If there’s a formula Esteban Cortazar has established for himself at Emanuel Ungaro in his brief tenure there, it’s that he likes his girls young, sexy and with a cocktail in hand. Emphasis is on the word “girls,” because there are few clothing options here for those not hitting the club circuit on a nightly basis. Thus, fall amounted to a parade of thigh-grazing and body-conscious party frocks, with some puffy-skirted numbers thrown in. Throughout, he worked in a relentless polkadot motif to dizzying effect. Cortazar spliced together bands of spots on a bustier dress worn over a dotted blouse, and covered other garments with prints of spots within spots. An added styling measure fell flat: the variety of spotted tights, which were kitsch veering on ridiculous.

The designer also dabbled a bit in tailoring — slouchy blazers; a leisurely smoking combo — but it felt like a forced attempt to keep the lineup from being too one-note. And when he tried to be edgy, with chained fringe on an angora pullover, or architectural, as in the finale dress with angled hips, the results just looked out of sync with the rest of the collection.