ZANG TOI

Zang Toi is at his best when he allows his sense of exuberant luxury to take over completely, and he did so this season with a marvelous series of gowns featuring bright Caribbean colors – sky blue and Jamaican red – with cascades of bougainvillea adorning the shoulders, bodices, and skirts. But even in simple black and white, the gowns in this collection are delirium-inducing. A long black skirt was topped with a white button-down shirt with beaded black pinstripes and puffed sleeves. A sizable portion of the collection was given over to sharp suits that were long in the leg and dazzling with accents of sequins and beading.

ZAC POSEN

Zac Posen drew from a cool palette of soft whites and light blues for his spring collection, but he also mixed in some colorful, crazy-quilt pieces that dazzled with verve. A “fusion knit” dress was woven in bright, primary colors that resembled a Navajo pattern. Several dresses with swinging skirts were made of mixed, incongruous floral patterns, also in reds and blues. A wide diamond print – in soft greens and pinks – was used for a sexy tank with white tuxedo pants, as well as a dress. But the fireworks were complemented with a series of strong pieces for everyday wear. A tight tan skirt was shown with white swooping lines, topped by a white shirt with poet collar and jeweled cuffs. In what looked like a deconstruction of a double-breasted blazer, Mr. Posen showed a tan jacket with a wide, open neck, buttoned tightly (almost wrapped) at the waist. Other winners included a light-blue flair skirt in a cable knit and a white suit consisting of a Nehru jacket and sailor pants – both finely detailed with satin like trim.

CUSTO BARCELONA

The usual wild colors and blaring prints were gone, but the wacky styles remained. Many of the spring looks for Custo Barcelona started with white fabric printed with tiny pink or green stars. A shrunken white jacket was eye-catching for its sharp detail, but a larger coat turned heads for its giant print of a woman with sunglasses (typical Custo, only in softer colors). Metallics ran through the looks, as did details that recalled 1980s cutesiness, such as shirts with little puffy sleeves. This is a fun, girlish collection of clothes that must be worn with a sense of humor and whimsy. While other designers are going heavy with color and textures this spring, Custo Barcelona is keeping things light.

GUSTAVO ARANGO

Walking a fine line between edgy and sophisticated, Gustavo Arango’s work this season plays with texture and structure. A knee-length vest made from white tagua seeds (which look like white plastic tiles) was shown over white silk pants. Another long vest – made of a basket weave with mother-of-pearl bits applied – covered a silk slip dress. A stunning gold tube top was paired with a knee-length skirt that seemed inspired by Frank Gehry’s architecture: panels of curling organza and chiffon overlapped in controlled chaos. While silk tuxedo pants showed up frequently, they were most notable under a light-blue tunic that could have been worn as a mini-dress. And when it was time for full-length dresses, the best of the lot was sunny in tangerine silk with a plunging V-neck.

LELA ROSE

Everyday luxury with 1940s style was the key concept at Lela Rose. Delicate fabrics, such as deconstructed lace and tulle, were layered over each other for a rich, artistic effect. One of the most wearable looks in the collection was a simple white ribbed tank with a giant glittering flower applied to the front, worn with a blue-patterned asymmetrical skirt. A series of silk chiffon button-down tops came with wide circles of chiffon around the buttons. A bustier made of cotton voile with an overlay of silk tulle and lace was wonderful; the technique was also used for a slip dress with a yellow lace overlay. Ms. Rose had some fun with grosgrain: an entire evening dress was made of overlapping strips of cream ribbon, with just a few strands of black judiciously added.

YIGAL AZROUEL

Often simple, but always stunning, Yigal Azrouel’s collection was loaded with dresses and gowns for women with no shortage of body confidence. While the shapes were sometimes standard – a black sheath dress here, a tight white tank-dress there – there was an elusive quality to the designs that made them unusually attractive. Wide portrait necklines were a staple of the collection. The best use of the neckline was on a two-ply gown – white silk with a layer of silk tulle over the top – that gave the dress a constantly changing look. An off-the-shoulder portrait neckline was also used for a sheath dress in azure silk satin. Two gowns – one in soft orange, the other in sheer black – kept the shoulders covered with sheer capelets, making for a modest, yet alluring silhouette.

JEREMY SCOTT

After several seasons of overtly offbeat presentations, Jeremy Scott showed a traditional runway show on Saturday, and it looked like he was somewhat serious about selling clothes this time. The Kansas City native has exploited his pop culture celebrity persona so much over the years that it’s easy to forget that behind the goofy fashionista exterior is an actual designer. The mostly black collection could be described as avant-garde athletic. The look was a mix of ghetto boxer and Count Dracula: flowing capes in skull-and-bones patterns were worn with oversized shorts, and fitted sweatshirt dresses sported sexy cutouts and slashed sleeves. Many of the clothes were fresh and street-smart. But this reporter couldn’t help feeling slightly uneasy about the glorified violent references such as fake gang member tattoos and gun imagery. Maybe Mr. Scott needs yet another season to grow up.

RACHEL COMEY

Rachel Comey is slowly but surely establishing herself as one of the city’s most promising downtown talents. At her Bryant Park runway debut on Saturday the cerebral yet playful designer showed a confident, sexy, and slightly giddy collection. While Ms. Comey’s menswear pretty much followed the aesthetics she established several seasons ago – preppy, slim-cut, sharply tailored, and laced with sexy, effeminate details – her women’s line was a surprise. Ms. Comey abandoned her trademark loose, asexual silhouettes in favor of fitted and flirty dresses. Crisp and tailored frocks sported seductively sheer inserts, clingy mesh gowns were practically revealing, and sparkling leotards had a whimsical glamour. Other highlights included effortlessly elegant, wide cotton trousers, playful cropped jumpsuits, and soft mesh hoodies. Perhaps some garments, such as the transparent viscose pieces sporting shiny fuchsia hearts and lacey biker shorts, bordered on silliness, but that’s a minor point. Ms. Comey is having fun with her clothes and so will we next spring.

STEPHEN BURROWS

No matter how much one respects and admires Stephen Burrows, it’s impossible to escape the fact that his clothes are stuck in a time warp. In Stephen Burrows’s world it’s still the last days of disco, women are Amazonian supermodels, and it’s always cocktail hour. It’s not a bad place to be, most of the time. Mr. Burrows’s mastery of cutting and patternmaking is breathtaking and he makes the most complicated ruffled chiffon dress look like a breeze. Many of the fluttery, colorful chiffon gowns and the sleek, multilayered jersey dresses were both magnificent and timely in a retro-chic fashion. But no matter how much the 1980s are back, looks like wide chiffon pants with side ruffles just didn’t work. It’s fervently to be hoped that Mr. Burrows find a talented stylist to edit his collections so we can fully enjoy his magical world.

MIGUEL ADROVER

Any man or woman who hankers for a sharply cut suit needs to see Miguel Adrover. The Majorca-born designer proved last Friday that he is the undisputed New York master of trouser ensembles. Black, white, striped, checkered, double-breasted, tuxedo-tailed, or single-buttoned – every suit was slim, sexy, and flawless. But the extravagantly long show (98 looks) had other excellent garments to offer. After all his ups and downs over the past five years, Mr. Adrover seems to have found and perfected a self-assured, relaxed elegance. His collection was an exercise in slouchy preppiness, with trademark ethnic influences such as Western-style quilts, Native American patterns, and cowboy shirts and vests. Mr. Adrover strives to represent everyone with his clothes, and the scant presence of professional models among the 90-something people on his runway underlined that fact. However, although Mr. Adrover’s shows are bound to include more looks than those of other designers, since he shows both spring and fall at once, the show seemed practically endless. Next time, we can only hope that Mr. Adrover does not feel compelled to show every single tank top, T-shirt, and pair of trousers that he has made.

MARA HOFFMAN

It is always refreshing to see fashion designers that march to their own beat and are more interested in following their vision than trends. Mara Hoffman is such a talent, and her clingy, tie-dyed, jersey clothes have earned her a devoted following that includes celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce Knowles. This time around, Ms. Hoffman ventured into new territory by including non-jersey looks made of embroidered twill, wool, and eyelet cotton. The collection was based on Spanish influences such as flamenco dress- and matador suits with a color scheme of mainly red, white, black, and yellow hues. Although some of the twill pieces, such as a kimono dress with an embroidered rose on the chest and a safari wrap jumpsuit, worked well, it was Ms. Hoffman’s signature hand-dyed knits that really stood out. Dresses in iridescent pastels with fishtail hems and layers of heavy ruffles around the neck and sleeves were feminine, sexy, and – perhaps accidentally – very much in sync with this season’s dance-inspired trend.

NICOLE MILLER

Nicole Miller, known for her boldly printed ties and sexy $300 dresses, produced a mega-runway show at Bryant Park last Thursday, tinkering slightly – some extra charm use here, and appliqued tulle there – with her million-dollar formula. Though she is still creating sexy, conventional party clothes, there was a substantial showing of lavish formal gowns. The standout was a series of long, antique gold, beaded, nude-colored dresses in tulle, chiffon, and silk.

But don’t expect to see these yummy creations hanging in department stores – or even in one of Ms. Miller’s eponymous shops. Only a few of these pieces will be produced, and most likely used for window display. Most of what will be for sale under the Nicole Miller label, sportswear and day-into-night frocks, was not presented to the public.

So what was this show all about? The lofty, inspirational, and aspirational image cast by the gowns is expected to result in a surge of sales of Ms. Miller’s Bed, Bath and Beyond linen and house wear lines (carried in 600 stores); the show itself is set to run on TV monitors at stores near you.

MONIQUE LHUILLIER

Ray Ban shades added just the right amount of attitude to the potentially tooprim suits and daywear by Monique Lhuillier. Who doesn’t love a gorgeous woman in a safari suit of white linen? As day moves into night, this pampered Monaco wife morphs into a gentle, more subtle creature wearing similar shades of lemon and white, the basis of this collection, but draped in sweet floral silks she takes on a different air. The gowns – in floral-print chiffon, and in teal, gray, and jade, some with beaded necklines and illusion necklaces – cleverly mask the man-eater lingering at the high stakes craps tables.

TOMMY HILFIGER

P. Diddy, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Denise Rich, the Black Eyed Peas, and Jade Jagger turning out to see Naomi, Daria, and Karolina strutting their stuff – that’s why one agrees to attend a Tommy Hilfiger show. The collection, which was both classic and fun, of course, was inspired by a yachting trip Mr. Hilfiger took with friends and family this year. But who could notice the perfect white, strapless, eyelet dress and navy double-breasteds with gold anchor buttons? It was the pairing of mundane preppy items with the electric (men’s blazers in bright pink, lime-green, and orange linen, and a bikini paired with an orange leather jacket on Naomi Campbell) that ensured that the classics did not go unnoticed.

VERA WANG

There’s no longer a good reason to link the name Vera Wang exclusively to bridal wear. In her spring collection, presented on Friday morning, the one-time Vogue editor displayed a gorgeous array of day- and formal-wear. In keeping with the same aesthetics that made her bridal couture instantly adored and recognized – beading and sequins popped up here as well – Ms. Wang continued to rely on sensual charmeuse, georgette, muted gold lame, brocade, and cashmere to produce a collection based on dresses (no surprise there) and skirts. A trio of modern tricks kept the looks fresh: the pairing of fabrics (such as a charmeuse skirt with a cashmere sweater), the use of retro-inspired bold prints (my favorite was composed of bold lines, cross-hatching in brown or, alternatively, red on ivory silk), and the palette of colors in taupes, navy, ivory, blacks, and brown with splashes of reds and greens.