Spring 2013

When it comes to our seasonal cover war--in which fashion labels duke it out to see who fronted the most glossies--there's really only four or five brands that ever come into the running. Those are: Gucci, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton and Dior--or, in other words, the luxury powerhouses with massive advertising budgets. But can you guess whose budget was biggest for spring 2013?

As Hayley so aptly puts it, "The pineapple is the palm tree of 2013."

A lesson in being stylish even when it's snowing.

You can't talk about handbags for Spring 2013 without mentioning Karl's enormous hula-hoop creation that stole the show at Chanel. Clearly, that one takes the cake as the most dramatic accessories moment of the season. (And comes with an instructions on how to use it from the Kaiser himself.)

Grunge! Chic beekeepers! New Looks! Damier dresses! If your head is still spinning from 9 days of nonstop fashion action the City of Light--ours are, for sure--we've got your handily reductive recap of each day's critics' pick for top show. Presenting the Paris Fashion Week spring 2013 Honor Roll.

Well, here we are. Le fin of Paris Fashion Week--and the end of our four-week, four-city international fashion marathon. On the day of second acts, Miuccia Prada did some typically subversive takes on '50s shapes at Miu Miu. But it was Marc Jacobs--that guy who defined this season's graphic obsession with his collection of stripped down stripes for his namesake line back in New York--who made Louis Vuitton's iconic damier motif look not-so-square. Checkmate. Here's what the critics were buzz-buzz-buzzing about.

Designers have been showing a delightfully wacky, charming, and surprising array of shoes and accessories for spring (see: Prada and Celine for the more extreme examples). Karl Lagerfeld continued the streak this morning at Chanel’s spring show, sending a bag down the runway that just might be the biggest Chanel bag ever, and was possibly made of hula hoops.

Sunday was a very good day for the fashion week lunch bunch, with Sister Maria looks at Givenchy and cute jungle cats prints at Kenzo. But for the woman of a slightly older demographic, critics concurred that Céline's furkenstocks--and inimitably chic new twist on soigné dressing--made a powerful statement for the working mother who would wear her house slippers proudly out in the world. The critics have spoken, and here's what they said.

Pop quiz: Design in Paris is A) conceptual B) kinda weird C) joyous D) all of the above. On a day that zipped from Space Age sportswear at Junya to crushed can crowns and Comme, Report Card can tell critics were thinking really deeply about meanings. So extra credit goes to Jean Paul Gaultier for interrogating the dichotomy between a runway show and a concert--and reminding us all that fashion is also FUN! Here's what the critics were buzzing about.

Big, bold stripes are everywhere!

Psst... Roberto! Yes, you of the leopard spots--want to know the silver lining of showing the last day? In a Milan season where minimalism is king, when you show opposite the Caten twins' homage to O.P.U.L.E.N.C.E., critics will consider your white leather lace trousers positively restrained thereby boosting your fashion week GPA. Here's what they had to say.

Let's get one thing clear: Heritage is the name of the game this season in Milan. So critics were actually pretty excited when MaxMara went back to its house codes (read: Sharp safari-wear for the urban jungle). But, oh, that Miuccia. Girl gets extra credit for making Japonaiserie of all things look, well, the most original it's ever been. Find out what everyone had to say about these two aesthetically different collections.

The trend you either love or love to hate is back--knee-high gladiator sandals!

The Clothes: In the past two seasons, J. W. Anderson has grown from a tiny show space to one of the big draws of London Fashion Week. This packed-to-t

For the super, super chic kindergartner.

Is the fash pack getting more decisive or just more sleep deprived? Tough call. On the penultimate day of shows, consensus was Marchesa's Bollywood-inspired beaded and brocaded flights of fashion fancy when beyond the point of OTT, and by comparison Michael Kors's rugby striped prototypes felt a little, well, catalog. Meanwhile, way downtown at the Beekman Palace, with their grommeted perforated leather and digital reptilian printed spliced creations, the Proenza boys nailed the sweet spot between art and commerce. These are the most buzzed about collections on day 7 of NYFW.

The Clothes: This was my first Abbey Dawn show, and admittedly, I went into it with my fair share of doubts, which I tried to put aside for at least

The Clothes: Indie California office-casual meets Reefer Madness Southwest road trip-inspired prints. Cannabis prints. It’s important to start with th

The Clothes: Anna Sui is always experimenting with the intersection of good girl and bad girl, and for Spring 2013 she took traditional French emblems

The Clothes: Graceful minimalism and functionality ruled the day. Braided cord belts, rolled-up pants and buttoned up overalls were reminiscent of in

The Clothes: Betsey Johnson celebrated her 70th birthday by taking a trip through all the decades she's been in business. Her 90 look fashion show (y

During day six of NYFW we snapped some true fashion legends taking in the shows, from Anna Wintour, to Bill Cunningham, to Andre Leon Talley, and we caught up with our favorite internet friends from All the Pretty Birds, Into the Gloss, and The Man Repeller. Oh yeah, and we saw some pretty amazing shows too.

The Clothes: The great outdoors meets industrial design in shrunken, boyish silhouettes and slightly larger, waist-cinching feminine versions. The use

The Clothes: Cool, Pacific Northwest-inspired colors in greens: Seafoam, jade, teal, spearmint, to brights in melon and citrus. The collection was com