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I really wouldn’t have pegged Sir Karl as a fan of things that are so overtly American, but more than anyone else, Karl Lagerfeld is the designer who continues to surprise us all. He delved into classic American culture and fused it with classic Chanel to create a Spring 2008 collection that is neither all-American nor strictly Parisian.

Lagerfeld took riffs on Old Glory with star spangled dresses and clamdiggers paired with red and white blazers. And then there was denim, denim, denim. My favorite of Chanel’s many denim looks was a sexy one-piece jumpsuit under frayed plaid shorts with classic pearl and gold chain accents.

I’m always a fan of quirky yet feminine looks, so my favorite piece of this collection was the champagne sequined dress with the dollar, euro, and pound symbols placed amongst Chanel logos on the left side of the bodice. Do you think Karl was trying to make a statement about Western obsession with money and excess? I love the frayed cut of the sleeves and I’m a sucker for a cute dress with pockets.

Even though this collection may seem “so not Chanel”, if you look closely, you can identify all the usual Chanel markers – black and white combos, boucle, remixed tweed jackets, streamlined suits.

Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2008 show stood as a tribute to the woman who discovered him – Isabella Blow, who took her own life earlier this year after a long bout with depression. Naturally, you can’t honor Isabella Blow without taking into account her collection of Phillip Treacy hats. McQueen’s models wore headgear that ranged from simple feathered creations to a full fencer’s mask. A rainbow colored dress with its winged feather collar both paid homage to Blow and made allusion to a phoenix rising. And after a not-so-successful show last year, McQueen may well have needed a rebirth of sorts.

So how did the bad-boy designer reinvent himself? McQueen looked to the ‘40’s for his throwback to rolled bangs and structured suits. Yes, even McQueen has come under the spell of the structured shoulder as seen at Dior. Feminine suits were fitted at the waist and topped with strong shoulders. I loved his use of gray and red in a flowing ombre dress. I was really interested to see what McQueen would do accessories-wise and I have to say that I was impressed by his red stilettos with gold tipped toe and ultra-ladylike croc clutch. This collection is all about McQueen’s interpretation of the femme fatale with a little bit of Blow thrown in for good measure.

What were the girls wearing at Stella McCartney? Smiles. It’s true, Stella’s girls sported the biggest grins of any runway show this season. And why not? With a new organic skincare line released earlier this year and an audience that included Kanye West and Lily Allen, everything seems to be coming up roses for McCartney.

Sunny dispositions were a perfect match for McCartney’s breezy dresses and floral prints. Flower power skirts peeked out from under a short belted trench and a tailored white blazer. Airy white dresses seemed perfectly in place in the boudoir or on the street, but my favorite look was a strapless, off-white dress with the floral print created from subtle laser cutouts in the fabric.

Stella McCartney’s Spring 2008 collection brought out something that fashion can never have enough of – clothes that make women happy.

Viktor and Rolf have a history of putting on dramatic runway shows, but fashion editors have not always been kind to their clothes. For Spring 2008, the design team seemed to reign in their wild ways and sent out looks that were for the most part very wearable. The white jacket with it’s ruffled collar was pure genius. There were white minidresses and soft pink dresses with black diamond detailing at the hem. A musical motif emerged with dual violins on a rose pink column dress and oversized violin necklaces.

Now let’s talk accessories. They continued the theme with a pair of killer half black/half white stilettos with harlequin heels. For spring, the white patent leather bag will replace this season’s black patent leather trend and Viktor and Rolf’s gold chain adorned tote will definitely make it to the must-have list.

Akris reinforces the idea that luxury can be simple. For Spring 2008, they featured sleek dresses and skirts that look luxe without being over the top. The sophisticated collection leaned on a tonal color palette of black, white, and grey with the occasional surprise of yellow or camel leather. The collection went with a perpendicular theme that included vertical color blocking and inlaid leather strips. A fluttery grey and yellow dress managed to bring out a hint of romanticism that the rest of the clothes may have been lacking.