Narciso Rodriguez designed this year's New York City Ballet’s fall gala as he was designing for his pre-fall collection. So it is no surprise that his pre-fall collection would have an air of invincibility and functionality that would appeal to us mere mortals. His ability to fuse functionality with a sense of whimsy and luxury is always on point (no pun intended). His pre-fall collection exudes a certain sense of effortlessness that can only come with knowing your craft inside out. And Narciso Rodriguez has reached that fabled equipoise where his art is both commercially viable and artistically intriguing.