When I heard a new Madonna album “MDNA” was coming out, I was pretty excited. I won’t say I was ecstatic, though. After the abomination and embarrassment that was her last studio album “Hard Candy,” it is really difficult to get ecstatic for anything “Madonna.” Madonna’s albums in the past 20 years have all been hit or miss. After the wild success of 2005’s “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” Madonna had fans worldwide praising her undying appeal. Then it happened. Just three years later “Hard Candy” was released to appalled critics and crying fans. I was really looking forward to a powerful comeback from the so-called “Queen of Pop.”

However, upon hearing “Give Me All Your Luvin’” my excitement rapidly dwindled to a morbid curiosity akin to wanting to stare at a three-car pileup. If only the promotional single could live up to the singer’s stunning 2012 Super Bowl performance. Even Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. are not enough to save Madonna from the sinking ship she is sailing. The gimmicky song, peppered with superficial lyrics, reeks of desperation, and that’s being kind. Though it is catchy after a few listens, you’ll soon be wishing you could strangle that voice inside your head.

Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. are the album’s sole featured artists. This isolation makes each being featured twice seem repetitive. It seems that in this strategic selection Madonna is hopelessly reaching out to a significantly younger audience and doing so badly. However she makes a smart decision in choosing the two artists. Both have very different styles and potentially open Madonna up to a larger audience. This could have worked if she had allowed them to be themselves. “MDNA” definitely could have used some of M.I.A.’s ingenuity and unique perspective on sound, as well as Minaj’s fearless lyrics and entertaining characters. Instead Madonna and her producers decided to homogenize them. Both Minaj and M.I.A. sound held back and contained. As a huge fan of all three of these artists, I felt really let down.

That’s not to say the rest of “MDNA” is so bad. Highlights include songs like “Masterpiece” and “Turn Up the Radio.” The former demonstrates emotional depth and catches that classic Madonna essence evident in past hits like “Live to Tell” or “Miles Away” – one of the only good tracks to come off “Hard Candy.” “Turn Up the Radio” is fun and shows Madonna’s pop savvy and positive outlook with lyrics like, “When the world starts to get you down and nothing seems to go your way…there’s a glow of a distant light calling you to come outside.” I predict it will be released as a radio single in the future, though no announcements of the kind have been made.

The second and most recent single “Girl Gone Wild” isn’t necessarily a high quality pop song, but it is undeniable. The track opens the album, setting the tone, with a garbled message about not being sorry for offending people. This nonsensical Shakespearian dialogue is a sad attempt at being artistic, a thing Madonna has not been known for since 1992’s “Erotica.” The song itself, though, is a pulsating house hit, similar to many Madonna singles such as “Sorry,” “Music” and “Celebration.” Ironically, what makes it good makes it bad. Madonna has made a big display of staying current and being different, but her new single sounds like it could easily be inserted into any number of her previous albums and not sound out of place.

The biggest setback for the album is definitely its monotony. After a few plays of the entire deluxe album – a whooping 17 tracks – I was left remembering very little of it. The entire thing rages on until it’s over leaving listeners wanting something more. It’s like drinking a bland artificially sweetened Diet Coke when you really wanted a flavor packed Coca-Cola. Tracks like “Some Girls” and “I’m Addicted” aren’t bad. They’re just not that good either. And they definitely won’t be playing on any radio stations unless America suddenly goes deaf.

Bill Gaytten, former designer John Galliano’s temporary replacement, was again at the helm of Christian Dior’s fashion collection, directing a demure, play-it-safe show that channeled the powerhouse’s bread-and-butter New Look-inspired gowns with cinched 1950s waists.

But the collection was almost overshadowed by chatter that Gaytten, who was supposed to continue for only a few seasons, may be kept on longer.

Will he become the longest-serving interim designer in fashion history?

Day four of the frantic nine days of the Paris fashion calendar was also colored by the celebrity-filled, energetic spectacle offered by Lanvin.

Israeli creative director Alber Elbaz was toasting 10 successful years at the company, with a strong and creative array of dresses that revisited several eras of the house’s clothes rail all the way back to the Art Deco days of Jeanne Lanvin.

There is reason for the company to celebrate with an impressive 24 percent increase in sales last year alone. A second celebration is planned for April in Beijing.

In other shows, Sonia Rykiel presented a comfy but high-collared journey through different looks and eras of the Parisienne gamine.

On Saturday shows include Dutch designers Viktor & Rolf and Paris’ enfant terrible Jean Paul Gaultier.

LANVIN

“Dreams, history and the past,” Alber Elbaz said of his extravaganza show that celebrated and retraced his 10-year journey as creative director of Lanvin.

Every inch of the couture, ruffles and shimmer that revitalized the house over the last few years was on display Friday, including reinterpretations of 1960s vintage pieces from the iconic archives.

Celebrities, like singer Mika and actress Tilda Swinton sat in the front row, behind whom some 2,000 revelers applauded exquisite cocktail gowns that included patches of the Art Deco fur of Jeanne Lanvin’s 1920s heyday.

Spotlighting dappled the colors of scuba-like neoprene dresses with peplums and inflated arms in canary yellow, emerald green and royal blue.

Reading like a Lanvin fashion encyclopedia, the theme switched to a leather-infused take on sportswear jackets with a dazzling array of reworked parkas, perfectos and bombers.

The next chapter revisited archive pieces such as a duchesse satin insert — replicated from the 1960s — on a black and gold brocade gown with matching knee-high boots.

Another vault piece, a black bustier dress with calico ruffles, got whoops from the crowd, perhaps still giddy from the flowing pre-show champagne.

The collection closed with a celebratory, postmodern twist: sheaths printed with Elbaz’s own hand-drawn sketches of dresses over the years, including two-dimensional ruffles and slashes.

Instead of bowing, a joyful Elbaz took a microphone to the stage and, admitting he couldn’t sing, attempted a rendition of “Que sera sera.”

The future is not ours to see: But with this, one of the strongest shows of the season so far, it looks shiny bright.

CHRISTIAN DIOR

To slightly underwhelming applause it was, again, “interim” designer Bill Gaytten who closed Dior’s ready-to-wear show in a balletic display of lowered 1950s hemlines that missed the exuberance of January’s couture offering.

With reports his contract would end in May, the fall-winter collection was meant to be the designer’s last. But the talk of the front row was whether Dior might keep him on for another year.

Swan song or no, “Swan Lake” could have characterized the show: Balletic-high waistlines topped a new, longer-length skirt with knife-edged pleats and a more structured silhouette.

Some of the looks got it just right, like a skintight eggplant silk sweater that resembled a dancer’s leotard, on an embroidered silk skirt in violet that fluttered past like tulip petals.

The sex appeal was also turned up in the odd play of sheer paneling on the house’s signature 1950s gowns, in blushed nudes and inky jewel tones, that are shaping this fall’s look.

That Gaytten chose Karlie Kloss — the 6-foot (1.8-meter) ballet-dancer-turned-supermodel — to close the show was a playful touch.

However, given this is ready-to-wear, the ground-bound hemlines — mid-calf or floor-length on the catwalks — would likely drown out the a normal woman’s body.

GLENN MARTENS

Wearable is the name of the game at Belgian designer Glenn Martens’ gothic-tinged off-calendar debut in Paris.

“I like to break up, dissect beauty,” mused Martens, a 28-year-old who graduated from Antwerp’s famed fashion institute in 2008.

It was clear he aimed to break up styles, mixing clean, ecclesiastical forms with sneakers and in-vogue sporty zippers.

Next to a projection of Belgian masterpiece “The Passion of Saint John” by Hans Memling, clerical column dresses and coats slinked by hanging like cassocks in speckled gray knit. An oversized coat in ethical recycled wool looked papal with a vertical slit tapering out from the round collar.

Another knitwear piece revealed an intricate crisscross on the back that the designer said were “shards of church stained-glass.”

Martens certainly ticks the on-trend box for the gothic.

But overall it was a simple collection by a designer prioritizing comfortable clothes, kind to women — in keeping with the minimalist vibe peppering some fall-winter ready-to-wear shows.

Like many up-and-coming designers, Martens is not on Paris fashion week’s official calendar but is showing his collection at the same time to garner the attention of the fashion world.

SONIA RYKIEL

Octogenarian Sonia Rykiel looked on from the front row Friday at her show that the program notes said went back to the “effervescent seventies.”

But the collection, designed by the new creative director April Crichton, seemed more timeless than anything else.

A black-and-white skirt suit opened the show, followed by trompe l’oeil shirtdresses with revamped 1950s headbands and a showcasing of tight Edwardian-era collars — a new feature in the house’s normally more casual style.

Stricter than previous shows it may have been, but the sageness of higher necklines and lower hems was shot down in many pieces with cheeky flesh-baring cutouts — a wink from a house that prides itself on nonchalance.

One thick knit oyster skirt and jumper in mohair and alpaca looked sumptuous. But maybe a little hard to wear?

“Oh no, don’t worry,” said Nathalie Rykiel, 81-year-old Sonia’s daughter and company president. “It’s thin wool, we would never make something too hot. Fashion is about awareness, complicity among women.”

It’s a philosophy that clearly instructed the models, who, laughing and skipping, took the final curtain call holding hands.

Mustard

Mustard is probably the last thing you want on a white blouse, but when it comes to clothing colors, the warmer color pops so nicely against the cooler background. It’s easy to be afraid of the color mustard; it’s loud and won’t play nice with a lot of other tones. Instead of trying to incorporate mustard into an outfit, reverse the roles and make the outfit revolve around the mustard-colored piece you are trying to wear. This allows the color to stand out in a purposeful way that doesn’t look tacky. A mustard cardigan over a white v-neck with black skinny jeans looks oh so stylish.

Raspberry

Raspberry is the older sister of bubblegum pink and bright purple. This hue can break through any outfit’s monotony by adding a touch of femininity without being over the top. Raspberry is an easy color to bring into an outfit because it can be done in so many different ways—as a primary color in an outfit or the color of a few choice accessories. Drape a raspberry-colored scarf over a plain white top to instantly feel flirty and dressed up.

Emerald Green

Fashionistas recognize emerald green as a timeless color, but there are those who equate the color with being matronly. The key is how you wear it. When incorporated into black and white looks, emerald green appears both professional and fashionable. This is because the tone has an air of classiness and sophistication to it that is further brought out when surrounded by neutral colors. It is the perfect color blouse to have poking out under a professional suit. Or, for less professionalism and more style, put a spin on the classic suit by opting to wear black slacks with a white blazer and a silk emerald green top underneath.

Midnight Blue

This deep color is often the color choice for evening gowns and other nighttime looks due to the fact that it is similar to black but is less harsh and has a subtle edginess. The tone works best with white and black outfits that don’t need a lot embellishment, perhaps a dress with a fancy neckline or any piece of clothing with an intricate design. In outfits like these, a midnight blue clutch can add a little color variety without competing with the rest of the outfit.

Ruby Red

Although slightly more muted than the standard red, this shade is just as sexy. Where bright red can seem harsh, ruby red is softer and effortlessly chic. When wearing ruby red with black and white, be sure to use it sparingly. Being a member of the red family, this color doesn’t need much help standing out. It will look best when only one component of your outfit is in this shade. You can be as charming as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz with a pair of ruby red wedges and white ankle socks. Just trade the little blue dress for a little black one.

The catwalk was covered with fallen leaves, and a realistic forest was created at one end of the hall at the Old Sorting Office in central London.

Leaves fell near the conclusion of the show, as if by magic, buffeting a model dressed in a long white gown, one that bore a slight resemblance to Burton’s most famous creation, the wedding gown worn last year by Kate Middleton when she married Prince William.

The setting was dramatic, but the new collection did little to break new ground. There were several striking dresses, and some impressive outfits set off by thigh-high lace-up boots, but there was not enough of the imaginative spark or striking workmanship that has made the McQueen label world famous.

Most of the models had strange, saucer-like hairstyles, giving them a space-age, inhuman feel, and many wore military-style coat dresses embellished with beading and embroidery. Long double-breasted trench coats added to the look.

A Scottish influence ran through the show, with some of the male models dressed in kilts. The show’s designers seemed determined, however, to make the men look as unnatural as possible, giving each a heavily pomaded, slicked down, layered hairstyle.

The McQ look seemed to please the crowd, which greeted Burton’s brief appearance with thunderous applause. She has been riding a crest since gaining the royal wedding assignment — by far the most coveted of the last year — and was named Britain’s designer of the year for her efforts.

She has brought the McQueen house continued glory since taking over after the founder’s death two years ago, and the company’s reputation has also soared since an exhibition of his spectacular gowns broke museum records in New York.

Monday’s show marked the McQueen house’s first London exhibit since his death by suicide shocked the fashion world in 2010.

With a clap of thunder and a torrent of realistic rain running down the sides of a glass tent, the luxury brand’s creative chief sent his umbrella-toting models down the catwalk in a finale that brought a smile to everyone’s face.

Burberry, which stages its twice yearly runway shows in its own temporary Hyde Park tent, is the biggest and glitziest production during London Fashion Week. On Monday, the autumn and winter 2012 display drew a huge crowd of buyers and spectators, including a host of international stars such as Hollywood actress Kate Bosworth, celebrity photographer Mario Testino, and even Korean pop group Girls’ Generation.

“I quite like celebrating rain,” said Bailey, who has been credited with revitalizing the once-fusty fashion house and boosting its international style credentials. He’s also known to create a spectacle using weather elements: Last year, he filled his catwalk with fake snow.

“I like the romance. I quite like the melancholy,” he said of the rain.

It wasn’t just the rain that was British — much of the detailing on the clothes was, too. There was velvet quilting, corduroy, herringbone wool and tweed caps, riding jackets and skirts, and of course various incarnations of the brand’s most famous garment, the trench coat.

Bailey said the collection was a study in merging city style and country living. Bridle leather straps, shearling parkas and the use of quilting were evocative of the horse-riding country lifestyle of the English upper class, while the appearance of cute owl drawings and appliques on some of the collection’s T-shirts and sweaters, as well as gold metal fox belt buckles, were a fun and quirky take on the “country” theme.

“I like the idea of celebrating the country, celebrating the town,” Bailey said after the show.

A huge range of coats and jackets made up much of the collection. Some were cinched in with candy-colored belts with bows, while others had masculine tailored shoulders and large pouches. Cropped, down-filled puffer jackets were paired with tweed ruffled pencil skirts, giving the ladylike look a sporty twist.

The most striking coat was the one Bailey chose for his finale — a quilted, belted creation in deep royal purple, cinched in at the waist but flaring out in a full skirt.

Colors were rich and autumnal, with mustard, burgundy, blackcurrant and forest greens, while wide horizontal stripes in gray, navy and honey kept the look young and vibrant.

“I like it because it’s British and I’m British,” joked Leah Weller, a 20-year-old singer and model, who added that she was particularly fond of the gold-studded black gloves and clutch bags on show.

His fall collection presented Thursday as one of the last major shows of New York Fashion Week ended things the way the season largely started, offering clothes for a woman who can seduce and charm with intelligence and strength, but without wearing anything too tight or revealing.

Costa, in fact, purposely created a looser hourglass shape for this muse that gives room to move and breathe, sculpting stiff wool fabrics into outfits with rounded jewel necklines and a little extra fabric at the hips. For most women, this is going to work better in coats than dresses, but on the models, it was nice to see the chic, fuller shape shifts.

“Mysterious, sexy and super urban” was how Costa described it just after the show. “The iconography for this is all super modern,” he said.

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” star Rooney Mara sat in the front row, and the clean, architectural and unadorned style that Costa has crafted as his Calvin Klein signature seems a perfect fit for her. She might be the one to pull off a leather look at the Academy Awards.

The colors, as usual here, were dark and stark, with the only bright moments coming from a few flashes of red and a salmon-colored dress made of a glazed tweed and tulle.

The mixing of fabrics that this crowd has gotten used to seeing over the past few days was done best on a dress that combined gray wool flannel and black shaved shearling. Another standout look was a black-leather, funnel-neck bodice and a winter-white moleskin skirt. Costa also sneaked in white leather panels in the folds of some black pleated skirts.

“Innovative fabrics — like technical tweed, bonded basket weave crepe and painted wool mohair — enhance the collection’s contemporary, urban aesthetic,” he said in his notes.

There’s never much embellishment from Costa but he did show a handful of pieces with shine that came from laser-cut embroideries.

Guests had been warned before the show that there would be extra security because of a planned Occupy Wall Street protest, but a noticeable group of protesters not materialize.

Designer Calvin Klein sold his namesake business to Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. about 10 years ago and Costa was his handpicked successor.

The designer sent her models down the runway Wednesday in men’s striped wide-leg trousers, tweed trousers and a zigzag print on a soft wool men’s coat. But Tam made efforts to make the pieces more feminine, adding a leather waistband or making a men’s blazer in a jacquard fabric.

Tam stayed true to her East-meets-West sensibility, calling the collection “Shangri-la Remix.” She appliqued a tweed dress with a dragon and used intricate, black and red see-through dragon lace to create a dress. The model wore it over a white sleeveless shirt.

The show’s notes said the collection was “city modern” and “street sleek tailoring” meeting ethnic elements.

The runway ended with a pair of one-shouldered gowns, one red with a high neck and the other blue and black with a peek-a-boo cut at the right hip.

Models wore high heel ankle booties in brown, red and black. Tam accessorized her looks with collar, scarfs and ruffs.