Some feel that couture has lost its oomph because of its shift toward wearability for red carpet events and celebrities' tendencies to gear toward safer options. Artists like Iris van Herpen and Guo Pei will never let otherworldly visions die though and I'm more than thankful to them for continuously keeping things interesting. There is still charm in evening gowns that keep to the classic stylings of Old Hollywood glamour, however, and the additions or twists to these staples from age-old fashion houses offer a chance to play Where's Waldo each season. 

GUO PEI

This is Tim Burton meets Labyrinth (1986) meets Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2007 Couture meets Edgar Allan Poe. The devil's in the details here with glorious embroidery, beading, feathers, crinoline, pineapple leaf hemp, both erratic-looking and artfully designed to situate its audience between the gateway of life and death. Opening with a Victorian tribute to The Shining and closing with a full-sized floral hedge à la Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire set the perfect bookends to a haunting fairytale show.

FENDI

Mamma Mia that's a spicy go-go wig. I'd long preferred what Lagerfeld was offering at Fendi and Silvia Fenturini Fendi taking us back to his golden years then amping it up a notch was spot on. Can you imagine Cher in all of these looks? Dead. Lest we forget the subtle shout-outs to Marquise's costumes in the 1974 Italian film Conversation Piece including a lightweight version of her sickening floor-length fur coat. (Hopefully transitioning to faux fur btw) And a Roman disco diva is born.

VALENTINO

Piccioli's dedication to celebrating diversity and the power of women makes my heart swell. His design skills are never in question and every woman that walks his runway looks like a true starlet whether they're in a Grace Jones reminiscent hooded dress, a crystallized floral headdress, or a cyan organza gown. Walking out with his atelier staff for a final bow was the whipped cream and cherry on top.

SCHIAPARELLI

Daniel Roseberry's debut as creative director of the Parisian fashion house was beyond impressive and clearly 90s supermodel Debra Shaw could see it coming as she was surprisingly on the cast list for the evening. Glittering chain nail accents, acrylic nail embellished bandeau tops, ombré Joan of Arc glamazon armor, earrings and chokers for major diamond envy, and a dress that screams "got back from the club so late I passed out on my luscious down comforter in my Swarovski crop top, oops!" The duration of the show featured Roseberry's sitting center stage at a drafting table, silently sketching the designs as they appeared on the runway of his proud creation.

IRIS VAN HERPEN

A 2046 futuristic angel and a motorized rotating garment inspired by American kinetic sculptor, Anthony Howe put the already awe-inspiring Dutch designer even further ahead of the game. The fluid, surreal motion of van Herpen's laser-cut gowns prompts neverending amazement and pairing it with the suminagashi technique, Japanese marbling that floats paint/color on water which is then transferred to (in this case Mylar) paper or fabric. It's difficult not to sit down replaying her runway archives on Youtube for hours at a time and I guess that's why she called this Hypnosis.