Between the fabric weights and the ample constructions, some of the clothes require a reed-thin body. But they delighted with visual bravado and, in a season with far too much to snooze over, the aura of risk.

Nina Ricci: Apparently, Nina Ricci's spring feathered-and-ombréd nymph has emerged from her post-rave euphoria a bit dazed and confused. Indeed, after last season's ethereal street stunner, Olivier Theyskens' fall collection felt like one of transition, its direction unclear. In his studio the day before the show, Theyskens spoke of "an ironic moment" from a childhood stint in England when the dark rock of the early Eighties offered a counterpoint of sorts to illustrations he remembers from a children's book. "I connected with that moment," he said. "But I haven't yet found the name for the aesthetic." Clothes-wise, he translated that starting point into undone sportswear with a hint of rock 'n' roll that, like its inspiration, was unresolved.

Which is not to say there weren't some beautiful clothes. The look was singular: Jackets worn over silk chiffon blouses, skinny silk pants and eventually a few printed dresses, all of it rumpled like clothes that, as Theyskens said, might be found in an attic. Still, it was anything but the frumpy fur-collar things that were all the rage a few seasons back. Rather, the slim silhouettes were modern and arty in their slender curves, strongest in the endless array of gorgeous jackets. There were leather motorcycles and broad-shouldered silk blazers and waistcoats that cut away into long tails. Some were lined in shimmering velvet, and all flaunted interesting curved seams that could intrigue a true cut connoisseur.

Any attic-like dust and must came via the dour palette of orange, copper, mauve — colors that aren't exactly universal in their appeal or wearability — and the all-too-rare powder blue. To wit, such shades made the already fussy silk hammer pants an even tougher sell. Likewise for Theyskens' typically breathtaking evening gowns, where the same dreary hues detracted from their beauty. But then, waking a sleeping house like Ricci is an exhausting struggle. And at the end of a very long week and a very long season, it's easy to sympathize with fatigue.