The moments everyone waits for

But then there are moments that invigorate, and in those moments, you begin to realize why you’ve been battling for cabs and skipping meals. One of those moments came Wednesday afternoon at a presentation for Marchesa at the Chelsea Art Museum. Taking her inspiration from Madame Butterfly, Marchesa designer Georgina Chapman turned tulle and beads into pure art. A laser cut satin strapless gown - a fashionable tribute to the work of Dutch designer Tord Boontje - combined classic elegance and technology. A lilac ombre tulle dress with organza flower detail turned one model into a delicate living flower. These were museum-quality cocktail-hour offerings which will no doubt wind up on full red-carpet display.

The sisters of Rodarte take a similarly artful approach to their clothes, but in the opposite extreme. The Pasadena, Calif., sisters distressed, twisted, and even burned their clothes to suit their higgledy-piggledy “Mad Max’’ approach. Their show, complete with a machine that sputtered out clouds of green fog, produced a succession of models in Rodarte’s sexy zombie attire. It was beautiful and weird, but the question of who could pull off wearing such clothes hung in the air.

Wearability was not an issue for either Kors or Narciso Rodriguez. Both men stepped back and scaled back their colors and silhouettes, coming up with collections that were simple and fresh. Kors, not exactly known for producing sexy garments, attempted to show skin by cutting out blocks of fabric to reveal hints of skin. It didn’t exactly fit with his inspiration of urban renewal, but his pale shades of pistachio and pearl felt like a fresh coat of whitewash over a series of tried and true classics.

Rodriguez let the shape and craftsmanship of his dresses speak rather than color. His primarily neutral collection allowed a clearer view of his ability to make clothes that literally floated on the runway and made the model appear (even more) weightless. Unfortunately, some of this beauty came at the expense of interest. Eventually many of his dresses simply became a blur of billowy loveliness.

While Kors and Rodriguez played with the lighter side, Vera Wang surprised by getting edgy. No, not Rodarte zombie edgy, but certainly stronger and more aggressive than her clothes have been in years. There were biker shorts and tank tops. This was Wang, after all, so these were paired with ballerina skirts, big bib necklaces, and dramatic jumpsuits. Still, there was a minimum of lavender and tulle. No small feat for a woman best known for coquettish softness.

These surprises were just the kinds of things that brought smiles to the lips of fashion buyers and magazine editors this week. Marc Jacobs showed a riot of prints in his Marc by Marc Jacobs collection, but a sly highlight was his high-fashion fanny pack. And Peter Som, a designer who has experienced an extremely difficult year, turned his troubles into a day at the beach, literally. Inspired by vintage cruise wear, he showed a delightful collection of day dresses and sparkling shorts and tops. His optimism for spring 2010 was almost as inspiring as his perfectly styled models.

Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com.