It’s been said that the ultimate sign of fashion-design failure is a finished garment that “looks like a muslin.” In other words, the fabric and details exist almost as an afterthought to a design developed entirely on soulless paper and muslin. A properly actualized garment should no more look like a flat pattern than a Nakashima table should be reminiscent of a saw; ideally the fabric, cut, detailing -- every cell of the garment, in short -- should be inextricably part of the whole.

This year, two of the city's three main fashion programs, Philadelphia University's and Moore College of Art and Design's (Drexel presents its show fashionably late, on May 22-23), have presented in different ways happy object lessons on this principle. They even had perfect patron saints: Philadelphia University chose to honor, as its first Spirit of Design Award recipient, Geoffrey Beene, a true designer's designer. His hallmark is design from the inside out, using fabric and body as point of departure, resulting in works of elemental virtuosity (alas, Beene was unable to attend the show). Moore's senior class was blessed to have as its guest critic the eternally youthful Betsey Johnson, who, by some alchemy, spins together elaborate exuberance, sensuality and no small dose of wackiness in designs that come off as perfectly natural extensions of the wearer.

On April 24, Philadelphia University finally moved its show "out of the gym," to quote President James Gallagher, and into the Academy of Music, a vastly more elegant environment, though with the downside of a frontal stage presentation, which precluded a full three-dimensional runway view.

In terms of student programs, Philadelphia University has a strong reputation. As a non-fine-arts-degree institution, the school nonetheless, under the stewardship of Clara Prezio Henry, can be counted on to produce designers that often surpass B.F.A. counterparts in openness of imagination, invariably amounting to an impressive student show that displays lots of experimentation atop a solid base of technical skill. For the most part, the April 24 show filled the bill. As if in honor of the absent Beene, there were lovely works of draping expertise -- such as Julia Lotz's back-cowled, black-and-gray trained evening gown, Maggie Ragucci's gracefully draped white long skirt with sheer tank top -- and examples of workmanship so skilled as to look effortless, like Jenn Cote's award-winning senior collection in rich brown and green, with its finely worked leather detailing and subtle lines, or the amazing shredded linen skirt of Gianna Cosentino, (who won the Most Creative Award).

Highlights of urban cool came via Jennifer Lezzini and Irem Goren's collaborative work, a tattered and trailing steel-gray skirt with a draped, asymmetrical top; Laura Joubert's strapless striped gown, gallons of red accented by a voluminous train of blue and tickinglike cotton; another collaboration, a trampy-gorgeous gown in burgundy and black by Cosentino and Eva Kang; and the fantastic, all-white collection of Mary Hoffmaster, with its swooping connected pieces, a delicious amalgamation of 2001 and Shaft with a bit of '80s-vintage Prince thrown in for good measure.

Laura Gwinn's seductive bare-backed swath of black, winner of the Frank Agostino Eveningwear Award, was a knockout, and Elizabeth Truong's trailing sheath of yellow overlaid by elaborate off-white macramé was the well-deserved winner of the best-of-show award.

The only real detraction to an overall strong showing was a somewhat alarming trend toward such sci-fi/fantasy-inspired cliches as gladiatorlike -- or worse, Ninja Turtle-like -- leather armature and Seuss-esque fur detailing. Many of the more fantastical efforts simply looked a little too patched together.

On the other hand, the best designers in Moore's May 1 show took this same point, the heavy-handed cliche, and made it a strength. (As if to underline this fact, the models were outfitted in hairdos, loopy braided extensions and all.) The Moore students trotted out a succession of fresh, brilliant works that not only hit cliches head on, but embraced them tightly until they were turned inside out and on their head. This is a trick that takes creativity, guts and intuition, certainly not an exercise for the faint of heart.

Some of the most successful pieces, in fact, were those that in theory could have been obvious and cringe-worthy. The swimwear of junior Kristin Canale attacked the assigned Americana theme with funky excess, in her faded stars-and-stripes set that even included a patriot-style jacket; another junior, Alexis Gurst, took the frequently overworked fringed Pocahontas route and pulled off a set that was stunning in its detailing and flattering lines (for which she won an honorable mention swimwear award). And Jenna Davis' maternity evening gown of treacly Barbie bubblegum pink with a slouchy, punkish edge had an enormous confectionary skirt of bunched and trailing pink tulle that was held up in front -- medieval cult-of-virgin style -- to expose the quintessential mama footwear, army boots; accompanied down the runway by Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby," it was a showstopper.

For the most part, the senior collections were cohesive, highly individual sets, the only overriding theme being a refreshingly profligate use of fabric, prodigious execution and a willingness to go over-the-top with a vengeance. Alyson Giantisco's painfully beautiful set of black and nude, which featured enormous slouchy-sleeved knits and a dress and trousers made entirely of glistening zippers, was goose-bump inducing, and it won the "Most Saleable" collection. (For once this award was given to something that would make shoppers stop dead in their tracks, instead of garments that would mostly get lost on the Lord & Taylor sale rack). Alexandra De Yonge's best-of-show senior collection, inspired by her Bolivian heritage, was a wonder to behold, with elaborate multicolor pompoms and flowing South American weaves, incredibly accomplished in line but brimming with quirky, appropriate twists.

What's truly exceptional about this show -- genuinely, the best in memory -- is the incredible turnaround it represents for Moore, which, for many years, cranked out lots of industry-ready production designers, the "looks like a muslin" types. A hallmark of the program has been the significant role played by guest industry critics, who, in a best-case scenario, can offer encouragement and technical insight, but more often than not have operated as virtual design directors, treating the class as a company unit. The purported logic was to give students a preview of the industry work environment, but having the ultimate effect of stifling creativity at the time when it should be left most unbridled.

Blessedly, this has all gradually changed under the leadership of fashion design chair Emil De John, who has upped the technical ante while breathing life into a previously stale program. And this year, somehow the stars have all magically aligned: a batch of exceptional seniors, combined with the presence of Betsey Johnson, who understands that the proper role of a critic is to encourage individuality -- demonstrating that fashion need not be a pack-animal activity.

This Friday evening the Greater Philadelphia Parkinson's Council will offer the well-heeled among us a chance to see a combined "best of" recap from Moore and Philadelphia University -- along with a sneak preview of the Drexel show -- while honoring the fashion-department leadership of these three schools for their contributions to the annual "Fashion for Parkinson's" benefit, now in its third year.

Philadelphia Fashion for Parkinson’s black-tie gala, Fri., May 17, $275, Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, Broad and Walnut sts. For more information, call 215-829-7273.

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