It’s my favorite time of the year — not Aquarius season or the upcoming Valentine’s Day, but Haute Couture Week. Couture is where I first fell in love with fashion beyond clothes. The intricate and eloquent dresses consumed my mind as I daydreamed about being a princess. As I grew older and learned more about fashion, my appreciation for the artisans behind the pieces — not just the creative directors — grew tenfold.

The past week in particular, four of the major shows have been Schiaparelli, Robert Wun, Maison Margiela and Rahul Mishra. Mishra, an Indian designer, made headlines with his insect-inspired couture collection, particularly the opening look of a giant dragonfly embroidered on a sheer disc covering the model like a petri dish. Taking inspiration from D.H. Lawrence’s poem, “Snake,” Mishra recreated the insect and reptiles by hand through embroidery.

Wun took inspiration from horror movies to inspire his dramatic silhouettes and designs. From the melodramatic, umbrella-like hats to the floating red devil pulling back the model’s dress to the dying bride and her bejeweled, bloody veil, Wun took the audience’s breath away.

Schiaparelli and Margiela were expected to make waves with their shows as they have always produced great runway collections; however, this time, both were popular for different reasons. Margiela followed suit in its classic runway style of characteristic walks with dramatic storytelling throughout the collection, opening with brand-favorite model, Leon Dame. The collection also closed with a surprise for the audience: “Game of Thrones” actress Gwendoline Christie.

While the collection was magnificent in itself, with heavy notes of Paris underground and caricatures of the fashionable every day, two particular aspects made the collection viral: the clear indication of creative director, John Galliano, returning back to his extravagant and ethereal roots, and the makeup. Done by Pat McGrath and inspired by porcelain dolls, she later revealed in a press release that her approach lied in the “examin[ation] [of] the ritual of dressing and the clothes we wear as a physical expression of emotion” informing moody, surrealist silhouettes.

But my favorite look from all of Haute Couture Week came from Schiaparelli. The collection took inspiration from film and early-century technology, and social media went crazy for the electronic, motherboard-inspired bejeweled baby. Although Schiaparelli’s collection continued to show the classic big shoulders, intricate jewelry and draping of fabric (intentionally revealing to pay homage to a retiring member of the Haute Couture team) my favorite look has barely been talked about. Look No. 9in the show was a head-to-toe gown in large white paillettes that resembled feathers, complimenting the feather eyelashes and hair that alluded to the model’s face. Interestingly, though, the gown completely covered the model’s face, with the only shown parts of skin being her hands and her calves through the front slit of the dress.

She looked like a sketch of a couture design, as if the paper drawing had come to life. Interestingly enough, like Pat McGrath for Margiela, the model also seemed incredibly doll-like with the closed mouth: very delicate and almost like the automaton in “Hugo” (2011).

It all feels very nostalgic and almost like a fever dream. At the same time, despite feeling a little suffocated when initially seeing the dress, I felt like it was the first time in a long time where the piece was about the clothing, and not about the model wearing it.

It’s kind of an odd sentiment because fashion has grown out of its 6-inch heels from an industry about art into pop culture and everyday life. As Blair Waldorf perfectly puts it, “Fashion is the most powerful art there is. It’s movement, design and architecture all in one. It shows the world who we are and who we’d like to be.”

So, especially as headlines have turned from events toward people and our generation has embraced the phenomenon of the self-made celebrity, a lot of runway has turned into who was there instead of what was there.

And this is not solely because our generation loves to idolize, but it’s also because the world of modeling has changed. Models have achieved top statuses apart from “supermodel,” to Victoria’s Secret Angels, brand ambassadors and even actresses. They have become celebrities in their own right, and as a result, shows have also become about who is in the front row, who is wearing what as they arrive and who is walking the show. In order to make headlines, fashion houses have begun to rely on big names and faces to create more publicity as compensation for — although harsh — some mediocre and repetitive collections.

I feel a better sense of credibility from brands when models continue to come back without the splash of a “revival” if it’s not a special celebration for the brand or the designer. For example, Candice Swanepoel, Anok Yai, Irina Shayk and Naomi Campbell walk for the big names and the lesser-known brands (not less impressive, just not as well known as giants like Versace or Valentino).

So, when brands and models individually come together to present a collection, there become two layers of appreciation for each individual entity — for the hard work of the fashion house and the dedication of the model. And, there can be a better appreciation for the collection itself — the story, the craft, how music and architecture come into play, what it means for the creative director themselves, how it leaves (or doesn’t leave) a legacy for the brand.

Two can help bolster a legacy, and we’ve seen this successful collaboration of two independents coming together to do so with Jean Paul Gaultier’s newest guest for his couture collection: Simone Rocha. Rocha didn’t just (re)create Gaultier, but she took her own modern spin on her designs and applied it to the history of Gaultier as a person and as a brand.

But the skepticism in the ability to be inspired by others often is questioned in settings past fashion and into areas of academics or art or music. It seems the key, though, is to not forget who is behind what — the person behind the brand, the values behind the person, the morals behind the values. We are all more than the sum of our parts, and collaborations (either directly like Rocha and Gaultier, or bringing in the big names for a collection) can still be more than what meets the eye, regardless of if coverage is loud or waves are small.

It boils down to intentionality. Why this model, why that sequin, why these seats? I promise the arts are deeper than we think, but we only see it if we allow ourselves to free fall into the world of the creator. So you choose how you dive into the world of fashion, collaboration and independent inspiration — cannonball or a front flip, shallow end or deep end, it’s all up to you.

Hadyn Phillips is a junior writing about fashion in the 21st century, specifically spotlighting new trends and popular controversy. Her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” runs every Wednesday.