Those who thought Zac Posen had abandoned New York for Paris wholesale got a welcomes surprise on Saturday: The designer was on hand to debut the lower-priced Z Spoke line, complete with citrus appliques and funny-face prints.
Lincoln Center also got its first fall, courtesy of model Ataui Deng, who took a spill, but made a fabulous recovery, on the runway. (Apparently the separate shoe rehearsal to help the models navigate the treacherous footwear didn't help.)
Posen himself took a bow clad in coral and orange, following up a roll-out of zany-chic cocktail dresses, wild bell bottoms and sporty separates. Keeping with the season's more veering away from the micro-mini theme, even Z Spoke included some long-length skirts, albeit ones peppered with a patchwork of faces.
In Posen's trippy spring season, the same faces came plastered on pineapples and graphic apples, while orange wedges served as brooches on otherwise prim jackets. Triangle cut-outs on sundresses had a peek-a-boo brand of sexy, as did the collections most sophisticated look: a dramatic bare-back black gown with long sleeves.
The collection begged for play: It felt like an impeccably orchestrated four-year-old's fantasy with the style of Lois Lane and the Electric Mayhem mixed in.
