New York Fashion Week review: Jason Wu’s Spring/Summer 2010 show

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Happy days are here again. That was the message at Jason Wu’s spring show. And why not? There are few American designers who have skyrocketed to fame as quickly as Wu, a relative unknown until First Lady Michelle Obama chose his one shouldered, frothy, feathery white gown to wear to the inaugural balls this year.

Presented in an elegant ballroom at the St. Regis Hotel today, the collection had the same lightness as that famous gown, starting with a onesie in silk tweed as soft as mohair, in a shade that brought to mind a fuzzy peach.

Sure it was a showpiece (a fuzzy one-piece?) but it made you smile and want to reach out and give the model a hug.

Cuddly clothes, check.

A suit, in soft navy silk tweed with drainpipe trousers and a hoodie for a jacket, had the ease of a sweat suit.

Casual chic, check.

Even the more formal looks had something extra -- an edge: a tweed shift wrapped in neon yellow tulle tape, for example, and a flirty silk peplum dress in a bold Rorschach-like print.

First lady-like, check.

Recession be damned, Wu has an optimistic view of the social calendar, too. He showed a bevy of cheerful one-shouldered cocktail frocks, their tulip shapes and short lengths hinting at the ‘80s trend. One of the best had a blue ostrich feather sash, another was draped in cellophane-like fabric.

Eye candy, check.

The mood was festive, happy -- optimistic. New York is off to a good start.

--Booth Moore

Photos: Jason Wu’s Spring/Summer 2010 collection

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