Your Fall 2016 Fashion Month Cheat Sheet in 16 Pictures

By Andrea Cheng
Updated Mar 10, 2016 @ 1:30 pm
Credit: Dominique Charriau/WireImage

The month-long marathon of fashion shows that takes place in the four most stylish cities in the world— New York, London, Milan, and Paris—has finally wrapped, and it's been a blur of insane pop culture moments, must-have looks (some that you could shop straight from the runway), unforgettable sets, instantly covetable "It" items (Gucci all day, every day), designer debuts, and celebrity sightings. And speaking of the stars, between Kanye West as a designer to Lady Gaga as a model to KenGi (aka Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid) taking over the runways, celebrities and Fashion Week have become one and the same. Need proof?

We broke down Fashion Month to bring you the biggest moments in a neat, simple guide. Consider this your cheat sheet to everything you need to know about the fall/winter 2016 collections, encapsulated in 16 pictures, below.

RELATED: Louis Vuitton, Chanel Close #PFW with Clothes People Would Actually Wear

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Kanye West's Yeezy Show at Madison Square Garden

Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Kanye West's Yeezy shows have become the hottest #NYFW ticket in town. For his third collection, he turned it into an actual ticketed event, charging $100 for access to his fashion show-slash-listening party where he transformed a sold-out Madison Square Garden into a post-apocalyptic spectacle. Models, which included Naomi Campbell, Liya Kebede, and Alek Wek, stood stock-still to the debut of West's highly anticipated album The Life of Pablo. 

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The Kardashian-Jenner-West Clan Came to Support Kanye West

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Kanye West's #YeezySeason3 show attracted a ton of big names, like Karlie Kloss, A$AP Rocky, Tyga, Lamar Odom, but they came in second to his main support system—the entire Kardashian-Jenner-West clan who were clad in exclusive Balmain for Yeezy designs in shades of white, nude, and pink. 

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Rihanna's #NYFW Show Debut for Puma

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Rihanna was all smiles as she took her bow at her debut Fenty x Puma #NYFW show as the brand's creative director. She recruited the Hadid sisters to model in her Goth-inspired line-up, which featured RiRi-approved streetwear, complete with septum rings and crosses. 

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Diane von Furstenberg's Dance Party

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In lieu of showing on a traditional catwalk, designer Diane von Furstenberg threw a dance party with today's hottest It girls, including Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Karlie Kloss, in which they shimmied, laughed, and took selfies in DVF's signature wrap dresses.

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Lady Gaga Stars in Marc Jacobs' Show

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Marc Jacobs pulled a fast one on us when he cast Lady Gaga in his line-up of models. She caught the crowd by surprise (her pseudonym in the run-of-show line-up was "Peyton," btw) and everyone craned to get a good look as she stomped along in a bow tie-neck blouse and giant fur-accented coat that seemed to swallow her diminutive frame.

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Burberry Adopts the Direct-to-Consumer Model

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Burberry was one of the firsts to announce a new direct-to-consumer model, in which viewers and fans of the brand could pre-order select fall/winter 2016 pieces (including the fringe coat, patent trench, and navy admiral coat) immediately after the show. 

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Gigi Hadid Smolders (Twice) at Versace

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After closing Donatella Versace's #girlboss of a couture collection at the Atelier Versace show, Gigi Hadid was at it again for the Versace ready-to-wear fall 2016 collection. And despite an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction, the model didn't break her composure and marched on, like a true #girlboss. 

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Jeremy Scott Brings the Theatrics to Moschino

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Ever the showman, Jeremy Scott struck again, setting his Moschino collection among antiques, including a broken chandelier that made its way into one of his designs (above, left). Midway, he switched courses with a cigarette theme that involved models in burnt dresses and clouds of smoke. 

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Gucci Mania Sets In with Another Stellar Collection

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Alessandro Michele didn't disappoint with his third Gucci collection—graffiti-scrawled bags, new takes on the Dionysus, and playfully printed strappy heels all had us drooling. See glorious close-up shots of every accessory.

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Demna Gvasalia's Debut Collection for Balenciaga

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Balenciaga was easily one of the most anticipated shows of Paris Fashion Week—everyone came to see what newly appointed creative director Demna Gvasalia (the designer of Vetements, aka the supplier of street-style gold) had to say, which included oversize silhouettes, sporty outerwear, pulled-down puffers, and tailored suit separates.

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Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid Swap Hair Colors

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The besties (and leaders of the #BalmainArmy) switched hair colors before their march down the Balmain fall/winter 2016 runway. 

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Bird's Nest Hair at Rick Owens

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At Rick Owens, showgoers were distracted by their concern for the safety of the models whose visions were surely obscured by the cocoon-like nest that enveloped their heads. 

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Givenchy's Runway Maze

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Models earned extra points for not getting lost in Riccardo Tisci's labyrinth of a runway set.

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Saint Laurent's New Refurbished Headquarters

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Hedi Slimane set the Saint Laurent show in the newly renovated 17th-century mansion l'Hôtel de Sénecterre for the first time. Guests sat on personalized engraved chairs as each look was announced in both French and in English by Bénédicte de Ginestous—a tradition from the YSL days. But was the collection ready-to-wear or couture? There still seems to be confusion, but in any case, the finale look—an exaggerated red heart-shaped coat—was all anyone could talk about.

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Valentino's Corps de Ballet

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Designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Picciolo found their inspiration in the world of ballet. In what could arguably their prettiest collection yet, they transformed each model into a ballerina, with ethereal pink tulle dresses, frothy tutus, and ballet flats.

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Chanel's "Front Row Only" Set

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Much like Hedi Slimane's no-frills Saint Laurent show, Karl Lagerfeld (who traditionally goes all out and transforms the Grand Palais for Chanel shows) took away the bells and whistles and went with a bare-bones set—white carpeting with rows of gold chairs that entitled each guest to a front-row seat. 

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By Andrea Cheng