Not even torrents of rain could dampen the mood at Robert Geller’s spring ’10 men’s collection. Despite many a soaked pant leg, a buzzing crowd packed the house. And as it turned out, the designer has been feeling similarly optimistic, even cheery. Geller was inspired by the hopeful spirit of Germans vacationing on the North Sea in the 1950s as the country rebuilt itself after WWII. Talk about specific, but in this case the relaxed shapes in wide stripes and vibrant pairings of royal blue, turquoise and violet was a nice relief from the leggings-as-pants we’ve been seeing on one too many man-boys on the Billburg-bound L train. Plus, for those DIY-ers, the nifty chiffon bow ties the models wore were whipped together backstage with nothing more than strips of fabric, scotch tape and safety pins. How’s that for optimistic?