There was a little black dress midway through Collette Dinnigan's show that reminded people who've followed her career of the early days. The frock's peekaboo-lace back echoed the lingerie-inspired dresses with which she made her name in the nineties.

FASHION268.NET - Before the first model hit the runway, Luisa Beccaria sent out her young daughter and son, along with two other beautiful little kids, to scatter rose petals. Whether or not you appreciated the flower children is a good indicator of how you might feel about the collection itself: For some, Beccaria's party dresses are the very essence of romance; for others, they're just too sweet. But there's no arguing that this was one of her most accomplished shows. It was cohesive, well-made (although she'll have to address the sheerness issue before retail), and utterly charming.

FASHION268.NET - Bruno Pieters dedicated his collection to Pierre Cardin, but beyond the fact that nearly every fabric had a subtle shine, there was nothing overtly space-age about the clothes. Over the last couple of seasons, the Belgian designer has established a certain precise tailoring—narrow and sharp as a razor blade—as his signature. For Spring, he applied Cardin's stark black-and-white palette and even more rigorous sense of structure to his already severe approach.

Watching a show by Elie Saab, who built his reputation on the backs of Hollywood's glamour girls, the question is always the same: Can you picture a celebrity wearing that? More often than not this season the answer was not likely. The Easter-egg color palette—hydrangea blue, lavender, daffodil, and apple green—will be the first stumbling block. Other obstacles include the outsize ruffles, awkward proportions on what few day looks there were, and fabrics and construction that just didn't look like the best that money can buy. Another issue: a sky-high slit that exposed one model's undies. Come to think of it, that dress may have a certain appeal for some of our starlets.

FASHION268.NET - Let other designers batten down the hatches against the flagging economy. Carolina Herrera's customers have recession-proof portfolios, and if they don't, they're not going to let it show by dressing in any old thing. The show's color palette was of the "If you've got it, flaunt it" variety: bright persimmon paired with hibiscus, teal faille trimmed in tweed, a marigold photo print. Black and white also played starring roles. Compared to her recent collections, embellishments had been scaled back; Spring is all about the ruffle. As for the silhouettes, though, they were designed for cocktail hour and beyond (with a few exceptions for lunch at La Grenouille).