First, a word to all New Yorkers: if you haven’t yet visited the penthouse at the Mondrian Soho, I highly recommend you book a drinks date there, stat. It was high atop the Crosby Street hotel that designer Shaun Kearney showed his spring collection for Cynthia Steffe, taking full advantage of the spectacular view as his backdrop. With guests snapping photos of the skyscrapers gleaming in the sunset while sampling the free-flowing wine, it was quite the civilized affair.

This season, Kearney adopted the chic globetrotter as his muse, selecting an earthy, outdoorsy color palette of rust, olive green, ochre, and khaki. There was a safari-style day dress with black panels at the shoulders and hemline, a lovely dressed-down take on a skirt suit in deep chambray with a moto jacket standing in for the usual blazer, and a cool hooded anorak in weatherproof nylon. I also gravitated towards a burlap-looking cropped jacket with elaborate red-and-blue beading at the neck–delicate and special, yet unruffled in an Isabel Marant sort of way. The tribal-traveler influence came through loud and clear via sandy-toned sequins and printed silk jumpsuits, though the bulk of the numbers wouldn’t look out of place at the office (well, at least in a creative workplace). Meanwhile, several perforated leather pieces, especially a neat cardi-style topper, added a definite dose of luxe. I did wish there had been fewer crocheted and fringed looks, however–they seemed dated and a bit cheap next to those sharp jackets and pleated dresses.

**All images: Imaxtree