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After meeting a very relaxed Karen Walker backstage (Style.com reported she “treated herself to ten hours of sleep”), we settled in for her show, aptly titled “Sea Monsters” for the collection inspired by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

As expected, Walker took us on a nautical ride. Pops of yellow submarine-hued sweaters and shoes were reined in by dark tweed skirts and coats with seaworthy gold buttons. Adding flirt to masculine, tailored cuts, ruffles floated on collars and hemlines of jackets, skirts, and dresses. Pattern-wise, paisley ruled. But that didn’t stop plaids, metallic jacquards, and, our favorite, oversize octopus print from standing out.

(Photo: Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images)

Show Title: The American Girl
Pop Culture Reference: Taxi Driver’s Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) and Iris (Jodie Foster).
Quote from Show Notes: ”The collection is a study in mixing and building with prints — checks on checks on checks meet a garden of florals.”
Show-Stealing Accessories: Turbans and trucker hats in fabric that matched the outfits, neon pink and tan pouch necklaces, and candy-colored brogues (lemon yellow, pale green, lavender).

(Photo: Niki Dankner)

Beauty pros backstage at Karen Walker championed the DIY approach for spring.

The Makeup: For a face that exuded youthful playfulness, makeup artist Jenna Menard highlighted lips with an unnamed limited-edition Clinique lipstick in coral and kept skin dewy and eyelids neutral. She dabbed a peachy cream blush on the apples of cheeks and swiped bottom lashes with brown mascara.

The Nails: Wanda Ruiz and the team at CND customized a fresh, sophisticated neon shade for models’ manicures. The lime sherbert hue was created by mixing Bicycle Yellow with Blackjack.

The Hair: Bumble and Bumble’s Laurent Philippon started with the idea of a 1940s hairstyle and gave it the rough-and-tumble treatment. He lifted the roots, used Surf Spray to achieve volume and texture, and rolled hair from front to back. Phillippon assured us flyaways are part of the charm.

(Photos: Niki Dankner)