Brazilian designer Carlos Miele's texture-rich collection comprised standout red-carpet evening gowns, and more casual, but equally feminine, looks that seem poised to grace the most-exclusive seaside parties next summer. The designs, cut from delicate fabrics such as renaissance lace and silk taffetta, exuded glamour of another time �-- and another hemisphere. Its inspiration was a nearly 40-year-old meeting between Frank Sinatra and the Brazilian bossa nova singer Tom Jobim, and the musicians' subsequent collaboration. Catwalk highlights included a deep coral, heavily ruched silk charmeuse gown with a subtle sweetheart neckline; a turquoise, one-shoulder silk-satin chiffon top with a flower detail, tucked into a, gray floor-length skirt in silk gazar, and a crocheted champagne minidress, worn over a bikini with aqua- and toffee-color swirls.

Spring comes early at Fashion Week

Responding to enthusiasm for seasonless shopping, many designers who presented their spring lines Friday at New York Fashion Week incorporated materials like wool, cashmere and even fur.