Mindful of who wears his clothes (we’re talking about you, Mrs. Obama), Narciso Rodriguez made sure to bare arms. And he did so in an effortlessly feminine way. He let go of his über-strong woman motif for spring and called upon women who like smart layers of light-as-air fabrics, sharply cut but perhaps with a pouf suits, and dresses that cocoon away from the body. It still had that less-is-more feel that Rodriguez has cultivated, but it was definitely softer and more relaxed. 
Carolina Herrera started with a humble Japanese basket, and from there unfurled her spring collection. Her inspiration translated through the woven details she peppered throughout. But of course, hers came via silk linen jacquards and wood-tile embellishments. It was, as always, proper and sophisticated. 
Marc Jacobs is in that enviable and exclusive club of designers who have free range to explore and stretch their imagination while still pulling in the customers. In less-deft hands, his spring collection, rife with dramatic curlicues of silk, full-on hanky motifs, and many, many innerwear-as-outerwear nods, would flounder. But in Marc’s, it was one of those shows that made the jaded fashion crowd love its job. 
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