The crowd waiting for the doors to open at the Chelsea Art Museum for Marchesa's Fall 2010 presentation yesterday snaked around the block, like a very well-dressed pack of music fans staking out concert tickets.

Just inside the door, waiters stood at attention with trays of freshly-uncorked Dom Perignon. Amiable, chattering guests found themselves staring at models on pedestals, set against black curtains and under bright lights. Whether it was from the heat of the lights or the tightly-packed space, a few models looked like they might wilt and take their pretty frocks with them. A girl in an ethereal red dress visibly teetered, then caught herself.

At Marchesa's Wednesday afternoon presentation in Chelsea, the guests were openly rapturous. "If I were getting married again, I'm going to wear that," a woman told her friend as she pointed to a white tulle gown so airy it appeared spun out of meringue. "Wait until you see this one!" a man excitedly exclaimed to his friend as they turned a corner into a new vignette.

Each season, Marchesa designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig whip up delicate, luxurious gowns that later grace editorial spreads and red carpets. Expect this season's Madame Butterfly-inflected collection to be no different.