Maria McManus spun a country girl–city girl tale with her spring collection, which was enriched by the time she spent in her native Ireland this summer. While there, the designer recalled her salad days. “I was a ’90s child who grew up in a very musical rave culture, partying,” she said. She also read Edna O’Brien’s scandalous-at-the-time (because they considered women’s sex lives) novels The Country Girls and The Lonely Girl, both set in the ’60s. Subtle references to these decades were interwoven throughout an offering that spoke to how women are dressing today.

A touch of sportiness was introduced in the form of long shorts and striped polos, with a pearl substituting for one of the buttons. Pants were cut with a languorous drape. The requisite button-down was styled tied around the waist, and there was a ribbon-tied skirt made of collaged scarves. Adding a touch of what McManus called naivete (a little bit of country, in other words) were judiciously placed bands of delicate French lace on loose, easy column dresses with straps; these were hand-beaded on a perfect summer