Fishbowl headpieces, 90s cowboys, 70s glam pirates, bloodied tampons, model comebacks and collections steeped in sex – SS15 was no boring season. Here, Dazed's fashion director Robbie Spencer charts his top 20 shows in our definitive guide.
"Heat, sexuality, anger, love, joy, roses, blood boiling and open wounds – the associations with this one true shade of red – ran through our minds as Kawakubo explored the colour with shredded and tiered satin, cut-up leather and patent and acute shapes jutting in and out of the body."
"Models emerged wearing space age fishbowl headpieces created by Tomi Kono, complete with PVC silhouettes of hair – those in red reminiscent of the signature ‘do of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama... As for the clothes themselves, prints that made their way across garments in cut out coloured plastic felt like the hypnotic futurist paintings of Giacomo Balla, come to life."
"The key to every piece was that even for those that haven't had a history lesson in fashion, they could enjoy the sheer pleasure of a high neck Regency-era white pyjama shirt with lace peeking out in some cases or a coat with an embroidered sleeve and covered buttons."
"Darkly romantic, beautiful with imperfections and bristling of the past without literally referencing tropes of the decade – we were totally convinced that we all needed to look at the seventies through Miuccia-tinted glasses."
From left, Roos Abels (Brave), Julia Hafstrom (IMG), Mia Gruenwald (Ford), Ella Richards (Storm), Anna Grostina (Viva) backstage at Prada SS15Photography Lea Colombo
"18th century style floral silk and cloqué, counter balanced with fraying wool check and murky shades of leather. Lady goes vamp. Tarts and vicars. Runaway girls. This was no ordinary church."
"Sexed up, stockinged and with breasts covered in crystals, Tom Ford’s moody seductresses made their way down a mirrored runway. Bedhead bouffants felt like an updated, sleeker version of Joan Jett’s signature look, and eyes were smudged with the liner to match."
"The archive Japanese prints which had been repurposed to form sheer layers wrapped over garments or one half of a classic trench coat. And the exquisite Trompe-l'œil daisies that covered nude mesh tops."
"Nineties cowboy on a date with a power lawyer. In a music video. Together. MM6 Maison Martin Margiela presented ample suede and black suiting with fringe, patchwork details and, of course, an emphasis on denim. Geisha platforms and oversized, tied silhouettes."
"The show began with 70s glam pirates in flouncy blouses and white jeans, hook belts and anoraks with pockets covered in rope netting. Slowly the women became mermaids caught in nets, walking out in dresses with asymmetrical hems hanging like seaweed, beading shimmering like it was catching the sun through water or arranged to look like sea foam, and nettle accents at the necklines."
"Fine chain necklaces, sharp masculine tailoring, billowing jumpsuits and tunics or tulle and lace LBDs. Malgosia Bela was giving Kim Kardashian a run for her money with an oversized double breasted jacket worn simply with a net top and a white skirt"
"Loco Logo cycling gear in the Miss Tour de France section had a whiff of his old Junior Gaultier line, which is now highly collectible amongst a new generation of fans. Footballers' wives in bandana-patched denim and a tiered umbrella skirt in the Miss Meteo section had wit and energy."
"With chunky ‘avant-bland’ heels, rippled leather gloves that came up to the models' elbows and metallic jigsaw piece chokers. Not to mention this season’s most coveted accessory – J.W. Anderson’s oversized leather sun hats. Bigger has always been better, after all."
"Philo has given the Céline woman many facets – she can be slouchy, she can be bold, she can be elegant in slip-on trainers – but that minimal hard-edged image still prevails. Here though, she is once again eschewing any notion than her woman is a cold and impossibly chic character. She’s warm-blooded, free-spirited and she has a sense of quirk about her, with her cast hand-shaped porcelain jewellery and elasticated ballerina flats with block heels."
"Eel leather seemed to be the skin of choice this season – after all Vuitton was founded as a leather goods house – and stood out in a yellow, black and red striped dress and block shoes with a monogram flower heel."
"Gone was the rigidity that has, at times, dominated his own collections. Instead, his garments were all carried by a certain fluidity – nude suede transformed classic trench coats whilst colourful leather appliqués were stitched like patchwork onto cut-out dresses... Backstage Anderson said that today's show "was all about the venue," where the fluidity of the garments stood out against the harness of the show space."
"Exquisitely crafted pieces that concealed and accentuated the body in what felt like a commentary on today’s over-sexualised objectification of women but also of men. This was a collection with a multitude of layers, with clothes that mattered. Fashion could do with more of that."
"High-octane and steeped in sex – Tisci played on traditional dress and folkloric influences in an unashamedly fetishistic way. Bavarian-style corsets were laced all the way down to the navel, whilst billowing white shirts were so sheer, every inch of flesh was exposed. At times, it verged on the aggressive – especially in the stiff leather waistcoats that were bound around the body with studded straps and the thigh-high leather boots."
"What I saw this time was folklore-inspired looks that bent and spun on each of the lit pillars. The headdresses and wings that looked like they were constructed with polished twigs were a striking contrast to dresses with a wide brimmed hat or a Swarovski crystal pentagram bodice. The images swirled around on the screen pillars, seemingly flying between them."
"Rocha has the power to transform the relatively pedestrian – shift dresses, floral prints and trench coats – into romantic, even erotic visions. Marabou fur (complete with all its boudoir associations) edged garments, whilst trousers, dresses and coats in pale pink organza were tantalisingly transparent."
Backstage at Simone Rocha SS15Photography Jacob Lillis
"Not a long t-shirt in sight. Instead, there were cut away silk cargo shorts, sexed-up suiting, and accessorised bicycle handlebars and crutches. This may have been the most pared back Hood by Air show yet, but Shayne Oliver didn't need frills: the fashion was elevated."
 at Dior SS15)
, Julia Hafstrom (IMG), Mia Gruenwald (Ford), Ella Richards (Storm), Anna Grostina (Viva) backstage at Prada SS15)
 Miu Miu SS15)
, Erika Wall (Established) backstage at Maison Martin Margiela SS15)
 at MM6 Maison Martin Margiela SS15)
 backstage at Rodarte SS15)
 at Lanvin SS15)
 as Grace Coddington, backstage at Jean Paul Gaultier SS15)
 backstage at J.W.Anderson SS15)
 and Mijo Mihaljcic (IMG) at Louis Vuitton SS15)
 backstage at Loewe SS15)
 at Givenchy SS15)
