High heels provided a glittery accent to Alicia Reina’s colorful print pants.

Given the sputtering state of the economy, you might expect the young designers in Rhode Island School of Design’s annual spring fashion show to hold back, play it safe and cater to consumers looking for practicality over pizzazz.

If so, you’d be wrong. In fact, “Collection 2008,” which takes place Saturday at Vets Auditorium, is as exuberantly over-the-top as ever, with clothing and accessories inspired by everything from ancient Greek myths to infrared satellite photos to (yikes!) mummified bats.

“We really encourage them to take chances,” says RISD apparel design professor Mary Kawenski. “After graduation, many of the students find jobs in the fashion industry, where they often wind up taking orders from somebody else. This is a chance to really cut loose.”

Cutting loose, of course, is what audiences have come to expect from “Collection,” which has grown from a modest end-of-semester showcase for students enrolled in RISD’s apparel design program to a much-anticipated rite of spring for fashion-conscious Rhode Islanders.

That’s especially true of the so-called “innovative projects” — the wacky, off-the-wall outfits that students are required to make during their first year in the program. Made from paper clips, cotton balls, duct tape and other oddball materials that you won’t find in mom’s sewing basket, the “innovatives” often get the biggest rounds of applause on the runway.

But Kawenski, who will perform the mistress of ceremonies duties for “Collection 2008,” says the innovative projects also serve a more serious purpose.

“It really teaches them about things like shape, form and texture,” she says. “Compared to traditional fabrics, a dress made from paper clips is much less forgiving in terms of the way it can be shaped and fitted to the body. The students really have to work with the material.”

In fact, anyone who doubts that fashion is a mix of inspiration and perspiration should attend a “spring crit” (short for critique) session like the one held recently at the RISD Auditorium.

A kinder, gentler version of the popular reality-TV series Project Runway, the crit features a similar cast of characters. There are the designers — a fresh-faced mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors, most whom have spent the past few weeks furiously trying to finish clothing collections that would take professional designers months to complete. (At RISD, students must wait until their sophomore year before formally choosing a major.)

There are the models, many of whom manage to look appropriately slim and sexy despite the early hour. (Spring crit sessions begin promptly at 9 a.m.).

Finally, there are the guest critics, typically a group of fashion-industry veterans who offer advice, encouragement and occasional criticism. It’s a much less confrontational approach than Project Runway, where listening to the judges’ caustic comments is part of the fun. But Kawenski says the guest critics’ role is meant to be more mentor than meanie.

“Basically, the critics are here to offer constructive criticism,” she says. “If they see an obvious flaw — if a seam isn’t finished or if something just isn’t working — then, yes, they should point it out. That’s how the students learn. But we’re not trying to leave people in tears.”

In other respects, though, a crit session bears a striking resemblance to the fashion gauntlet run by contestants on Project Runway. One by one, the student-designers are called up on stage, accompanied by two, three and sometimes four models wearing their clothes.

That’s usually followed by a few moments of silence, as the critics assess the clothes and look for flaws such as frayed hems, puckered seams or ill-fitting proportions. Then, depending on what they see, the critics begin peppering the designers with questions and comments.

Last week, one of the first designers onstage was Abigail Hahn, a senior from East Providence. In introducing her work, Hahn, 23, explained that her eveningwear collection was inspired by the Greek myth of Arachne, an appropriately fashion-centric tale about a maiden who is turned into a spider after foolishly challenging the goddess Athena to a weaving contest.

The critics, however, sounded as if they would have loved Hahn’s work even without the mythic backstory. In particular, they raved about one of Hahn’s four outfits — a slinky metallic-silver body suit worn under a shimmering black cape shaped like a spider’s web.

“I think you did it,” gushed John Crocco, senior vice president for merchandising and design at Perry Ellis. “A stunning collection. I’m actually sort of speechless.”

Marcia Patmos, a 1991 RISD graduate and co-founder of the boutique knitwear label Lutz & Patmos, agreed. “It’s fun, it’s elegant, it’s offbeat yet still very wearable,” she observed. “I agree with John, you really did it. You really hit a home run. Bravo!”

Afterward, Hahn said that facing the critics wasn’t as hard as she had anticipated.

“There’s always a moment when you think ‘Omigod, what if they hate it?” she said. “But most of the time, the critics are very positive and encouraging. Plus, by the time you reach your senior year, you’ve been through the whole presentation process many times before.”

Another critics’ favorite was Phyllis Chan, a 22-year old from Albany, N.Y. For her senior collection, Chan showed five outfits, including a turquoise blazer worn with a red T-shirt and rainbow-hued tights and a lemon-yellow tunic paired with pleated orange pants. Another outfit consisted of pink overalls over a plain white T-shirt. All were designed for men.

“I think it’s a very strong collection,” said Lorraine Howes, the longtime head of RISD’s apparel design program and for many years the elegant emcee of RISD’s “Collection” shows. (Now retired, Howes carries the title of “professor emerita” at RISD).

Her opinion was seconded by Liesbeth in t’Hout, director of Holland’s Amsterdam Fashion Institute.

“It’s very wild and extravagant, but also very well done,” she said. “I don’t know how well it would sell in America, but in Holland the boys would love it.”

And so it went.

There was Valerie Lui, a RISD senior who sent her models onstage wearing ballet shoes and performing pirouettes. (“I used to be a dancer, so it’s really very personal,” Lui explained when asked about her unorthodox presentation.) Meanwhile, another senior, Davia Rabinoff-Goldman, showed a group of knitwear outfits inspired by satellite photographs.

Perhaps the most surprising collection belonged to Gray Burton, who sent one of his models onstage wearing a necklace decorated with a mummified bat.

Asked about the unusual bit of bling, Burton replied matter-of-factly: “I guess I just love bats.”

“Collection 2008” is Saturday at 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 1 Avenue of the Arts (between Francis and Park streets). Tickets range from $22 to $60, depending on seat location. To purchase tickets, call (800) 919-6272 or visit. www.tickets.com. Tickets are also available at the VMA box office, (401) 272-4862. The public can also attend a 2 p.m. dress rehearsal for “Collection 2008.” Tickets for the dress rehearsal are $17 in advance, $20 the day of the show.

For more photos of RISD’s “Collection 2008,” go to projo.com

bvansicl@projo.com