Designers at New York Fashion Week tried to lighten a dismal national mood for their spring collections this week with a sunny evolution of popular autumn colours of eggplant, mustard and midnight blue. They are relying on marigold, lighter lilac and teal.
Carolina Herrera
On Monday, Carolina Herrera presented her collection filled with feelings of civility, sophistication and luxury. She consistently plays the chic, well-heeled woman who has little interest in trends, yet the lovely dresses with organza overlays or delicate ruffles fully played into the casual elegance that has been a strong theme during the first half of the new season's style previews.
The palette of hibiscus pink, marigold yellow, teal blue and reddish orange mixed with graphic black and white also fell in line with what's been popular with other designers.
Ms Herrera, however, also offered an interesting, seemingly one-of-a-kind floral print that looked like overexposed photographs of real flowers instead of an artist's version.
In her notes, Ms Herrera said she was aiming for contrast, alternating between crisp simplicity and ethereal femininity. There was a more lineal silhouette for the daytime, she wrote, and fluid motion for the evening.
Marc Jacobs
The closely watched Marc Jacobs went his own way for his runway show, also on Monday night, rejecting the tropical and graphic trends for an early 20th century-inspired collection rooted in navy and red.
He lined his runway with glass panels that had the effect of fun-house mirrors for a packed house that included Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham, Nicole Richie and Winona Ryder.
Mr Jacobs is considered the bellwether American designer; the harem pants that are so popular on the catwalk this week were in his collection back in 2006.
He also offered waistcoats, back-wrap skirts with ruffles, menswear suit pieces, gaucho pants, draped striped gowns and a stunning black satin cocktail dress with a braided belt.
Isaac Mizrahi
Inspiration comes from all sorts of places - Isaac Mizrahi took his from the insect world. The collection named Swarm had dresses in the spirit of dragonflies, beetles, even cockroaches.
Mr Mizrahi had his tongue in cheek working on these outfits, but he also offered some serious fashion, including a draped gown covered in orange pailettes - the glitterpillar - and the white-on-while jacquard leopard-moth sheath dress.
The white beetlebride gown, with a wrap-style top and full white ballskirt, would look stunning at a garden wedding.
But then there were the shapeless, unfortunate dresses named pupas.
Peter Som
Peter Som's spring runway was a closet full of clothes for the young and beautiful set. The collection was an even mix of tropical colours and neutral earth tones and cocktail dresses.
Som mixed textures - an organza shirt with tweed skirt, and a shiny linen taffeta dress - which gave the overall impression of chic clothes without stuffiness. Corset-style tops with fuller, flirty bottoms also provided some playfulness.
Miss Sixty
Miss Sixty's collection hit on many of the major trends to emerge so far at New York Fashion Week: rompers, harem pants, one-shoulder tops, miniskirts and loose, easy outfits.
The line called New Urban Superheroes debuted in front of a crowd that included actress Blake Lively, as well as stylists, editors and retailers.
Tracy Reese
Tracy Reese's garden blossomed early. The best outfits of her spring collection were done in florals, especially a pale oleander-rose print used for a one-shoulder slip dress covered with appliqued flowers that served as the runway finale.
Other outstanding looks presented were a chrysanthemum lantern skirt with a soft drape matched with a nectarine-coloured knit T-shirt with ruffled cap sleeves and strapless garden-print top with a double peplum that was worn with green eyelet trousers.
Furthering the good girl-bad girl theme that has been popular in the early going of fashion week, Ms Reese offered an ideal leather-and-lace ensemble: A taupe-coloured buttery leather jacket with appliques and a lace tiered skirt.
Carolina Herrera
On Monday, Carolina Herrera presented her collection filled with feelings of civility, sophistication and luxury. She consistently plays the chic, well-heeled woman who has little interest in trends, yet the lovely dresses with organza overlays or delicate ruffles fully played into the casual elegance that has been a strong theme during the first half of the new season's style previews.
The palette of hibiscus pink, marigold yellow, teal blue and reddish orange mixed with graphic black and white also fell in line with what's been popular with other designers.
Ms Herrera, however, also offered an interesting, seemingly one-of-a-kind floral print that looked like overexposed photographs of real flowers instead of an artist's version.
In her notes, Ms Herrera said she was aiming for contrast, alternating between crisp simplicity and ethereal femininity. There was a more lineal silhouette for the daytime, she wrote, and fluid motion for the evening.
Marc Jacobs
The closely watched Marc Jacobs went his own way for his runway show, also on Monday night, rejecting the tropical and graphic trends for an early 20th century-inspired collection rooted in navy and red.
He lined his runway with glass panels that had the effect of fun-house mirrors for a packed house that included Jennifer Lopez, Victoria Beckham, Nicole Richie and Winona Ryder.
Mr Jacobs is considered the bellwether American designer; the harem pants that are so popular on the catwalk this week were in his collection back in 2006.
He also offered waistcoats, back-wrap skirts with ruffles, menswear suit pieces, gaucho pants, draped striped gowns and a stunning black satin cocktail dress with a braided belt.
Isaac Mizrahi
Inspiration comes from all sorts of places - Isaac Mizrahi took his from the insect world. The collection named Swarm had dresses in the spirit of dragonflies, beetles, even cockroaches.
Mr Mizrahi had his tongue in cheek working on these outfits, but he also offered some serious fashion, including a draped gown covered in orange pailettes - the glitterpillar - and the white-on-while jacquard leopard-moth sheath dress.
The white beetlebride gown, with a wrap-style top and full white ballskirt, would look stunning at a garden wedding.
But then there were the shapeless, unfortunate dresses named pupas.
Peter Som
Peter Som's spring runway was a closet full of clothes for the young and beautiful set. The collection was an even mix of tropical colours and neutral earth tones and cocktail dresses.
Som mixed textures - an organza shirt with tweed skirt, and a shiny linen taffeta dress - which gave the overall impression of chic clothes without stuffiness. Corset-style tops with fuller, flirty bottoms also provided some playfulness.
Miss Sixty
Miss Sixty's collection hit on many of the major trends to emerge so far at New York Fashion Week: rompers, harem pants, one-shoulder tops, miniskirts and loose, easy outfits.
The line called New Urban Superheroes debuted in front of a crowd that included actress Blake Lively, as well as stylists, editors and retailers.
Tracy Reese
Tracy Reese's garden blossomed early. The best outfits of her spring collection were done in florals, especially a pale oleander-rose print used for a one-shoulder slip dress covered with appliqued flowers that served as the runway finale.
Other outstanding looks presented were a chrysanthemum lantern skirt with a soft drape matched with a nectarine-coloured knit T-shirt with ruffled cap sleeves and strapless garden-print top with a double peplum that was worn with green eyelet trousers.
Furthering the good girl-bad girl theme that has been popular in the early going of fashion week, Ms Reese offered an ideal leather-and-lace ensemble: A taupe-coloured buttery leather jacket with appliques and a lace tiered skirt.