NEW YORK — What first lady Michelle Obama would wear was certainly on the minds of the crowd at the Jason Wu spring 2010 fashion show Friday, but the designer seemed to have a different woman in mind: someone who could get away with feathers and very short skirts.

Not that there weren’t outfits for Mrs. Obama, who famously wore Wu’s white gown to the inaugural ball and on several occasions since, but they weren’t the most memorable pieces.
The outfits that really caught the eye on the mirrored runway (which seemed to cause problems for models and photographers at the swanky St. Regis Hotel) were the bright red faille dress with sculpted fabric in flower shapes at the neckline and modern tweed “staple-stitch” sheath dresses with flashes of yellow and hot pink.
The finale pieces where short, fitted dresses in blush and dove gray that were dotted with delicate, luxurious feathers. But, remember, Mrs. Obama often embraces looks that are fashion-forward, so it wouldn’t be that surprising if she turned up in longer versions of those pieces.
For her immediate wardrobe — or any other polished, stylish types — there were tweed pants- and skirt-suits that were ladylike but not dated or stiff. He used a looser silhouette for these styles, including blouson waists and slouchy legs on the pants. Finding a customer for a denim-blue tweed micro-jumpsuit might be hard, however.
There was also a lovely Rorschach-blot print dress in black and white with a nipped waist and flounced, soft peplum and an ivory shirred silk trench.
Wu himself seemed pleased with the collection as he took his bow, with a broad grin on his face and a tailored suit on his body — a departure from the jeans and T-shirt he wears most other days.