All things bright & beautiful

Yesterday's shows were divided into two camps. There were the colorists, and then there were the naturalists. (And then there were the naturists — namely Jeremy Scott with a bottom-flasher of a show.)

Michael Kors belongs to those who choose to express spring through an exploration of the outdoors. Specifically in his case, Africa. Kors danced to the now-familiar beat of his tribal safari tune, which he calls Afriluxe.That translates to hand-dyed cashmere caftans in flame orange, Kenyan-striped linen tunics and tissue henleys with suede utility pants. Some of the freshest takes included a hand-dyed bias dress in olive, a calf-hair patchwork shift and a leopard hand-painted feather dress. Because it’s a jungle out there.

MICHAEL KORS SPRING 2012 SHOW

MILLY SPRING 2012 SHOW

On the other side of the globe are the colorists. In any previous season, one wouldn’t normally put Phillip Lim in that camp, but this spring he left the sequins and rhinestones behind, went hyper minimal and left only the zippers. In outfits of pale pastel blocks of color, Lim paired a white jacket with a lilac tank, a peach pant and light blue python sandal. The collection was inspired by kites, so there were wings and tails on tops, and swingy jackets and dresses bore the effect of “collapsed” volume. Pretty and modernist.

Reed Krakoff has been on that architectural design train since he launched his eponymous line a year ago, but this outing is his most accessible. His Audubon print was a striking take on the emerging bird-print theme, and dovetails with the strong streak of canary yellow and orange running through the shows. Krakoff’s hip-belted jackets were some of the strongest of the week, and the black-and-white finale of subtle deco evening looks was pure Manhattan moderne.