1. The brilliance of Phoebe Philo. In my mind, there is no one who holds a brighter future in fashion right now. Rare is it to find a pioneer of wearable fashion, someone who respects the reality of a woman waking up every morning and getting ready for work. I love a wild imagination, but perhaps the wildest achievement is Philo’s ability to imagine a reality that is both believable and analogous to nothing we’ve seen.

2. Christopher Kane blasts off. Is there anything more exciting than watching Christopher Kane evolve? What started as an ironic, young, punky brand has now become a serious force to be reckoned with. What’s more, he’s not a mere party dress designer. This collection was creative, overflowing molten pot of fashion nirvana. Keep em coming.

3. A breathtaking, dizzying collection by Rick Owens. I want to live in his beautiful shadowy world, where I wear gorgeous badass boots and black hoodies every day. I am drawn to Rick Owens when I’m feeling moody, so I especially appreciated the airy white and cream looks, and it’s remarkable how those coat tassels and bauble-trimming somehow didn’t take away from Rick Owens’ utilitarian, dystopian, dark aesthetic. In fact, it just me like him all the more for it.

4. We need to talk about Balenciaga. I have to start with a disclaimer. For me, everything traces back to Balenciaga. Were it not for Balenciaga, I may not have discovered how gratifyingly gorgeous and inventive fashion can be, how it can show us the way of the future by being so relevant to the present. Balenciaga, under Nicolas Ghesquiere, did that for me. So naturally it came as an incredible shock when it was announced late last year that Ghesquiere would be leaving. I’d followed Alexander Wang’s career for years with curiosity and encouragement, but for me, like so many others, Balenciaga is sacred ground for me. I wanted to keep an open mind for Wang’s debut at Balenciaga. Overall, I could live with it. The use of marble, to honor Balenciaga’s structural and statuesque silhouettes, was an interesting metaphor that wasn’t lost on me. It may have even been a way for Wang to express the fact that Balenciaga is sacred for him too. Yet, and possibly for the best, these clothes were not game-changers in the way that Ghesquiere’s never failed to be. It is likely that Wang intended this. I had become quite accustomed and frankly very spoiled by Ghesquiere’s chronic reinventing of the wheel, however. The highlight of the show for me was as the models turned the corner and revealed these gorgeous backs.

5. Another Riccardo Tisci-produced masterpiece at Givenchy. What is there to say? This was pure crafty sartorial perfection.

6. And shout-out to Prada, for always revealing to the world the shoe that every woman will want to wear. It was hard to pick just one shoe here. I loved the metallic sandals in shades of gold, teal, silver, red, and bronze, the checkered platforms, and those black patent leather ankle boots. But once again, Miuccia has shown us that we don’t really need a heel to be gone with the wind fabulous.

7. Rochas, for producing this kind of relaxed and understated elegance just right, while also making clothes that are just plain dreamy.

8. Dries Van Noten is a perennial favorite of mine. Dries surprises me every time, but this time around it was the strong showing of stripes that felt both comfortable and daring. Those ear pieces are sure to be a hit with the editors, too.

9. I love the loungey mood happening in fashion right now. Maybe it was Marc Jacobs’ pajamas that set it off, or those furry Celine slippers of last season, but I’ll run with abandon over any excuse to be comfy. The Row was a fitting representation of this sentiment. Somehow even their most tailored looks felt incredibly cozy and luxurious.

10. Sometimes, with all the high brow combing over every collection every season, I forget that fashion can be just plain fun. Kenzo reminded me of fashion’s playful side. And yet, this collection was so fierce I dare anyone to mess with me in this all-out evil eye get-up.