L-R: BCBG Max Azria, Creatures of the Wind, Richard Chai

Fashion is like high school — with more air kissing. In case you’re wondering how there can already be so much reading from the first day back, we’ve scanned all the reviews from major critics and other friends and bloggers, and have collected all the qualifying bon mots. Which designer made Eric Wilson question if he’d hit the snooze button a few too many times? Whose collection in 50 shades of talc, coral, black, white, and cream had harnesses as a dominant theme? Click through to see what controlled acts of ingenuity it takes to go to the head of the style class.