A ten-day cruise to Sydney, originating in New Zealand, gave Raul Melgoza a prime view of the city's famed opera house at sunset, the harbor in front dotted with boats. The scene inspired him to lighten up for Spring. There was an airborne quality to dresses reminiscent of tufted sails, and the architectural forms of recent collections gave way to dresses cut more fluidly on the bias. Prints were new, too, and playful: A feather print showed up in coral on slate blue pants with a hint of sparkle, and in gold and gray on a long, breezy halter that was just made for dockside cocktails. Also of note were white cotton-burnout shorts. Cut high on the side, they were as roomy as culottes. This dressed-down approach to dressing up was a natural fit for Melgoza. In the past, his rigorous exercises in shape-making have sometimes gotten the better of his cocktail wear, but in these balmier winds, he kept firm control of the helm.
