It's that time of year again – designers have introduced their new fashions to the world. As usual, the models in the fashion shows are tall and thin. The clothes cost thousands of dollars. And many people think that they look strange. They aren’t the clothes that you buy and wear. But how do the fashion shows change the clothes in the shops and on the streets?

Designers like to choose everything for their fashion shows. When a model walks on the catwalk, everything must be right. The model, the shoes, the hair, the make-up ... everything about the look. Designers even tell their models how to walk and how to look at the people in the crowd. A good show is like a work of art. All of the world's famous designers show their work at fashion shows – Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and Giorgio Armani all became famous after successful shows.

Film stars and pop stars are usually in the crowd. Many designers like pop stars to wear their clothes. It helps to make them fashionable. Designers sometimes give their clothes to famous people to wear. Some designers have given clothes to Madonna ... and to her daughter Lourdes, too.

How do these clothes reach your local shop? After the fashion shows, clothes companies study the designers' new fashions. They try to guess what shoppers will want from the shows. Of course, the clothes that are sold in the shops are not as strange as the clothes on the catwalk. Also, most people can wear them – you don't need to be tall and thin! Often clothes-makers just copy colours and styles from the fashion shows. Sometimes popular designers (like Gaultier and Armani) have their own cheaper clothes in the shops.

And what about this season's shows? Colours are everywhere on the catwalks. There are big flowers on dresses and skirts, and there are lots of stripes on shirts. Some fashions from the 1980s are back. Do you remember big belts? Some punk clothes are back, too, and punk make-up. Some shows have had big dresses in a 1950s style. There were lots of bags and shoes, too. One thing almost never goes out of fashion – black is still a fashionable colour to wear.

Anna Sui had a strong show with punk fashions, big skirts and even clothes like soldiers wear. Many people also liked Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti's show. It had lots of leather and the colour brown was very important. Will these new designers become famous after successful shows? We will have to wait and see.

And which of these new fashions will reach the streets? In a few months will you be in punk clothes or a big 1950s skirt? Wait and see – but let's hope that it looks good!