Roy used a wave of coral colorblocking in a more fitted sleeveless dress

Rachel Roy mixed smudges of blue and gray with an earthy print of birds and animal skulls in a loose one-shoulder jumpsuit and palazzo pants in an eclectic spring collection that included pops of bright coral, neon orange and ivory eyelet lace."For me, I do a lot of mixing and balancing," she said Tuesday during a presentation at her Manhattan showroom. "I believe in mixing prints by taking opposites."A crepe racer tank in the smudged print was worn with an ivory silk trouser adorned with a cascade of purple and light brown dandelions — and a belt offering a third design.Roy used a wave of coral colorblocking in a more fitted sleeveless dress. She paired a colorblocked, bright orange knit top with long sleeves in blush and a bright, white pair of loose eyelet lace shorts.
"Getting dressed in the morning, you pick a vibrant color and maybe you'll have a vibrant mood," she said.Designer Sophie Theallet recently won a big knitwear award. So it shouldn't be a surprise that she incorporates knitwear into so many of her new designs.What was striking about the French-born designer's Spring 2013 collection was what she did with that knitwear — pairing brightly colored, fitted little cardigans with filmy organza skirts and dresses."Why not?" she said with a smile backstage at Tuesday's show.There were lots of pretty dresses at Theallet's show, and many bore an unmistakable image: A dragonfly."The dragonfly is viewed in different ways in different cultures," Theallet explained backstage. "Sometimes evil, sometimes spiritual. I wanted to show how the woman I am dressing can be anything at any time — she can be what she wants. She is dressing for herself."At Naeem Khan's Spring/Summer 2013 preview on Tuesday, most designs, except the fanciest gowns, were paired not with the usual stiletto heels but with flat sandals, like ones you'd saunter over to the beach in.
The Indian-born Khan, who famously designed Michelle Obama's first state-dinner dress, remained true to his glamorous roots, presenting a number of red-carpet-ready gowns.But he also broadened his collection by adding separates and daywear, as in cotton sateen pants paired with a bustier, or a cashmere off-the-shoulder sweater, or a quilted trench in bright blue.Khan ended his show with a series of beaded chiffon caftans, in marigold, coral, blue and blush.The Theyskens Theory line marries edgy-style darling Olivier Theyskens with accessible Theory, but the new spring collection presented a singular vision. It was an all-day wardrobe for the cool urbanite who might be a little more romantic than she thought.