NEW YORK CITY -- Designers continued this week to stitch their way to a fall that in many ways looks and feels strangely like spring.

Womenswear collections have seen no shortage of velvet, tweed and wool, much of it texturized, embroidered, trimmed with fur and feathers and otherwise embellished for a feel of romantic luxury. At the same time, floral prints, whisper-light fabrics and unexpected bursts of loud color reminded one of unseasonal warmth and the dream of an eternal summer.

Hats and caps, whimsical and larger-than-life, are seen with everything except eveningwear. They upstage roomy, odd-shaped bags and even shoes, which are sporting heels as high as ever.

Here's a look at three of the best Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week collections from Monday and yesterday:

The dynamic duo of red-carpet dressing, Mark Badgley and James Mischka, continued to evolve their brand with pretty and wearable daywear and sportswear. The line was stamped with their usual high-wattage glamour, especially Lurex threading, which ran rampant through chiffon dresses, houndstooth pants and tweed skirts, suits and coats. But most of the razzle-dazzle was reserved for evening and its bevy of dynamite cocktail dresses and gowns.

Formalwear is their forte, and this crop of beauties included a black curve-caressing dress with a feathered hem, a dreamy chocolate-and-cream ikat sleeveless gown and a mesmerizing crystal fringe dress that resembled tiers of swinging icicles. Odds are, you'll see several looks from the collection at the next major red carpet.

Designers who begin in bridal and special occasion and work their way over to other apparel categories such as daywear and sportswear seem to have an advantage over their peers when it comes to naturally bringing a feel of luxury to otherwise ordinary clothes. Lhuillier is a case in point. She brought that perspective to her fall line and played with volume and proportion as never before to add a new element of sophistication to her designs. She was generous with the satin, chiffon, jacquard and velvet, jazzing them up with tasteful doses of embroidery, fur, feathers and jewels. Some looks more than others could get plenty of day-to-day mileage, such as a blue velvet embroidered coat with a raisin-hued satin pleated dress, or a gray ombre high-waisted wool skirt under a matching cropped jacket with enormous fox cuffs.

Rounding out the show was a procession of the kind of formal frocks that have made Lhuillier a favorite of star entertainers, such as a glimmering silver-embroidered V-neck dress with an exotic ostrich skirt and a glorious burnt-orange charmeuse pleated gown with a regal multicolored embroidered jewelry bolero.

Creative genius is evident in most fashion designers. But some of them routinely produce a varied and beautiful range, and Roland is one. She's not one to design a gown, make a few slight variations, change the fabric color and churn out assembly-line looks. She specializes in distinctly different but equally stunning looks for evening and special occasions. Her fall collection's daywear seemed to be influenced by traditional Spanish design and military aesthetic, as in a gold Lurex glenplaid skirt with a matching floor-sweeping "great" coat over a black jersey sleeveless turtleneck, and a paprika tweed and goat suede coat with a slate-and-paprika wool pinstripe pant. Evening looks were breathtakingly provocative, from a wool gabardine tuxedo jacket with a belly-baring, crystal-beaded cigarette pant to an elegant emerald silk-charmeuse gown with a dramatic fox and coq feather capelet.