Yesterday, I was welcomed into the world of Sonia Rykiel. The French designer's Resort collection was set up in a massive space on the 8th floor Milk Studios, primarily for buying appointments (but a few editors stopped by as well.) Why such a grand stage? Well, for one, there's a lot to show. Not only does Rykiel do a resort collection, but also shoes, accessories, scarves, basics, and a diffusion line. The range of product is pretty incredible. What's more, the label is focusing a better part of its selling efforts on the American market, as we wrote on Monday. Clients were running around, having models try on dresses, taking pictures of the product, eating lunch, and going over orders. Luckily, Michelle from the press office took quite a bit of time to show me the goods, answer my questions, and even asked one of the models to try on a signature dress for me.

Erin Fetherston is a girl's girl through and through, and for the resort/holiday collection she delivered exactly what the most feminine could desire. In the constant cycle of collections it's easy to overlook the purpose of a line, namely, to clothe the body. When searching for a New Year's dress or a light frock for a post-holiday vacation, it's likely that the search will lean more towards fun and functional than the conceptual artistry of the larger main collections. With Fetherston's diffusion line, Erin by Erin Fetherston, which debuted for fall 2011, she sought to give girls just that. "It wasn't so much a conceptual line, like the major spring and fall collections. I wanted to experiment with different fun fabrics but make something that could transition from holiday weather to spring," she said. Centering around staple party dresses at more affordable prices (no item exceeds $695, and the average price is about $375), the line is a perfect mix of transitional yet seasonal pieces and avoids the wear-it-once demon that may set you back more than a one-night dress should.

I spent Wednesday morning in a loft on Greene Street with the Bismarck Phillips girls, who were showing off resort collections for a few clients. They just happened to be three of the most impressive brands out there: Preen, SUNO, and Michael Angel. The cool thing about the visit was that the trio of collections really fit well together. I could see the same woman wearing each. Maybe not on the same day, but definitely throughout the same week.

I must admit, I didn't have the best view at YSL Resort show, which took place at the French consulate uptown. The models began prancing down the runway at roughly eight minutes after 11am, and I didn't arrive until a few minutes later, which means I missed a few of the first looks. (While I knew things would start closer to the scheduled time, I didn't think it would be that close, and neither did plenty of other editors. To be sure, I was standing with greatness--Harriet Mays Powell, Long Nguyen--which made me feel a bit better about the situation.) But back to the where and why. The French consulate is indeed very French--iron railings, a bit ornate--as were Stefano Pilati's prim dresses, Bermuda shorts and skirt suits. For better or worse, Pilati's work is generally all over the place, but this was a moment when his talent shone clearly.