Rolando Santana’s latest collection was inspired by the three-dimensional abstract creations of John Chamberlain. Known for his feminine dresses with uncomplicated silhouettes, designer Rolando Santana keeps up that standard and delights us with flirty accents. His textiles are enhanced by rare color details.

My past training and education affects who I am today, and I express who I am today through my design choices and fashion creations. The passion, expression and emotion I experienced through my training in theater, television; painting and ballet comes out with my fashion creations. The work discipline from being a practicing dental surgeon affects my strong work ethic.

Over the last two years, we have witnessed what amounts to an explosion of African fashion around the globe: Ghana Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz Africa Fashion in South Africa, and Lagos Fashion Week in Nigeria, all in October. Across the ocean in New York, we had Adiree Fashion Week in July, Arise Fashion Week during September New York Fashion Week, and Africa Fashion Week LA in October.

If any fashion sector has managed to stay in the news over 2012, it has definitely been the Plus Size industry. Every month seemed to bring about a new brand’s Plus Size collection and a new repetition of the “market facts & figures,” including the piece de resistance fact that 60% of the American women are overweight and are an average of size 14.

Fabric manipulation, in all its forms, was the guiding thread throughout martinMartin’s Spring/Summer 2013 runway show at Concept Fashion Week: draping, stitching, folding, crinkling, wrinkling, crumpling, to create an origami-like feel, or simply to amass texture . . . to a great effect, most of the time . . . Focused more on structure rather than drama, and notwithstanding a few men wearing pants that looked like long skirts (would those be called culottes?), the collection offered some strong, sculptural pieces.

The Exchange LA was the perfect setting for the designer’s eponymous Spring/Summer 2013 collection, providing the lucky guests with the usual pre-show circus.

Designer Alexandria Belle Norman’s second season, Spring/Summer 2013, showed six looks that featured her trademark looks, including jersey and satin with leather accents. The fitted jackets were well executed, particularly the leather jacket, which was beautiful . . . alas, the fit of the pants was less than perfect, and less than flattering.

Inspired by Alien and Blade Runner, all the pieces in this debut collection by Venezuelan designer Camilla X Castillo revolved around the main theme, a leather panel with twisted strips, creating a spiny, very Alien-like effect.

The colorful history and folklore of the Philippines of Natori’s youth is what inspired her Spring 2013 RTW collection, which is filled with colorful prints, vivid crayon colors, and the models wore a vibrant flower in their hair to complement the look.

Designer Stephen Burrows, the creator of “Pazette” Barbie, created colorful silhouettes of prints and solids for the Spring 2013 presentation held at the Out Hotel in New York on September 13, 2012, during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.