The collections displayed during the Mercedes-Benz Fall 2011 Fashion Week always manage to stir and allure, as buyers and the like try to decipher how they can turn ready-to-wear pieces into something actually wearable for humans.

For spring 2012, the popular trends on the runways so far appear to be mesh, tropical floral prints, lots of ankle strap shoes in all heel heights and plenty of bright colors. But what does any of this mean for students at Binghamton University, who generally care very little about their appearance and are beginning to fear the oncoming chill of winter?

Though many are unaware, this Fashion Week actually has a few collections that cater to the needs of BU students.

American designer Prabal Gurung has been the talk of the runway for using the work of Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki for inspiration. Gurung has turned the photographer’s fetishistic work into handmade, trippy, silk-printed, bondage-accented frocks.

There is no need to wait until spring to begin incorporating Gurung’s collection into your wardrobe. What critics may see as bordering on the darker work of Alexander McQueen could be seen as inspiration for an outfit for the Pretty Lights concert — or any other rave for that matter.

Forget electric shades of pink and yellow — Gurung’s style elicits memories of Christina Aguilera’s around-the-neck criss-cross bra top at the Video Music Awards circa 2002. To top it off, Gurung adorned his models with shoes containing a quadruple ankle strap that can easily replaced by light-up bracelets and oversized butterfly-shaped sunglasses, which are much freakier than those silly wayfarers.

Speaking of black lights, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s line, The Row, prolonged the white-is-no-longer-strictly-worn-between-Memorial-and-Labor-Day trend of fall to the spring season.

The cuts of some of their jackets could be great lab coat and hospital alternatives for the abundance of pre-med students at BU. For the evil scientist, they showed a three-quarter length cream-colored jacket with a Chinese-style collar and asymmetrical side lace up detail, accompanied by a pencil skirt. Forget the scrubs.

For the psychology majors, they showed a boxy white jacket that screamed “Insane Asylum Chic,” featuring double-breasted button detailing to the neck and bell sleeves accompanied by white trousers.

But Fashion Week is hardly limited to suits and gowns. There are always designers who have the loungers in mind, and thus there is always a look that resembles sleepwear.

For a refined pajama, we can nod to Band of Outsiders, who showed a red vertical-striped half button-up colored shirt with cuff detailing and contrasting breast pockets, combined with matching boxer shorts. They accessorized with hanging suspenders, but if you’re going for a half-dressed blue-collar worker look, putting them on your shoulders could add a nice touch.

Lastly, as rain gear tops the list of Bing girl essentials, Rag & Bone showed an array of anoraks, perfect for fending off flood weather.