DONNA KARAN

Women of steel, with sex appeal, seemed to be the inspiration for Donna Karan’s tightly focused spring looks. Using a palette of whites and grays in surprising fabrics – a thin sweatshirt jersey, a metallic linen gauze – Ms. Karan kept the interest level high. Her skirts were often ballooned or draped delicately, just enough to show off an extra bit of leg. Though the designer fell back on her old, reliable shoulder less silhouette, it had a fresh look given the unusual fabrics.

Ms. Karan seems to be moving in a more deconstructed direction. Several pieces included panels of sheer fabric. Jackets that looked straightforward in the front were laced up like a corset in the back. On the whole, this collection suggested that Ms. Karan has been mulling and rethinking form, but (thankfully) not so much as to create unwearable clothing.

ELLEN TRACY

The classic, professional Ellen Tracy look continues with excellent tailoring and attractive textures. White and tan shades took center stage, but soft orange and gentle prints popped up, too, accented with deep black. Crisp white suits lead the collection, especially a jacket shown in jacquard. A black suit with a jacquard skirt and a softer jacket was paired with a black chiffon shirt that balanced sexy with professional: the low V-neck was accented with a chiffon tie. Also worthy of a top female executive was a stunning ivory dress with long strips of sharp ruffles lining the front. Though there were flowing printed dresses and plenty of pink pieces, there was a hint of fall in the air: A turtleneck and cardigan twin set was paired with a houndstooth tweed skirt. Accessories were at times restrained to simple thin belts, but then upped the ante to long Chanel-like strands of silver balls or pearls around the neck or waist. The collection again gave professional women clothes to wear – and be taken seriously in.

NORMAN NORELL

From short dresses to long gowns, Patrick Michael Hughes’s collection for the Norman Norell label is destined for seriously glamorous, formal functions. Though certain pieces were playful, there was an overall conservative, soft-spoken elegance. Two long navy gowns came with silver-embroidered trim – one at the top of a strapless bodice, the other outlining a low V-neck. A series of short dresses featured open backs with sailor like flaps hanging down off the shoulders. Other short dresses came with a more puffy skirt, including one in an attractive gold silk-satin with a sheer overlay. (What’s with all the two-ply dresses this season?) And there was a little bit of mix-and-match going on: A bateau-neck top in satin with an embellished sash was shown with white pants, but could have been worn with the long pink skirt in the same fabric.

PAMELLA ROLAND

In her spring collection, designer Pamella DeVos has pulled off a balancing act. Her clothes are beautifully cut head-turners, and yet retain a certain modesty. Her suits are trim and dramatic, but they’re not flashy or ostentatious – even though they’re made from, say, an iridescent blend of silk and cotton. A halter gown in silk-satin also straddled that delicate line: though it had a low V-neck and no back, the wide flounces of silk on the chest kept it from being too revealing. A series of lambskin suede pieces – a coat, belted jacket, and halter dress – also suggested luxury, but would do well at a PTA meeting.

Some of the pinks in this collection went a little too far in the direction of Barbie. But one use of color – a long halter dress with bright diagonal stripes in reds, yellows, and blues – was just right.

BCBG MAX AZRIA

The embroiderers have been working overtime at BCBG Max Azria, so much so that one wonders whether Mr. Azria (and his wife/muse/creative director Lubov Azria) have been spending too much time downloading Joni Mitchell and thrifting for peasant blouses.

The textured, romantic hippy clothes provide a counterpoint to lady-like polish: folksy, homespun elegance. There was a vast array of embroidered knee-length cotton dresses and skirts in shades of white, blue, and pink; burlap jackets, some exploding with embroidered flowers, others not; cropped pants and cro chet tops. And then a brief nod to disco with a slew of halter gowns in matte, Creamsicle-colored chiffon – tiger-lily orange, azalea and primrose pinks, spearmint-green and sheer lilac – followed by a slew of more halter gowns, this time in sparkly Creamsicle-colored crystal sequins. Bridesmaids be forewarned!

Like many other designers this season the Azrias also incorporated metallics, though passing on gold in favor of silver. The most endearing, casual use of metal came in the form of a coral-pink silk tunic, horizontally striped with silver sequins and paired with a navy skirt. Perfect for daytime sparkle and layering. BETSEY JOHNSON Pouf! Betsey Johnson presented a collection that was half-1980s, half-1950s, leaving little room for dressing that doesn’t inspire laughs (or rolls of the eyes). But this is what Ms. Johnson is known for: downtown ironic costume dressing. All of her clothing comes with a built-in wink. If you are over 27 years old this is Halloween wear.

Strapless gowns of yellow and lavender, with layered, crinoline skirts reminded me of the “ironic high school prom” parties of my college years. There is no need to purchase these gowns new. One trip to Screaming Mimi’s on Lafayette Street fits the bill.

Same goes for the 1980s-inspired dresses. The white lace strapless knee length dress (complete with tacky big black bow, of course!) had been done 101 times. So, too, has the newsprint spaghetti strap number.

MARC JACOBS

Marc Jacobs has mellowed. The downtown designer used to make unpredictable fashion U-turns every season – Mary Quant-mod, the movie “Grease,” and 1940s schoolgirls are just a few of his looks in recent years. But judging from Monday night’s runway show it appears that Mr. Jacobs now prefers to build on previous collections rather than completely reinvent them. The delicate and feminine Aline skirts, prim short-sleeved blouses, skinny coats, and ruffled slip dresses he sent out had the same gently nostalgic mood and flavor as his last two lines. But there was a drastic change in the colors and prints. Mr. Jacobs exchanged his dusty pastels for clear and vivid shades of turquoise, orange, and yellow. He ignored all pattern mixing faux pas and sent out checkered, striped, and polka-dotted ensembles that somehow looked fresh and natural instead of incredibly busy. But the monochromatic outfits were just as striking. Loosely draped gowns in fuchsia, orange, and blue and sheered tulle bustier dresses were tempting and delicious, like giant bon-bons.

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

When Marc Jacobs sent out a patchwork jacket over a white ruffled prairie dress it seemed that his spring collection was going to be a take on Western styles. But then he sent out a loose smock dress in a bright art-nouveau print worn with an oversize necklace of ceramic beads, which looked more Bloomsbury Bohemian. It wasn’t until the colorful, layered jersey tees and cropped cargo pants that it became clear this collection wasn’t going to adhere to one simple theme. It seemed as if Mr. Jacobs had decided to mix and match all the things he likes, including colors and patterns, and somehow it all looked just as effortlessly cool as Marc by Marc Jacobs always does.

Vests, tanks, blouses, and T-shirts were piled on top of each other, but the cuts (and models) were so slim that the effect wasn’t bulky. Hemlines on both pants and skirts mostly hovered around the knees, although there were a couple of minis and hot pants thrown in for good measure. (The line is aimed at teens and very young 20-somethings, after all.) There are usually a few elements that connect this collection to the Marc Jacobs signature line, and this time around the common link was the bold use of colors and pattern. Daring and exuberant combinations such as two sets of striped T-shirts worn with color-block print jeans and a red dress worn over a brown shirt with a blue quilted belt were more casual versions of the ladylike looks of the night before.

But this collection might become a bit of a headache once it’s hanging in the closets of dorm rooms across America. It was the styling that made the clothes look exciting, and once a T-shirt and pair of jeans are worn on their own they look like, well, a T-shirt and pair of jeans.

ANNA SUI

Anna Sui took a trip to the Wild West and played with both cowgirls and Indians in her spring collection. The mix of sweet frills, whimsical patterns, bohemian fringe, and rock ‘n’ roll denim was classic Anna Sui. Every season, this incredibly consistent designer takes the same signature concepts that she has worked with since the early 1990s, shakes them up with a fresh theme, and manages to make them look new all over again. Girly voile dresses in eyelet cotton and pretty floral prints, worn with cowboy hats and Navajo beads, looked like sassier versions of the Ingall sisters’ wardrobe in “The Little House On The Prairie,” while frilly blouses pared with denim soldier jackets or fringed suede coats were more Calamity Jane. Pieces like lace jackets with beaded collars and tiered petticoats could have bordered on costumes, but were done with such a light hand that they looked easy and modern. Which is exactly what the Anna Sui girl is.