Tadashi Shoji 2012 Spring Collection | New York Fashion Week

©Michel Tileri Of RunwayWeekly.com for Moda Preview International.

The lights dimmed, the music pulsated, and in a moment, the carpet erupted with the work of master artisan and designer, Tadashi Shoji. One magnificent dress after another came down the runway, carried by models who were clean and simple in makeup and hair style, providing the perfect canvass for Shoji's perspective which was a clear, albeit literal interpretation of springtime. To be sure, each dress was tailored masterfully, perfectly even, caressing the models in a knowing and confident manner. There was some variety in structure, though I found Shoji fancied the one shoulder dress consistently and in different forms. There were moments that popped on stage with vibrant, jewel colors, a notion that is happily remaining in fashion's vocabulary for the spring. Some pieces dabbled in evening wear, with sparkly bodices and trim. The cream dresses, some covered in lace, some left simply organic, were among my favorites. They were sexy and alluring while maintaining the highest level of taste and sophistication. I got lost a bit in the middle of the show, as multiple versions of stripped dresses came down the runway, an almost conscious contradiction to the show's initial sentiment of monochromaticity. Universally, the fabric was impeccable. The nuance in both texture and color was fresh, clean and modern. And lastly, the most remarkable, awe-inspiring elements to Shoji's dresses were the movement and fluidity of each piece. The fabric swayed, bounced, flowed, cascaded, and glided across the stage, an almost ethereal energy that created a thoughtful thread loosely tying each garment together. Shoji's collection embodies that most endearing qualities of spring: a breath, a flower's newly born petal, a simple stream of light, a tiny burst of color in an otherwise dark time. Tadashi Shoji's spring collection encompasses works of exceeding accomplishment and will remain among the most elegant of his counterparts. And I was left, as the lights went up and the bodies scattered about, wanting spring's arrival even though summer is still upon us.