NEW YORK, United States — Chris Gelinas is no show pony. "What I value is process, not provocation," the CG designer said backstage before his runway show, his first since competing in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. He seemed to have drawn plenty of lessons from the experience, but a need for promotional tactics wasn't one of them. Instead, the designer, who was an LVMH Prize finalist in 2014, decided to focus on what he believes he is good at: dresses, or separates that mimic the silhouette. There was no outlandish concept here.

That meant the clothes really needed to hold their own. But some of the evening looks were too romantic: tea-length frocks, however pretty, didn't have the intellectual edge of his best pieces. He did better with day and cocktail attire, like the poplin bustier cinched over a merino wool tunic and circle skirt, or a flap-back minidress made out of a needle-punch fabric with an abstract print that was overlaid with a Japanese nylon to diffuse the colors. The designer has an unmistakable passion for fabric development, although he manages to keep things from looking forced. It's promising to see that Gelinas is locking in a few signatures. For instance, he has taken to using plackets instead of seams on the curve of the skirt, or to create a peplum on a blouse. A nice touch.