NEW YORK, December 3, 2007 – As editors, buyers, socialites, and a movie star or two swirled about Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's renovated Madison Avenue boutique at lunchtime on Monday, the designers took a break from all the air kisses to talk about the pre-fall collection that was displayed on mannequins throughout the new three-floor space. "It's about what people need in the moment," said Dolce. "Party dresses inspired by orchids for early summer; D&G classics with a new style and volume for our new markets, like Japan; and gray everyday clothes," for, well, everyday. Practical though all this may have been compared with their runway collections, the designers did offer a nod to Spring's extravagant paint-splattered confections: Among the line's highlights was a pair of softly gathered day dresses draped in acid-bright tulle.

– Nicole Phelps