Riccardo Tisci's Catholic upbringing is usually present in the clothing he creates for Givenchy, but his Spring 2013 show for the house telegraphed it in a number of literal ways. He took some of Hubert de Givenchy's '60s couture flair — primarily in the form of sculptural ruffles and beautiful materials like taffeta and duchesse satin — and poured them into dresses that referenced nun's habits with the addition of wide collars typically seen only in convents. (For good measure, the show was set to live organ music by Mathias Lecomte and DJ Discodromo.)

Even when the clothes weren't cut from slightly sheer fabrics, they looked light as air. This may have had something to do with the color palette: beige, white, black, and a flattering pale blue dominated here. It also is partly attributable to the chaste way Tisci chose to expose skin. A lot of the pieces had one sleeve (accented by those ruffles) or none. Even the strictest nun would approve.

Akris designer Albert Kriemler created a collection for the bold woman who is not afraid to show some — or actually a lot — of skin. Most of the sheer black mini- and maxi dresses that came down the runway left little to the imagination, while others covered up only the most necessary parts but exposed the décolletage, arms, and legs. Tuxedo-inspired pieces, like a black sleeveless vest, were powerful and streamlined. A sheer black peplum top offered one of the most feminine elements, while black and green leather pants lent toughness. The color scheme was black and white, with one all-beige and one head-to-toe tan look toward the end. Also of note: all the models wore either black or white ballet flats, even with evening gowns.

Now that he's not designing for Dior, Bill Gaytten has been able to devote his full attention to creating a new way forward for the John Galliano brand. His Spring 2013 collection was a good move in the right direction, effectively removing all the dripping detail and meticulously crafted romance Galliano lavished on his garments. But Gaytten is not a minimalist by any stretch of the word, and he infused this collection with lots of volume courtesy of thick cotton that featured origami-like folds. Most of the clothing floated away from the body, with the exception of a black bralette top that, nevertheless, had folds in it, too. The color palette was simple: black and white, with splashes of a peachy rose tone, a bright blue, yellow, and a very pale pink. A printed jacquard depicting cars in gridlock traffic added another layer of visual interest. And as if in homage to the outlandish character of the brand's founder — and his love of millinery — Gaytten paired the ensembles with oversize hats designed by Stephen Jones.

"I wanted it to be graphic and modernist, masculine and feminine but I also wanted to explore and express the richness of Hermès," said Christophe Lemaire of his Spring 2013 collection. And explore he did, translating the house’s iconic printed silk scarves — and its penchant for brightly colored animal skins and travel ready luggage — into a wide-ranging collection of modern clothing. Some looks were paired with backpacks and others with Birkins the size of weekenders, and others had oversize exterior pockets sewn on in a look that nearly telegraphed the peplum silhouette.

Materials were luxurious and vibrant: think scarf prints on dresses, blazers, and bodysuits; cobalt blue suede on a long-sleeved shirt; and turquoise crocodile skin on a sleeveless top and shorts.

Out with the old, in with the new: the sharp and bright separates that defined last season at Céline have been replaced with slouchier, softer shapes in crisp monochrome hues. Black, white, and navy dominated; on silky tops, wide-leg trousers, cropped leather tees, boxy blazer vests, and mesh-paneled dresses, they looked striking and allowed for Phoebe Philo's new twisted fabric motifs to really shine. And though there were also some sweet charmeuse slipdresses and coolly deconstructed trench coats in pastel hues like lavender, blush, and cream toward the end of the show, it was Philo's layered leather clutches with rolled tops that really had heads turning.

Ennio Capasa took minimalism in an interesting direction with his Spring 2013 collection for Costume National. Or rather, he minimized the house's traditionally avant-garde garments by cutting them in half and combining them with other pieces. There was a half tuxedo jacket affixed to a strapless top and a half skirt cleverly sewn to one full-length pant leg. But the combinations went vertical as well as horizontal: on more than one shirt, suit lapels found themselves turned into straps. Many of the looks were cut from black, navy blue, and white fabrics, plus a few in a combination of red and a specific shade of fuchsia created through an obscure chemical process. For decoration, Capasa took images of a bird's wing and an aloe plant from Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari's photo journal Toilet Paper and applied them to a few dresses and tops.

For Spring 2013, designer Andrew Gn delivered a collection full of ladylike dresses and separates perfect for elegant types —  Michelle Obama included. Fitted silhouettes, poufy bell sleeves, asymmetrical hemlines, paisley prints, and black-and-white combinations dominated. There were also a few pops of color — cobalt, chartreuse, and red — which livened things up. While the entire selection was feminine, a series of punchy ball gowns at the end were fit for modern princesses.

Most safaris take place in Africa, but Humberto Leon and Carol Lim's Spring 2013 collection for Kenzo took that theme to the jungles of Asia.

Field jackets were the main vehicle for the feeling of travel and adventure here, and Lim and Leon molded them into sleeveless jumpsuits (in both khaki and prints) and applied their features to other garments. More than one dress was belted by a web belt with grommet holes, and a number of skirts had the sort of large pockets adventurers use to keep ammunition or other essentials close at hand.

There were pieces that were cut from blown-up leopard prints in psychedelic color combinations. But the designing duo really played with their obsession with big cats when it came to a few sweatshirts embroidered with tigers.

For Spring 2013, designer Stuart Vevers was all about sporty luxe. Chic leather pencil skirts were juxtaposed with varsity jackets that came in a variety of colors and prints. Hoods also gave dresses and coats a seriously sporty feel. Safari-inspired pieces, like a cargo vest and dress with oversize pockets, were also sprinkled throughout the show for variety. Thigh-high slits, sheer fabrics, and crop tops gave Loewe's latest line a sexy undertone, while the olive green, bright red, black, and yellow color scheme was serious-slash-spunky.

There's no shortage of designers who have referenced the '80s in their Spring 2013 collections, but so far, Jean Paul Gaultier is the only one who's sent models down the runway dressed as a selection of the decade's greatest stars.

Ajak Deng adopted the hair and fierce presence of Grace Jones in a sleeveless black tuxedo. Hannelore Knuts was a dead ringer for Annie Lennox in short, cropped hot-pink hair and a double-breasted pinstripe suit (the jacket cleverly slashed apart to create a bolero and strapless vest). Then came Jessica Stam as the Material Girl herself, all black lace and mesh, with a bow in her hair. Karlie Kloss, in a kimono jacket and printed trousers, looked like Boy George. Sessilee Lopez, in a black motorcycle jacket and a black fedora, gave her very best Michael Jackson. And Frankie Mueller? Pure Ziggy Stardust in a one-legged, one-sleeved bodysuit made of an open-weave crochet. (Off the runway, Gaultier put four models dressed as KISS in the front row.)

These pieces were a fun dash of frivolity in a week that's shown some serious fashion. But Gaultier showed some strong and marketable contenders, too, among them a black gown with sheer triangular panels, some fun metallic baseball jackets, and a charming selection of denim pieces that went from short shorts to a duster jacket.