Ms. Danes, now a thoroughly polished 28-year-old and a front-row fixture at Mr. Rodriguez’s shows, was wearing one of his latest pieces: a black and gray empire-waisted dress whose bodice hugged her delicate frame. “Like most great designers,” she continued, “Narciso defines his power in subtlety.”

Of course, in business, there can be such a thing as a little too much subtlety. Mr. Rodriguez—best known for designing the simple silk slip dress that Carolyn Bessette donned to wed John F. Kennedy Jr.—recently signed a partnership deal with Liz Claiborne to keep his eponymous line afloat.

“I’m excited about the future and looking forward to getting back to work,” he told The Transom. “It’s a big week for me. It’s a great honor to receive an award from Pratt Institute. It’s been a fantastic week—what can I say?”

Does he have any doubts about his new collaboration, with a company better known for droopy “mom” separates than dressing socialites? “Not at all—I’m looking forward to it,” Mr. Rodriguez said blandly. “It’s a new collaboration, so we’ll see. We just announced our partnership. It’s a little early to see immediate change.”

Oh, and?

“I’m totally excited.”