Tokyo Autumn/Winter 2008 Highlight: Monotari One

It was a first participation that swept Tokyo off its feet. In a globalized vision of French flare and British structural rigour, Motonari Ono set the tone for his eponymous label on the opening night of Tokyo Fashion week. Inspired by Japanese video games – notably Final Fantasy – and traditional European clothing, Motonari Ono plays with structure, layering and shape like a young Dior-tamed Japanese Galliano. Combining ruffles, pleats, fringes and patchwork in a demure beige, black and white color palette, every garment is shaped to such precision that you could admire its silhouette alone. The structural skirts constitute with no doubt the element that ties the whole collection together taming Ono’s shapes into a unified Tokyo Glam rock look. Not only are his garments original but they are also wearable – not in the way in which fashion critics usually use that word to lessen a collection, but in its true sense: the Ono woman is a real woman so It she belongs to the fantasy world. As for Motonari Ono himself, his fame is no longer fantasy. The French Vogue already showcased looks from his collection in their Best of Tokyo feature…and if the French like it, so will everybody else.

Spring 2008 Couture Highlight: Christian Dior

John Galliano, inspired by a portrait of Madame X from John Singer Sargent, opened the Spring 2008 Haute Couture season will his Collection for Christian Dior. Vibrant lime greens, magentas, purples, reds and yellows add-on to the already extravagant yet elegant blown volumes, swirls and Klimt-inspired geometrics. It is hard to believe that Galliano designs a dozen collections a year including ready to wear, accessories and eyewear for Dior as well as directing his own eponymous label. We never cease to delve into explorations of Galliano’s manic fantasy world and this collection is no exception. Words alone will not do justice to his genius; neither will these pictures but they will with no doubt make you hold your breath

Spring 2008 Paris Highlight: John Galliano

In the latest episode of John Galliano's part romantic part maverick imagination world, comes this Sweet Charity / Grey gardens inspired collection that hit the Paris runway on a day where Paris, indeed, was the least bit interested in fashion - the Stade Francais was cheering the heroic French XV. Galliano, nevertheless, in a always actual restoration of historical nostalgia, featured a collection that transported the audience in a world that is a perfect blend of fairy and decrepit. There were twenties frills, floppy hats, flounced jackets, eccentric knotted knits in pastel pinks, printed chiffons or earth-tone metallics - true to Galliano's eponymous label. The setting: a dilapidated part of the seaside, a ramshackle boardwalk past a polythene covered spinning merry-go-round, past Chinese lanterns, a chandelier of spectacles, an ostrich on a pile of clapped out televisions and torn up newspapers.

Spring 2008 Milan Highlight: Dolce & Gabbana

It's hard to imagine Dolce & Gabbana's aesthetic doing anything but squeezing as much excess as is humanly possible out of sex and provocation. This Spring, however, Domenico and Stefano decided not to show a nipple on the runway, not even a peep. Dolce & Gabbana collections are usually fetishistic-sexy-sophisticated, perfectly cut for a dramatic Fellini decor. Steven Klein will have a hard time bringing sex into the sumptuous ballet of Medici extravaganza this upcoming season will bring. The collection starts with a dress in plain white canvas before throwing the audience into a trance of Venetian color palettes splashed onto magnificent pouf-shaped party dresses, chiffons and ball gowns. Trop chic for Pret-à-Porter, blurring the line between Ready-to-Wear and Couture : the excess was sill there, we'll give them that.

Spring 2008 New York Highlight: Zac Posen

After the success of his first major runway show in 2004, Posen was awarded the CFDA Swaroski-Perry Ellis award for ready to wear but his ruffled satin draping and fishtail hems never cease to remind us of Christian Dior's couture gowns. In this year's collection, despite disappointingly simple first pieces Zac ended with a tour de force finish that sent the whole crowd - including Martha Stewart, Lucy Liu, Demi Moore and P. Diddy among others - cheering. The dirt-brown tornado gown - of which Lauren David Paden from the British Vogue said that the sported seams spiraled around the model's torso so well that it seemed that she had indeed been caught up in a dustbowl with very flattering results - was just a warm-up for better things to come. Zac Posen ended with four pieces that he later described as his cloud gowns (Nimbus, Cycolone, Cumulus and Cirrus) which reminded us once more why Zac, 27, is still considered the promise of New York's future in fashion. Judge for yourselves.

Spring 2008 New York Highlight: Ralph Lauren

Donna Karan said after seeing this show: "I am not going to have a show!"; and she was only half-joking. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of his label, Ralph Lauren put up a collection making all Italian and French designers wishing they were from New York. This is by far one of the most well-coordinated collections any designers has put together. In an orgasm of all-time Ralph Lauren favorites the collection opened with thinK breeches, jodhpurs, panama pants, and a smoking hot black skirt suit worn by a bowler-hatted model. From there, he embarks the audience into an exuberant floral-sprigged garden party featuring silky dresses later followed by jockey wear - faithful to his equestrian inspiration. A group of stunningly simplistic and elegant taffeta dresses followed before he ended with stunning beaded dresses and party gowns celebrities will be fiercely fighting over on their way to red carpet events. Unlike Valentino, we're are brought to believe that this is not an 'Adieu' as Ralph Lauren takes his bow to the sound of Frank Sinatra's "The best is yet to come".