New York Fashion Week: Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez shoot for soft spring styles

Michael Kors' show this morning brought many of spring's trends into focus--transparency, cutouts and a body-conscious silhouette. The collection was revealing, but not vulgar, sculptural but also feminine. It was the most commercial expression of the ripped and slashed, '80s-era, Japanese-influenced anti-fashion trend we've been seeing on the runways this week. And it was coming from Kors, the all-American sportswear designer.

The dress was the key piece--sheaths in crinkly silver lame, bleach splatter print Shantung and gray perforated flannel, all of which are seasonless enough to wear in February, when spring clothes start to arrive in stores. Smart.

Cage-like effects are moving from shoes to clothes for spring, and Kors' black stretch crepe dress with a black patent cage cutout at the waist was one of the sexiest things so far this season. A mint green stretch crepe shift was revealing in another way, with bands of clear plastic over the waist and legs.

For more everyday wear, Kors offered asymmetrically draped, crinkly taffeta skirts, and a black crepe suit with boxy cap sleeves. There were some interesting knits, too--cardigans with multiple sleeves, turtleneck pullovers with a single sleeve, and crew necks with ripped hems. It's about as subversive as we've ever seen Kors.

Of course, Narciso Rodriguez is a master architect of clothing, only this season his approach was more softly sculptural, to stunning effect. He opened with several asymmetrically draped, silk organza dresses, the most striking a mix of black, purple and coral layers that brought to mind mixing colors on a painter's palette. Next came seamed, linen organza dresses, softly cone-shaped so that they stood away from the body. (On a sticky summer day, could anything be better?)

Although he worked mostly in neutral shades of black, white and gray, there were pops of color (a pink crepe dress with a draped racer back was wonderfully chic) and prints, too. Seamed shift dresses came in prints reminiscent of stylized X-Rays. And Rodriguez's version of the summer suit had a black sleeveless satin crepe shell with a draped, sheer neckline and back, worn with skinny trousers.

The show was pitch perfect from the start to the three finale dresses, in black, white and silver silk with abstract embroidery on the bodices, and raised hems billowing in the breeze.

-- Booth Moore

Photos: Narciso Rodriguez's spring / summer 2010 runway

Photos: Michael Kors' spring / summer 2010 runway

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Top photo: Michael Kors' Spring 2010 runway. Bottom: Narciso Rodriguez Spring 2010 runway Credits: Peter Stigter and Jonas Gustavsson / For The Times