The Death of the Dress? Victoria Beckham, Diane Von Furstenberg and Skaist Taylor, by Gela Nash Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy, spring/summer 2013, in New York. NEW YORK - Cutouts of luscious lips swung from the ceiling as disembodied decorations when Diane Von Furstenberg sent out her ode to hippie deluxe from her past - but with Google's vision of the future. The models wore the ultimate cool accessory and the latest in micro technology: single-lens eyeglasses a quarter the size of the DVF bold, dangly earrings. The tiny frames also contrasted with the billowing tops, zouave pants and draped jumpsuits. Google Glass, making its runway debut, offers a new perspective on the digital world, allowing the user to video or to surf the Web while doing just about anything, according to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who took the runway bow with Ms. Von Furstenberg and her co-designer, Yvan Mispelaere. The fruit of this technology is promised to appear later this week on YouTube - along, presumably, with the DVF clothes, which were less futuristic. Drawn from the designer's glamorous lifestyle in the 1970s, the looks included accessories decorated to the max, from bejeweled bags to platform shoes with gilded studs. "I was thinking of Talitha Getty, Marrakesh, Yves Saint Laurent," said Ms. Von Furstenberg, who made the clothes seem enticing in an escapist way. There were some modern reality checks, but significantly, there was less emphasis on the dress - especially the iconic DVF wrap - and more on pieces: tops and soft crepe pants, skirts, shorts and a painterly YSL color combo of a lilac silk jacket with chartreuse blouse and turquoise pants. The result was far more in the DVF spirit that last season's collection and by linking her past and digital futurism, the designer offered a fine cocktail for summer. Another hint of the hippies - of the more down-home country music kind - came at Skaist Taylor , where "Wild Wild West" on the soundtrack and a feeling of California ease was a reminder that all of America is not focused on urban New York. Bird prints, lacy fringed dresses, macramé tops, a frizz of Afro hair and lace-up-the-leg flat boots made for a merry show. A significant trend emerging from this first round of the international summer 2013 season is the division of the dress wardrobe into separates. When Victoria Beckham sent out a tailored shirt with a near-ankle-length skirt, topped by a fedora hat, it was the first real sign that she is thinking, as a designer, beyond herself and what her own body and personality might demand. Although those few elongated silhouettes soon morphed into a similar version with short, flirty skirts, they also reflected a new spirit that was more sporty and relaxed. The dresses themselves were less curvy and clingy, but still subtly sexy with hints of lingerie in bra straps or transparent, lacy inserts. Combined with flat sandals or ankle bootees, the collection had come down from its haute pedestal of elite dressing. Derek Lam believes in tailoring and makes a serious attempt to build a modern wardrobe. Deliberately drab colors, like mustard, and geometric prints touching on the Prada ugly aesthetic made for a somber collection. But Mr. Lam was on target with the breakup of the dress silhouette, so that a patterned or crisp white cotton top was teamed with a plain skirt. Occasionally, a gap of flesh between top and bottom half reminded the audience that this was a summer collection. Staged on New York's High Line, the public park built on an old elevated rail line with the Hudson River flowing alongside, Tommy Hilfiger sent out a shipshape women's collection. Like all his shows, this was a parody: Americana on the ocean wave with striped pantsuits, cabled sailor sweaters, gilt chain straps - every cliché from the sailing world, done with gusto. From this lively sportswear could be extracted a tailored navy blazer, a pair of streamlined pants, a crisp striped shirt or a thick cardigan to set the compass for the city - but with some graphic swimwear for vacation days. The blouse is a key item in these New York shows. At DKNY , it came out first under a sleek pantsuit. Then the designer Donna Karan focused on a form-fitted blouse in denim, or expanded the idea as a looser yellow shirt. Sticking with a color palette of blue, black, white and New York-cab yellow, the designer sent out a streetwise sporty collection. And if this line never quite seems worthy of a fashion show, a backdrop of Madison Avenue gave authenticity to these uptown/downtown clothes. Zac Posen is a dress man - give or take a pencil skirt-like mermaid fin under a ruffled blouse. This dressy line had a womanly sensuality in its shapely day dresses, with portrait necklines framing the breasts. Printed with hibiscus flowers and in airy fabrics, there was a 1950s Hollywood vibe, without making the clothes too stagey. In a season where evening clothes are often reduced to a wisp of silk, Mr. Posen molds his evening gowns, their hourglass shapes hugging the body before spilling out below the knees. The designer has a vision and, as an antidote to sportswear, an original point of view.