A nine-metre high, 240-tonne real iceberg graced the catwalk at King Karl’s autumn/winter 2010 show. The season before that, Lily Allen and her seven-piece band rose from under the runway – which was a gigantic French barn – to sing to the front row while two models kissed. Nothing is as dramatic, glamorous and jaw-dropping as a Chanel ready-to-wear show. Just when the fashion crowd think they’ve seen it all, these stunning extravaganzas leave us speechless. And you never know before the curtain goes up what you are about to witness. If there is a god of fashion, then Lagerfeld is it Photograph: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images
Getting a front-row ticket at the Prada show in its industrial Milan headquarters is tougher than getting an invite to a royal wedding. Even Anna Wintour has to queue like everyone else (whatever the weather) to witness Mrs Prada’s handiwork. For the past two seasons, the clothes have been breathtaking. The delicate print of retro Italian postcards on silk shorts, coats and tops were stunning. I have chosen to forget the season of the knee-length rubber wellies. It’s universally accepted that whatever Miuccia Prada does, the fashion world follows. She is the most innovative designer of our time Photograph: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images
All hail Phoebe Philo: so goes our fashion mantra. There isn’t a woman in fashion who doesn’t yearn for a piece from her new collection. Since she took over the French design house two years ago after quitting Chloé, she’s created the most lusted-after clothes ever. The designer’s growing popularity was evident at last season’s autumn/winter 2010 show, where the front row was dressed head to toe in Céline. Londoner Philo defined a new purism, and simple feminine pieces such as her sleek camel coat and less-is-more handbags have become design classics at warp speed Photograph: Dominique Charriau/WireImage
A newcomer to London fashion week, this Turkish designer stunned the audience with a supermodel line-up for his first catwalk show in February. Kate Moss congratulated him backstage, star photographers Mert & Marcus shot his lookbook, then he won the prestigious Andam prize, which is worth more than £175,000. We all wait with bated breath to see how his collection of minimal and sexy pieces evolves Photograph: Chiaki Nozu/WireImage
For several years, the turnout at the Isabel Marant catwalk show was lacklustre, despite the love of the spirited woman herself. Today, there isn’t a designer more relevant for the moment. While Vanessa Bruno is “the wife” of French fashion, Marant is “the mistress”. Sexy, cool, make-up-free, smoking, drinking, always laughing – she’s the girl you want to be friends with. The epitome of style and attitude, Marant has become a byword for effortlessly stylish dressing. Her studded rock-chick boots and this season’s rockabilly-style red jeans are must-haves for a generation Photograph: Antonio De Moraes Barros Filho/WireImage
Since Brit Hannah MacGibbon took over as creative director at Chloé two years ago, a weight of heavy expectation has hung from her tiny shoulders. For autumn/winter 2010, the 39-year-old delivered her best collection yet. Camel coats, rough-edged capes and – praise the Lord – the trouser every woman can wear. There will be a million high street copies of the beige or grey flat-fronted, lean and long trouser with a small turn-up. The 1970s-inspired pieces gave the label a grown-up edge compared with its previous, more youthful feel. But what’s next for London’s golden girl? Photograph: Eric Ryan/Getty Images
His shows could divide an audience like Marmite. No one disputed his genius – it was just the execution of the vision that sometimes troubled the more feminist quarters of his front row. The last collection was shown to only a handful of editors – myself included – many of whom fought back tears as the most exquisite outfits were paraded in front of us. Now the label is run by his long-time collaborator, Sarah Burton. This is the most awaited show of the season, with every editor wondering if Burton can deliver the combination of a thought-provoking runway extravaganza alongside a retail collection of perfect technical workmanship Photograph: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
Held in a cavernous, nightclub-style studio, the Dolce & Gabbana shows always attract the most star-studded front row. Hollywood’s A-listers and supermodels sit opposite you as the lights dim. In February, 69 of the world’s most successful models took to the catwalk for the finale of what was acknowledged by the industry’s harshest critics as one of the best shows in the designers’ 25-year history. (And you should know that they also have the best pre-show loos in Milan – this is important when you spend 15 hours a day travelling around the city to shows in a car) Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images
From the invitations (especially the one made of colourful fridge magnets) to the music (we often get a snippet of a Beatles melody), everything about Stella McCartney’s show is modern and playful. You always leave with a smile and a shopping list. This year, she changed her usual venue of the tents at the Jardin des Tuileries, a shared Parisan venue, to the Opéra Garnier. The surroundings may have been opulent but this collection was a masterclass in subtlety. The understated simplicity of the collection reaffirmed the power of minimal dressing in the season of the Woman – she has the midas touch when it comes to easy-to-wear chic Photograph: Eric Ryan/Getty Images
This great British brand, under the creative directorship of Christopher Bailey, used to show in Milan. Then, in September last year, it returned home to mark the 25th anniversary of London fashion week and became the hottest ticket in town, boasting the most exclusive of front rows. Live streaming to an online global audience ensured that the scale of demand spread beyond the walls on the show space to cities around the world in seconds. Burberry’s return has bolstered the power of LFW – now the world’s media attend because they have to see this show. If you have an inexplicable lust for an aviator jacket this winter, blame Bailey Photograph: Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Burberry
