More than ready to move ahead

On a catwalk that resembled a vintage Hollywood soundstage, Mizrahi had his hard-working models climbing stairs and dodging rain. Yes, it rained on the runway. It was a fitting climax to the shows, given that high-end designers have been climbing a similarly slippery obstacle course since the US economy crumbled last fall. But Mizrahi’s rainstorm ended, models emerged wearing sequined minidresses and tinsel coats, and it looked as though the sunshine was back and shining on fashion.

At least, that’s what the collections for spring/summer 2010 would lead you to believe. There was optimism, effervescence, many patches of exposed skin, and even more pairs of pirate pants. But most of all, there was a message that the fashion industry is more than ready to move forward from a wretched 2009. Even the Bacchanalian parties and opulent dinners that disappeared from the schedule of earlier this year made a return, with designers at least presenting a front that happy days are (almost) here again.

What was missing amid the optimism was creative freshness. Stifling yawns became more challenging as the week wore, especially when design stars such as Thakoon and Narciso Rodriguez offered collections that felt like both designers were treading water. Even Marc Jacobs, who can usually be counted on for an inspiring spectacle, produced a distracted and unfocused collection that felt as if it tried to offer a bit of everything.

In an economic climate where the only certainty is the unknown, many designers seemed unwilling to take chances. Ralph Lauren’s dust bowl “Grapes of Wrath’’ overalls were not out of the designer’s denim norm, but felt as if they’d arrived about six months past their sell-by date. By the time they hit store shelves next year, will anyone want to be reminded of the crash of ’08?

The upside of a challenging economy is that normally comfortable designers were pushed to their creative limits. Vera Wang, a name synonymous with gentle wedding dresses, produced a line that occasionally bordered on sporty. Donna Karan’s “urban atmosphere’’ collection was a revelation for a designer who had fallen into a rut as deep as the uptown train. Figure-hugging jersey dresses, sexy wrap dresses, and dramatic hats were produced in neutral shades of sun-baked concrete and tranquil sand. It was almost as if a financial crash was necessary to bring Karan back down to earth to see her customers.

If there was a common theme on the New York runways, it was skin. Designers were showing lots of it - from the flashes of flesh under Y-3’s soccer net dresses and Alexander Wang’s almost football uniforms, to the sexy décolletage on view at Tuleh. The latter’s back-bearing lace was accompanied by a none-too-subtle version of “Here Comes the Sun’’ to help inform attendees, in case they missed it, that “the ice is slowly melting.’’

Phillip Lim’s nearly perfect collection was a lesson in how smart designers reveal some skin without making their customers look like street corner trollops. Lovingly tailored blouses showed hints of flat bellies, while a cashmere V-neck cardigan laced seductively on the back. This new spirit of subtle seduction could also be seen in the work of the promising Prabal Gurung, whose Yves St. Laurent-inspired collection showed skin, but wrapped in bows and covered in the right places with men’s pieces such as jackets to offer balance.

There was no end of prints and patterns on the runway, lead by an outstanding collection by Ruffian, but it was all the intricate ways that designers showed the body that demonstrated - again, in George Harrison’s words - that the ice is slowly melting. One look at the beautiful dresses of Marchesa and Ralph Rucci, and at the very least, I knew my cynicism was melting.

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