The Michael Kors Spring 2015 collection speaks the increasingly universal language of buoyant and sensible chic, this spring’s mood harkening to a moment of genuine optimism. The designer delivered a darling riff on 1950s summer. “You think optimistic Fifties and you automatically think Paris and couture,” he said. “You’re not going to find that at Michael Kors. For me, it’s the best of American optimism, and [in fashion] the fact that it was feminine but also rugged and sporty.” Such deliberate calibration can work against Kors on the runway and he’s fine with that; he prefers glamorized reality to theatrics.

Such skirts played into his prevailing silhouette — waist-centric with a full skirt that indeed hints at the Fifties without ever making the trip to retro. Daffodils, wisteria, and geraniums were picked out in sequins on tulle dancer skirts, embroidered on a strappy sundress, or printed on a breezy natural linen skirt suit. Gingham, which we’ve been seeing everywhere, was paired with marinière stripes. Kors delivered on the sporty side of his equation with cropped chinos, one pair worn with a shirt and gray cashmere pullover with matching corsage; strong outerwear, and his grounded footwear.