Prabal Gurung’s fall collection opened with an army of black-clad betties led by Kati Nescher in a short black cape, patent-leather tank and second-skin trousers. The luxurious menagerie of fur that followed set the stage for a dark undertone, reinforced by military-style Philip Treacy hats, leather accents by Zana Bayne and animalistic oversized jewelry from Fenton/Fallon.

Things softened up first with the addition of sheer inserts and then with the show’s real innovation, an oil-spill Neoprene that could breathe new life into cocktail-hour power dressing. Despite a jarring white and gold passage, where silky whites with three-dimensional flowers read a little like a millennial flashback, there were more than enough vavavoom red-carpet gowns to keep fans like Zoe Saldana and Rooney Mara feeling regal.