The craziest outfits at New York Fashion Week

Fashion, particularly as it is performed during the biannual mania called New York Fashion Week, is all about spectacle. The clothes that go down the runway are overwrought, over-embellished versions of the garments that will eventually end up in high-end boutiques and are mere inspiration for the trends that will trickle down to more mainstream designers and manufacturers.

But even amid the steady stream of larger-than-life designs this past week, there were some looks that managed to stand out as truly bizarre. These are the looks that will be debated on fashion blogs, pointed to as evidence of outré genius, and regarded as totally opaque by 99 percent of America. As New York Fashion Week draws to a close, here's a guide to creating a totally outrageous look on a runway already overflowing with out-there couture.