Some designers start with a sketch; others turn to Tumblr or old movies. Marco de Vincenzo begins with fabrics. His materials can be quite humble in origin, but that’s not how they wind up after he’s got his hands on them. De Vincenzo picked up this tendency during his years behind the scenes at Fendi—surface details are obsessed over at that Roman house—but the designer has a sensibility that’s his own, and he’s becoming more confident in expressing it. He adores bright colors in bold combinations, and he loves shine. “They’re rich clothes, because that’s what’s working for me,” he said. “They’re looking for something special from me.”

For Spring, de Vincenzo’s experiments did yield some special clothes: The silk-fringe checked pieces that swished out at the beginning of the show were fine-tuned, but also fun. The damier-check woven snakeskin coat in gray with multicolor horizontal strips was a wonder. Complicated to make, yet remarkably streamlined in the results. The same can’t be said for all of the pieces. The silk-fringe flower appliqués that accented such things as the neckline of a shirtdress and the front of an A-line skirt were a bit overbearing. Those looks would’ve been finer without them. But for the most part, de Vincenzo’s decorative instincts were good. Two new developments to note: Skinny black jeans that reproduced the check pattern from the beginning of the show demonstrated a burgeoning ease with comfortable, everyday clothes. At the other end of the spectrum: a Sangallo lace dress dyed in diagonal ombré stripes and trimmed at the hem with black fringe. We won’t be surprised when we see it on the red carpet.