The New Kids on 7th Ave. : Fashion: Younger American designers make strong showings with their spring ready-to-wear collections.

NEW YORK —  The face of fashion is changing dramatically here. Designers who have dominated the scene since the late ‘70s, whose names are so familiar that even strangers refer to them simply as Calvin, Ralph, Oscar and Bill, are only part of the story now.

This season for the first time a strong group of younger talents is demanding equal attention.

Randolph Duke and Gordon Henderson, both California transplants, are part of the new group, which also includes Todd Oldham, Jennifer George and Christian Francis Roth, who showed his first collection last spring and became the instant favorite of the international fashion press.

Earlier in this week of spring ready-to-wear shows, a number of new designers dominated the schedule.

Roth’s Tuesday evening show started with cookies for his standing-room-only audience and proceeded to a presentation of technically complex, visually witty clothes.

A dollar-bill dress appeared to wrap the body in silk-screened greenbacks, forming a slip-style evening outfit. A strapless mini was appliqued with black curls and swirls to resemble a Gothic iron gate. A series of abstract Matisse cut-outs were appliqued to daytime suits.

At times, the silhouette of the clothes seemed secondary to the sophisticated technical artistry of Roth’s applique and silk-screen work. But overall, this second collection was more mature than the first, and happily more humorous at the same time.

Todd Oldham’s clothes had a Tex-Mex, folkloric feeling about them that was funky and fun. Shorts were beaded in Indian sand painting images. Cropped linen shirts were embroidered with pearl buttons that recalled the folksy artistry of the Watts Towers. A mother-of-pearl chain-mail slip dress could have been sliced from an abalone shell. Oldham’s beading, embroidery and other handwork set his retro sporty style apart.

Sometimes, individual pieces were stronger than the outfit. A bulky, cotton, crop top with cutouts in back didn’t do justice to the sequin and embroidered miniskirt shown with it. But the Oldham look was original and worth watching.

Henderson’s spring collection reads like the labels in a fancy food shop: “Seaweed knit” slip dresses, “seaweed raffia” shirtwaists, cheesecloth jackets and cellophane ponchos were part of the list.

His styles were fluid, clean-cut and often inspired by active wear. Cropped cotton sweaters went with silk boxer shorts, and there was a floor-length hooded sweat shirt.

Far stronger was the spring line of Randolph Duke, whose warm color suits, mini-shift dresses and swing coats were clean architectural shapes with lots of sex appeal.

A navy pin-stripe suit for day had an elongated jacket over a narrow skirt only a fraction of an inch longer. A short strapless navy sequin body dress was topped by a white, cotton ottoman coat the same length for a young, energetic evening ensemble.

Jennifer George’s feminine sportswear included narrow white pique jeans and a hooded duffel coat, a soft, green plaid miniskirt with matching coat, and oversize shirts that are her trademark.

“Hopefully these designers will be the new stars in two or three years,” said Bernie Ozer, of Associated Merchandising Corp., who advises major department stores on what to buy. “We’re all paying more attention to them, because we’re looking for something new and different.”

If anyone galvanized this group and gave it an identity, it was Lyn Manulis of Martha, the New York boutique that carries top designer labels from France and America.

Last spring she opened Martha International, a shop that stocks only these new, young talents.

“I realized we have to catapult fashion into the new decade, and we need a new vision to do so,” said the diminutive Manulis, a woman in her mid 60s.

Prices of these newer labels are about half that of the higher-end designer names Manulis carries.

“These new talents are much more affordable because their business is smaller and more personal,” she said. “They don’t have 25 assistants, grand offices, or 12 pages of color ads in the fashion magazines to pay for.”

The superstar designers are taking note. Several have been to Manulis’s new store to check out the merchandise.

“They’re very interested,” she said. “And I think it’s sparked them. Bill Blass’s collection, for one, is so much younger.”

She’s right. Blass’ spring collection of snappy little skirts and very short, playful evening dresses has been one of the highlights of the New York season.

Other strong collections shown here this week came from by Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors. De la Renta’s daytime and dress and coat ensembles, the basis of every collection, looked particularly right with so many designers adapting the style for spring. His were close to the body and beautifully cut in warm colors and luxury fabrics.

His floral, beaded embroidered suits and dress and coat ensembles for evening were styled as simply as his daywear.

Carolyne Roehm’s best spring looks were her simplest, too. A lovely lace shirt in navy blue was tucked into a narrow, white satin skirt. She pinned a nosegay of silk flowers to the waist. Her two-tone evening dresses in tropical colors were very fitted through the empire bodice and expanded into masses of silk jersey skirt.

On the minimalist scale, Kors and Calvin Klein rated high. And Ralph Lauren’s best looks were every bit as spare for spring. His suede and leather styles were especially rich and elegant. A honey-toned leather cardigan that zipped over ivory gabardine pants was one standout. His silk tuxedo suit, half black and half white jacket, was among his best looks for evening. Lauren topped almost everything with a big Panama straw hat.

Klein’s washed silk tunics over narrow shorts were elegant and understated. He showed them with flat-heel T-strap suede shoes.

Scoop-neck T-shirt dresses with short sleeves gracefully curved over the body in all the right places. An evening slip dress the color of wet sand had a soft, sensual look.

Kors was bolder and brighter, but just as uncluttered. His linen body dresses were cut out at the midriff or mid-back. He put shell coats (no buttons or lining), or pea coats over strapless dresses for day and night. And his duchess satin tunic with push-up sleeves, over a tiny, sequined miniskirt, was a great look for evening.

Adrienne Vittadini’s freshest idea for spring started, and ended, with a big, man-tailored shirt. She showed it in tropical colored sheer fabrics over nothing but cotton briefs. It’s a beach look that belongs in California.

In the midst of New York fashion week, two of Italy’s top designers stole some of the limelight. Giorgio Armani and Romeo Gigli were both in town. Armani was here to open a photo exhibit of his menswear collections called “Images of Man” at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He also screened a documentary (“Made in Milan”) about his life and work that was directed by Martin Scorsese. A glittery crowd at the Museum of Modern Art screening and the dinner that followed included Richard Gere and his fashion model girlfriend Christine Crawford, Sigourney Weaver, Caroline and John Kennedy, and Dominick Dunne. All week long Saks Fifth Avenue promoted the Armani label in its stores.

Thursday night Romeo Gigli opened Spazio Romeo Gigli, his first New York boutique, on East 69th Street.