few sequins sparingly used in places.
And yet there was a moment of soft femininity — dare we say, romance? — in a petal print on layered sheer dresses.
His gowns are the sort that allow a woman's own beauty to shine through, the kind of girl who doesn't need bells and whistles but rather a perfectly cut dress.
Marc by Marc Jacobs
After Marc Jacobs's fabulous '70s romp in his signature collection, why not keep the party going in Marc by Marc? Here, it was a tamer but still playful ode to his favorite decade with tons of cheerful, swingy silhouettes and the usual cadre of covetable accessories.
Ready-to-wear was sporty, with plenty of stripes, cinched waists, printed frocks, and loose shapes.
He showed a parade of sunny dresses, from printed halters to boyish versions — all cute and easy to fold into your existing wardrobe.
Even when Jacobs mines the vintage fields — that printed halter dress and cherry-red shoes are '40s fabulous — there's something thoroughly of-the-moment about it.
He dabbled with a beach-side motif with a handful of fun swimsuits and retro bikini bottoms or tops split up and worn with a button-down or jaunty skirt, and of course accented with the perfect pile of bangles or roomy tote.
Rodarte
Imaginative, beautiful, exquisite — these are the usual accolades peppering a review of a Rodarte collections. Well, for spring, add to that: wearable and buyable. The sisters Mulleavy delivered on the hopeful expectation that they could serve up a commercial runway that was still 100% them.
Their inspiration — their native redwood forest — served as a platform for a series of arresting wood-paneled prints and bark-like motifs on flyaway skirts and pants and gladiator-like dresses. This was echoed on the gorgeously carved wood stacked heels the models wore.
But this wasn't just about woodsy warriors. The tree theme carried through on oversized plaids and high-waisted cropped pants — their utterly chic version of a Paul Bunyan moment. There were everyday jackets, skirts, and blouses that nevertheless carried that particular Rodarte aesthetic.
Midway, they introduced a Chinese porcelain print and a mint green worked into a series of blouses and trim skirts that you could absolutely wear to work. The peplum dresses — we'll enjoy watching fans like Natalie Portman work them on the red carpet.
All this wearability makes sense in light of the recent Rodarte-LVMH chatter. But one suspects that no matter what future business ventures may mean, the Mulleavys will continue to exercise their gift for dramatic design — as seen in their bronzed finales.
Vera Wang
Vera Wang continues with her mastery of a dark, romantic, subtly masculine beauty. Her spring collection had all her artistic hallmarks...
...from the gorgeous cherry blossom prints on slim dresses, reflecting her Kill Bill inspiration...
...to the elegant refinery of her separates, like a sheer cream blouse tucked into an artistically draped pencil skirt in a vibrant poppy hue.
In fact, Wang draped, ruched, pintucked, hitched, and swathed nearly every look in the lineup, including a very cool pair of pinstriped shorts she teamed with a sleeveless top and one of her signature bold necklaces.
Dresses, which Vera does better than just about anyone, were sheaths of sheer materials manipulated (more tucking and swathing) around the models. Here, she lightened her dark palette with pinks and blues.
Marc Jacobs
As ever, Marc Jacobs rarely fits into a neat little category when it comes to trends. That's usually because he's setting them. So while the rest of New York swims in a tide of pared-down, all-American sportswear, Jacobs dove straight into the '70s, the deep theatrical end of the '70s.
There was vibrant pink, purple, orange, maroon, and gold done up in printed dresses (halter, one-shoulder, deep-V) and ruffly peasant blouses tucked into voluminous, floor-sweeping skirts, or lining snug knit sweaters that topped high-waisted trousers. These were purely '40s silhouettes executed with '70s glam.
Silk satin suits and jumpsuits and beaded crochet onesies gave way to fluid silk dresses with high slits that floated away. One could easily picture Bianca Jagger in one of these.
It was all accented with a strong look — dark lips, dramatically smoky eyes, and hair that was either frizzed out or wound up in tight coils around the face. Accessories were equally demonstrative, with upturned wide-brim hats, strappy sandals and platforms, and oversized flower corsages in the hair and at the neck and waist.
Part of the pleasure of a Jacobs collection, of course, is in its deliverance. Here, it was to "Summer" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, an unexpected and provocative choice, given the collection. The set was a massive gold circular structure that neatly obstructed your view of the front row on the other side, as if to gently suggest, "Pay attention to these clothes." We did.
Donna Karan
Donna Karan finds endless inspiration in the earth. To wit, her spring collection was done in a near monochromatic palette of tan, with elements of beige, sand, and bone — a bold move that paid off.
The lineup was dress- and skirt-heavy, with equal options for day and evening, and plenty that could straddle both with a change of shoe and bag.
Karan specializes in easy clothes, the sort that hang perfectly — loosely, but never sloppily, even when done in her version of the season's pantsuit.
When she did focus solely on evening, it was utterly romantic with chiffony layers, flyaway sleeves, and sultry draping.
Karan finished with a bit of restrained glamour and embellishment on a series of gowns that had a bridal-like beauty that would nevertheless make some tall, lanky star look stunning.
Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera, that scion of elegance herself, seems to transcend trends even as she plays into them. Shocker, then, when her presentation started off with an all-white look — the single most embraced color thus far.
Which quickly moved into a rich, deep red dress with Asian influences that would crop up in the origami folds and obi-like belts throughout the rest of the collection.
But the real story here was the dresses, from short, brightly colored silk cocktail looks to long, elegant gowns.
Thakoon
Designers' love affair with white continues, this time done ethereally at Thakoon.
Thakoon Panichgul started with an effortless, light touch — like air — on jackets, eyelet vests, and whisper-light dresses and ruffled skirts...
...before kicking into a bluer, but just as light-handed, mood, whether that be blue jeans (as a bra-vest-trouser combo) or a purplish hue tinting flyaway dresses and gowns with a negligee quality.
There was a true spring feeling to the collection — the delicate floral prints, the sheerness, the eyelets, and the color.
Even in what you might call its "darkest" moments (a few chic looks with a snake motif), Thakoon had an optimistic vibe. And it's a welcome one.
Diane von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg and new creative director Yvan Mispelaere's spring inspiration was "goddess." Not the Grecian draped kind but the woman who can do everything and is at the top of her game. You know, like DVF herself.
Thus, it translated into a globe-trotting wardrobe of dresses, loose but tailored suitings, and layers.
Under this new regime, it meant a pile-on of color and pattern, sometimes blindingly so — but, we reiterate, it's a goddess wearing this.
In other places it added up to some beautifully bold monotone looks that showed off some great silhouettes...
...Proving that this new creative partnership has a bright future rooted in one of American fashion's greatest names.
DKNY
DKNY is a distinctly New York label, but for spring, Donna Karan added a dose of Parisian chic, mixing American staples like trim pants, button-downs, and trenches with accents of red and jaunty printed scarfs tied around the neck.
There were also subtle but direct nods to high-fashion European styles, like the loose blouses tucked into elegantly ruffled skirts and cinched with a bow belt.
But Karan had fun — for instance, blowing up that scarf print and draping it into a swirl of chic drapes on a dress.
She worked in classic navy, white, and tan with coral and electric blue moments that looked fresh...
...And she ended with a flourish of printed girlishness that could easily tempt the over-30 crowd.
Derek Lam
Derek Lam promised minimalism served '60s Cali style, and he delivered, starting with a parade of spare, long, fluid denim coats, suits, trousers, and shirts.
He followed the denim up with beautiful, clean, ready-to-wear silhouettes — A-line skirts, slim legs, and trenches. The colors were white, black, or strictly earthy.
A few all-white exits were covered up (long-sleeved, belled, or below-the-knee) yet sexy thanks to the way they were cut to move exactly with the body.
Lam also favored a maxi length, showing beautifully full, sheer printed dresses.
By the final all-white, long-sleeved, ground-sweeping gown, he had confidently expressed his new, minimal mood.
Alexander Wang
Here's the first real surprise of the season: Alexander Wang, prince of darkness and cool, lightened up...all the way to white and pastel.
This was still thoroughly Wang territory with the slouchy layers and artful unkemptness of it all.
But back to those pastels: mint green knits, yellow silk pants...
...and lilac and pink abstract print-splattered overalls and other workwear (both the painter kind and the office kind).
Wang finished with a chic series of solid, loose silk dresses and separates that will reel in new fans.
Jason Wu
Jason Wu has a razor-sharp point of view, one that he drives home with each collection and that spring perfectly represented — grown-up dressing with elements of romance.
He deftly played to two crowds — adults, who will love the mild '70s-flavored, tailored sportswear, and younger lasses, who will thrill to the flounces and youthful silhouettes like shorts teamed with blazer.
Inspired by the colorful artistry of Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes, Wu let bold pinks, purples, and yellows fly in ethereal prints and layers.
And he didn't ignore girlish ruffles, though even the most frothy could easily be tempered with a cardigan.
His closing notes were two beautifully vibrant gowns, one royal blue, one hot pink, with sheer tops that cinched into flowing, dramatic skirts.
Rag & Bone
Even the most die-hard supporters of wearable ready-to-wear are allowed to experiment, just as Rag & Bone's Marcus Wainwright and David Neville did for spring. They collaborated with lingerie designer Jean Yu on harness-like bras that were visible throughout, adding a definite subversive undertone.
Picked apart, their seemingly drastic departure from norm is actually exactly what their fans love them for — terrific separates with something special...
...like a picture Wainwright took on vacation, blown up and distorted and printed on a great dress.
The duo also offered downtown-cool takes on evening and a handful of loose knits that look perfect right now.
So chalk this one up to Rag & Bone growing pains. Minus the pain.
BCBG
Max and Lubov Azria ushered in Spring 2011 with a whisper, a hushed ode to diaphanous dressing geared toward a younger crowd.
They started with a white-out: minidresses that were delicately draped, beaded, or worn like casual T-shirts.
Then color — or rather, muted taupes and beiges with the most delicate embroidery — showed up.
The loudest the Azrias got was a series of melon-to-pink frocks, all in the same abbreviated, crepey silhouettes.
Their only longer length came via the finale, featuring a negligee-like laciness and soft femininity.
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