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Here’s the skinny on volume

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Times Staff Writer

After Marc Jacobs’ groundbreaking, darkly romantic fall collection, all eyes were on him this week as everyone wondered: What will he do next? Leading up to Monday night, many fashion insiders were also making side bets on how late things would start after last season’s show was delayed an hour and a half, prompting an apology on the designer’s website.

Jacobs did not disappoint. Although he was ready on time -- which in the fashion world means a half-hour late -- the crowd was left waiting an extra 10 minutes for tardy celebs Lindsay Lohan and L’il Kim. Way to go, girls.

All was forgotten when the show opened with the Penn State University Band marching onto the runway playing a version of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” with trumpets blowing, drums thumping and batons twirling, signaling Jacobs’ intent to revisit one of his favorite themes: teen angst.

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The collection was a pared-down, more wearable version of fall’s experiment in volume. He started by riffing on school uniforms, with a generously cut black gabardine pinafore worn over a crisp white cotton button-down shirt. A shirt dress (a key style for spring) looked very cool and Comme des Garcons in white taffeta, and cuffed shorts were playfully cut so wide that they moved like bells on the model’s legs. There were other classics too -- navy blue peacoats, boyfriend sweaters and pleated skirts -- that looked as if they had been puffed up with air.

Eveningwear was minimal but at the same time glamorous. The draped back of a navy sack dress recalled the hoodie on a collegiate sweatshirt, while a pair of gold lame pajamas brought to mind a late-night rendezvous in mother’s closet. Reworked tuxedos (some in baby blue!) and a tiered cream lace gown looked just right for a prom king and queen, but one couldn’t help thinking of the film “Carrie.” Luckily, when all was said and done, silver confetti rained down on the guests at the show, instead of pig’s blood.

By now, we’re used to seeing pumped-up volumes on the runway, thanks to the forward-thinking Jacobs and Yves Saint Laurent’s Stefano Pilati. And eventually one assumes they will trickle down to the street. BCBG’s Max Azria could help; his spring collection was full of black taffeta balloon skirts and swingy, pleated-back jackets for the shopping mall set.

Proenza Schouler, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez put their own stamps on the voluminous look, with dresses and skirts that were full at the waists and hips and nipped in mid-calf. From the first runway exit, embellishment was kept to a minimum. The fitted bodice on a wheat linen dress was decorated with charming white embroidery that, for the second time at a show this week, brought to mind folk art paper cutouts. Cotton gauze dresses in neutral shades of gray, beige and white had a light touch, with puffed sleeves and ruffled necklines concealing the designers’ signature bra tops. A strapless white lace cocktail frock looked sweet with a fabric rosette on the waistband. Coats and jackets, however, were fitted to the body, and one had to wonder about the practicality of chartreuse velvet for spring.

Oscar de la Renta played both sides of the volume trend, trimming down his silhouettes for day with pencil skirts, one in an embroidered tweed that looked like a Pointillist painting, while offering plenty of his puffy party dresses and skirts for night. In doing so, he hit on several of the season’s emerging trends: earthy colors such as marigold and curry; botanical touches such as a garden trellis-like print on an organza dress; and spare decoration in the form of wood bead embroidery on the hem of a yellow linen shift.

Cocktail looks recalled his Latin roots, with lively, toreador-like ruffles on the front of a silk faille skirt. Other pieces, such as a lovely green taffeta dress encased in a cloud of black tulle, spoke with more subtlety. This wasn’t one of De la Renta’s take-your-breath-away collections, but there was a little something for everyone, even a few printed chiffon gypsy skirts for women who don’t intend to abandon the boho trend just yet.

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Carolina Herrera traveled to Vienna circa 1920, but, thankfully, the references were not too overt. Again here, details were spare and the focus was on construction. One of the best looks was a heavy green cotton day dress, cut straight across the shoulders with cap sleeves, a tie back and curve-tracing seams. Scoop-neck sweaters were worn over crisp button-down shirts and pencil skirts for an updated take on a suit. Eyelet, another trend for spring, appeared in the form of a sundress, covered with coffee bean-like embroidery. And for evening, chiffon gowns -- one in a jaunty radish print -- were accented with oversized flower appliques or raffia belts.

Diane Von Furstenberg said in her program notes that she was inspired by “La Dolce Vita.” Maybe so, but there wasn’t much here that we haven’t already seen in her lifelong pursuit of the good life. At this point, wrap dresses are old favorites, this season in branch and basket-weave prints. And girlish suits with three-quarter sleeve leaf-print jackets seemed out of step with the more minimalist path fashion is headed down. Von Furstenberg’s eveningwear, however, was stronger than ever, with long, pleated chiffon dresses awash in color and pattern, with jewels at the necks.

And it was nice that she decided to match the cost of her show with a donation to hurricane relief. Unfortunately, as the models took their last lap around the runway, a lighting rig fell on the audience, hitting several publicists and editors. Two were taken to the hospital. Such catastrophes have happened before and were one reason the shows were moved to a central location at the tents in Bryant Park, where there is top-notch professional lighting and sound, and room for thousands of guests to come and go safely. But Von Furstenberg, like many designers, prefers to show off-site at her showroom, a labyrinth of benches that has always felt like a hazard. Though the crowd was shaken by the accident, no one was seriously injured, though one editor will have to sit out this round of shows, nursing her injuries at home.

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