It’s the last day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Manhattan—and the previous seven days? All a blur. Still, certain outfits or moments stand out in my head: Roses at Monique Lhuillier, blankets at Marc by Marc Jacobs, glass cubes at up-and-comer Bibhu Mohapatra, and disaster averted at Shipley & Halmos.

More on that in a bit.

First, Monique Lhuillier. Colors were rich, and the iridescent pattern of the first funnel-necked mini glinted like stained glass. Another mini thick with emerald sequins was a geological find—a radiant, deep green geode. And a red satin gown seemed to erupt out of the ground, a volcano of sculpted rose buds. But it was actually another bouquet—on a mini dress with a rose pattern in black lace—that was arresting: an elegant, figure-hugging, wrought-iron cage.

At Marc by Marc Jacobs, his youthful, secondary line, the look was much more casual. Young women tramped down the runway in men’s style oxfords, flowing dresses and campus-ready cardigans. A fun tweak came with the military blankets, inspiring heavy wool jackets, coats cinched with belts, and a poncho, with wide vivid horizontal stripes.

Bibhu Mohapatra, a native of India, showed his one-year-old eponymous brand at the Marianne Boesky Gallery in Chelsea. Raised in Orissa (a state on India’s east coast, near Calcutta), educated at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in Manhattan, and employed as design director at J. Mendel, his training is solid. And his heritage comes through in subtle ways, with gown draping that cascades in dramatic shapes, reminiscent of saris.

This season, inspiration came from Bernardo Bertolucci’s film Il Conformista and Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and Mohapatra delivered with flowing gowns and sleek, tailored coats (one with leather straps, like a holster). But what stands out: a knee-length dress with a black and white photographic print of a cube of cut crystal, giving off an almost trompe l’oeil effect. Not for everyone…but for me, architecture intrigues.

As does the studio of Shipley & Halmos, near Chinatown, where I stopped in for a presentation of the fall line just before Fashion Week…only to discover the coolest of workspaces. Loft ceiling. Gigantor neon tube chandelier. And their own personalized fortune cookies.

“We’re about little nuances,” says Jeff Halmos, who goofs and designs with Sam Shipley. “The smallest twist.” Like a buttonhole by the breast pocket of men’s dress shirts, or women’s slinky knits with unexpected cut-outs in back.

They’re not looking to start the next big trend. “We want things to feel present tense, not trendy,” he says. “ We want our clothes to be staples in your wardrobe.”

Outerwear, he adds, is this season’s big focus—and the woman’s black suede jacket with dramatic rabbit fur collar and lining is looking pretty toasty when—suddenly—

“Hey, hey—Roscoe!!” Halmos spurts out at his little black Pug, who has the run of the offices and was having a nosh on the furry collared coat of a visiting Vogue editor. Halmos quickly steps over and scoops up the canine.

La Voguette, busy eyeing the racks of clothes—none the wiser.

Given their efforts to grow the brand, Roscoe needed to learn but quick: Never bite the hand—or coat, in this case—that feeds you.