Fashion editors turn up their collective noses at the safe, slightly preppy clothes of Tory Burch. (And please, God, do not get us started on those ubiquitous, Muffy-goes-to-Palm-Beach ballet flats with their tiresome T logo.) But her spring line — shown gallery style, with models standing and swanning on a long runway-cum-stage  — showed that Ms. Burch not only knows how to sell clothes, she’s freshened, even punked things up a bit for 2010.

Start with the shoes: Girls were actually wearing high-heeled mocs and sexy sandals! These set off pieces like silky, tie-dyed tank dress, a sequin-strewn gray tee paired with skinny leather pants. Sure, some numbers suggested suburban soccer mom — a biker jacket strangely reimagined in denim, a khaki trench cut so wide it could’ve been maternity wear. But the chicer members of that suburan tribe rely on TB to get them out of their style ruts, and in many cases (a perforated leather skirt suit that sends up the ladies-who-lunch concept), these clothes would be spot on for either at very hip PTA meeting or a day at the cubicle. And Burch herself — a tiny blonde vision in one of her own frocks — was on hand, popping in and out of the crowd to explain it all. —Jennifer Barger

Photos from style.com.

I had a lot of fun backstage at Erin Fetherston before her show, watching the MAC makeup gurus in action. One trick they did on her models (which I immediately stole): Instead of applying blush along the cheekbones, put it only on the upper cheeks, just under the eyes. The effect is much more naturally flushy than overtly blushy — and really very pretty. —Betsy Lowther

What if a 1940s Gal Friday met a sugar daddy (more on that later) and jetted off to Cuba or Rio? She probably want to pack the draped, shaped swimming suits, big-shouldered, belted jackets and wide-as-the-Sargasso-Sea pleated silk trousers Badgley Mischka showed here yesterday morning. The ritzy part? Models — whether they were in a sculpted, by-the-pool-at-the Fountainbleu maillot or a conga line-worthy (or gala-ready) ball gown — wore oversized, over-glitzed statement necklaces, which provided a nice contrast to simpler day looks and amped up the cocktail and ball gowns.

Evening wear — always a strength for Mark Badgley and James Mischka — veered between pretty and Kennedy Center appropriate (a strapless black jersey cocktail dress trimmed in gold braid) to are-we-in-Vegas? over-the-top (a white sequined column of a dress topped with black lace, one of the only thuds in the bunch). —Jennifer Barger

Photos from style.com.

Known for sweet suits and floaty dresses, Rebecca Taylor veered in a saucier, bossier direction with her spring collection. Everybody seems hell-bent on reviving the 1980s, but Taylor does this in a different way, marrying some of the John Hughes epoch’s elements — strong shoulders, polka dots, peplums — with the homespun, prairie girl 1970s. The effect? Mostly charming and quite fresh, as in a peplumed voile bustier over silvery twill trousers, a peachy floral cocktail flock with butterfly-like shoulder ruffles and quilted cotton jackets in teeny bloom-covered patterns. A few Leger-inspired pieces — a bandage dress of sorts, a skirt — felt out of place. But Taylor showed much of the collection with Liberty-print platform sandals I was tempted to rob a model for — they’d be just the thing to perk up a pair of jeans or a simple summer dress. —Jennifer Barger

Photos from style.com.

A lot of the runway beauty looks are way too intense to be replicated in real life. (Though we have to wonder: Will tribal tattoos will surge among the fashion set after Rodarte’s show?)

But here’s one look we will definitely be stealing: The turquoise eyeliner seen at Nanette Lepore. With berry lips, flushed cheeks and messy, upswept hair, the tiny touch of bright blue added just the right amount of pretty, breezy glam. —Betsy Lowther

When MAC asked what shows I might want to go backstage for, there was just one at the very top of my list: Rodarte. The sisters Mulleavy might not have the commercial punch or store presence of a Michael Kors or Ralph Lauren, but it is entirely guaranteed that they will do something unusual, directional and utterly jaw-dropping. (Case in point: I went backstage last season as well, and nearly had a fashion freak-out at the sight of the Nicholas Kirkwood thigh-high boots every model was getting buckled into. Pictures don’t do those boots justice. They are insanely amazing.)

Merely walking up 21st Street, where the show was being held at the Gagosian Gallery, was worth the early morning trip. Co-designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy were mingling out on the sidewalk, where a film crew was capturing their every move for an upcoming documentary.

Inside, a busy team of MAC artists were carefully applying tattoo-like lips and, more dramatically, tribal-style tattoos along the arms of the flock of sleepy models. (Too much fun at Marc Jacobs the night before, we suspect.) James Kaliardos, MAC beauty artist extraordinaire, said the blood red lips lined with a matte black were meant to evoke some of the Mulleavys’ inspirations for the dark, gothic collection, including Edgar Allen Poe tales and (my favorite) “The Dark Crystal.” (A collection inspired by an cult classic 1980s puppet movie? Phenomenal.)

The tribal tattoos were carefully inked on by the MAC team, about 20 to 30 minutes for each very patient model. A film crew captured the entire thing with old-school, wind-up cameras. It was utterly, undeniably magical. –Betsy Lowther

Runway photos from Elle.com.

En route to Marc by Marc Jacobs’ show yesterday at The Armory, I confessed I was as interested in the spectacle of a Marc show as I was in the actual clothes. (Not that his pieces aren’t generally adorable, but a Marc show – no matter if it’s MJ, MMJ or Louis Vuitton — is one of THE highlights of the fashion week season.) The high school gym-ish locale was busy and buzzy (if a bit hot – even French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld looked uncharacteristically dewy across the way) and the general excitement was palpable. You don’t go to a Marc Jacobs show because you have to; you go because, for those 15 minutes, it feels like The Most Important Place To Be in the whole city. Even our cab driver was impressed when he dropped us off.

As for the clothes, they were characteristic of Marc’s fun, playful diffusion line. Colors were ultra-bright; patterns were youthful. A series of ‘80s-ish prints were entirely too Bill Cosby-sweaterish for my liking, but stiff silk striped jackets and dresses were instantly covetable. Like a few other collections we’ve seen this season, dramatic color pairings – bright orange and hot pink, shades of blue – were a central focus. And, sorry Little J, the headband doesn’t seem to be going anywhere – in fact, if Marc’s models are any indication, Blair Waldorf’s signature bows are going to get bigger, brighter and more prominent than before. –Betsy Lowther

Photos from Elle.com.

Brian Reyes is an editors’ darling – his structured pieces have those unfussy flourishes that look great on the page (I speak from experience – after spotting one of his dresses in Lucky last season, I tried desperately and unsuccessfully to track it down).

The spring show – where Rachel Bilson sat front row, the ideal ambassador for his subtle but statement-making chic – started off slowly, with muted seersucker blouses, dresses and swimsuits that were light and simple, pieces that will probably sell well in stores but seemed overly basic (and, I’ll say it, sort of bland) for a runway show. An infusion of similar shapes in punchier fabrics – a painterly pink and green pattern; a vibrant turquoise print – helped to liven things up substantially. I don’t like chartreuse as a rule, but an amazingly constructed cocktail dress just might be an acceptable exception. –Betsy Lowther

Photos from Elle.com.

At some point, designers may stop plundering the “Breakfast Club” era for inspiration. But for Jill Stuart, that time clearly isn’t here yet, judging by the Cher-inspired collection she trotted through the New York Public Library’s Newton Hall. Leather and mesh combos ruled — especially via one-sleeved dresses and tops, the latter often paired with black and white leggings that suggested Duran Duran had joined a motocross rally. A studded lace jacket with shiny buttons summoned up our dear departed Michael Jackson in a good way; uber-short bandage-y dresses layered over what seemed to be black bathing suits looked more fit for a sci-fi movie than anything else. –Jennifer Barger