Deep flounces bring volume and charm to modern peasant looks. Clean crisp poplins or silks in neutrals or poppy tones underlined the breezy, wear-anytime mood. Adam Lippes showed a ruffled crop top matched to a full midi-skirt; lampshade hats added to the classic mid century aesthetic. Frederick Anderson, 2022 FGI Rising Star winner, showed a flyaway top over tailored pants, both in a lovely peony pink. Hanako Maeda of Adeam brought dimension to an easy scarlet-red peasant dress with wide flounced sleeves. Mark Badgley and James Mischka of Badgley Mischka offered more separates than usual this season, including a full-sleeved pale pink top over a dramatically flounced wrap skirt. Philip Lim of 3.1 Philip Lim used acid-washed denim for a skirt and top that tied under the bust, creating both an adjustable fit and an appealing gathered effect.

The black and white combo never goes out of fashion, it just evolves. The high-contrast duotone lends itself to punchy graphics, but this season designers softened the effect with stitchery, eye-catching prints and appliqués. Frederick Anderson, known for his intricate crochets and lace, used his signature materials for a dimensional sweater emblazoned with a giant crochet daisy. Black lace pants completed the look. 3.1 Phillip Lim also used black lace this season, giving a white denim slip dress a lingerie-influenced twist. Tommy Hilfiger cut a mod daisy print into a neat suit, while Sergio Hudson’s pantsuit was covered in graphic dots. Bibhu Mohapatra explored the artistic potential of the palette, using a hand-drawn pen-and-ink floral for a fit-and-flare frock.

The body positive movement and the pandemic-era penchant for comfort dressing is reflected in all the matched sets and stretchy onesies showing up on runways. Prisca Franchetti of Priscavera offered a sheer mesh ensemble that got a slightly boho feel from an asymmetric tunic top and cigarette-leg pants. Cynthia and Najla Burt, the mother-daughter design team behind Dur Doux, showed chic bra-top-and-pants sets, some accessorized with matching wraps. Victor Glemaud celebrated the body with a bubble-gum pink catsuit, given drama with a plunging V-neck and matching cape. Brandon Maxwell expressed a more relaxed side of his party-ready aesthetic this season, evidenced in a printed column dress that looked as easy to wear as a favorite tee.

New York City’s long reputation as a “melting pot” is reflected in the myriad cultures that inform this season’s collections. The Indonesia Now Runway Show at Spring Studios showcased the work of six Indonesian designers. The show included Coreta Louise, who is known for her mix of traditional textiles, especially batik, as well as Indonesian Sisters Jihan and Nazmah Malik of Heavenly Lights, who used airy fabrics and lovely color to bring lightness to full-coverage looks. Who Decides War is a label designed by Everard Best and Téla D’Amore, both with Caribbean roots. The WDW duo used quilting, appliqué, and wonderful shredded denim to express deeply felt messages about climate change and women’s issues. Snow Xue Gao’s collaged prints draw from her Chinese heritage, but the ease and energy of her appealing separates is pure New York.

The new optimism is captured in sunny shades of yellow. Hanako Maeda of Adeam brought out the color’s evening potential with a lemony goddess gown, while Bibhu Mohapatra went sporty with a vivid zip-front sheath. Laquan Smith’s glossy citron trench would brighten any day, rain or shine. Phillip Lim used the shade for a chic three-piece sweater set, and Alejandra Alonso Rojas spun a melon-y yellow into a lacy crochet tank top that perfectly matched a precisely tailored, yet fluid, pantsuit.