NEW YORK, February 8, 2007 – Who would’ve thought the day would come when jeans strutted down a Badgley Mischka runway? But there they were, tight as a glove and worn with cropped sable and Persian lamb jackets. And there was plenty more strong sportswear where those pieces came from, ensuring that the duo’s celebrity faithful should be well-dressed in their non-red-carpet moments come fall. The youthful glen-plaid dress worn over a camel turtleneck that opened the show would suit Rachel Bilson, and a standaway-collar tweed jacket with matching high-waisted pants would make a sophisticated addition to the closet of her seatmate Amber Tamblyn.

The show’s strapless velvet cocktail numbers, however, could’ve used a few more inches at the hem, and the combined inspirations of Wuthering Heights, which informed the moody platinum-gray palette, and India’s jeweled embroideries made for some overwrought evening dresses. Still, a few of the more understated sparklers did stand out: A vibrant violet chiffon gown with hematite embroidery at the high neckline, for one, was a surefire entrance-maker. In the end, the collection might’ve benefited from a stricter edit, but nonetheless it hit some of the season’s important notes.

– Nicole Phelps