Bravo, Jason! Countless designers, young and not so, could take a page from Jason Wu, who refused to let his newfound celebrity go to his head. Instead of indulging in a mega fashion event packed with pushy throngs who didn’t have to be there, Wu kept his guest list tight and his mood calm, putting the focus right where it should be, on the clothes. His aim was to offer a different take on fairy-tales, inspired not by his own recent story but by the drawings of Arthur Rackham, who famously illustrated Alice in Wonderland.

Wu realized the motif in a delightful manner that was controlled if not exactly spare. By day, he moved back and forth between full-skirted looks and curvy dresses, often adding deep bands of embroidery at the hem, or working a waisted frock in a Kara Walker-inspired mini print, which requires up-close viewing to figure out. A delightful aspect of his clothes is that though consummately wearable they are not at all bland, whether the interest comes via boldly embroidered shoulders on a sexy sheath or in a cascade of frothy chiffon ruffles over a metallic skirt. Ditto the high evening looks. Michelle Obama’s now-famous inaugural gown offered a beautiful break from the dull-as-dishwater, uberpervasive mermaid and siren fare that dominates the celebrity scene. Here, Wu offered numerous such lovely alternatives, from a fabulous flapper-esque sky blue chiffon to a dotted navy tulle affair with a hint of Fifties ingénue optimism.