From left: J. Mendel, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Thakoon, Narciso Rodriguez   (Photo: Firstview)

(3) Lilac Will Be Your New Favorite Color
But for the occasional accent, this was not a bright season. Lilac was the perfect compromise between the collective neutrality and designers’ irrepressible need to acknowledge that spring is when flowers bloom. J. Mendel and Narciso Rodriguez showed a light and airy color for evening, while Thakoon and Vera Wang did deeper hues for day.

From left: Richard Chai, Donna Karan, Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Behnaz Sarafpour   (Photo: Firstview)

(4) You’ll Tie One On
And don’t be shy about it. The bigger, the better was the mantra for bows, which bound up Richard Chai, Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, and Vera Wang. Sarafpour offered a more demure method of following the trend, with tidy bow details on the pocket of a daytime sheath.