Michael Kors

NEW YORK, September 9, 2007
By Nicole Phelps
"We were looking at some fabulous advertising from the late seventies and early eighties for Virginia Slims and Charlie," said Michael Kors before his show. "There was something about those women; they were very sexy, but sporty at the same time." Kind of like the Kors woman. Come springtime, she'll need clothes for tennis at the club, lunch and a meeting in the city, cocktails, cruises, and galas, too. And today, on his runway, Kors had plenty of suggestions: He started with Lilly Pulitzer pastels, in stripes or Impressionist florals for the court and the beach, and tossed in a few of his beloved caftans before the show was over, this season in an oversize black-on-white flower print designed to complement white maillots with gold-chain straps. For the office, there were chic navy suitings and this season's must-have safari jacket paired with wide-leg trousers. After dark, his girls will have a few options: gold sequins, drapey black jersey, or fruity chiffons—as in guava, apricot, and apple.

With Olivia Newton-John's Xanadu on the speakers, the show could have become kitsch, but Kors leavened the frivolity with a healthy respect for classic cuts and silhouettes—and don't forget paper-thin cashmere, the building block of a smart spring wardrobe. In the battle between opulence and simplicity, Kors—when he's on solid form like this—wins.