It was that time of year again. The gathering of the fashion elite, the collective anticipation of the curtain reveal. New York’s biannual fashion week saw the unveiling of styles both new and familiar for this upcoming season, but for those of you who haven’t had the chance to scour the spring lines, we’ve collected some of the runways’ most prominent trends.
1. Geometric Prints / 2. Black and White
Prints dominated the runways at New York’s fashion week, taking shape in various takes on solid lines and geometric form. Patterns were particularly prominent in monochromatic shades, appearing in collections for Alice + Olivia (right), Jonathan Saunders, Ohne Titel (left), and Marc Jacobs.
3. Color Blocking
Bright, solid hues took an especially strong turn on the Diane von Furstenberg spring runway, where vivid blues and fresh reds imbued simple silhouettes with a vibrancy natural to the given season. Take a cue from the collections by pairing basic staples in unexpected colors for a doable shift in your everyday style.
4. Collars
Formal details like collars remain a hit for spring fashion, undoubtedly fueled in part by their current popularity in the stores, wardrobes, and hearts of the masses. Elevate the class of your look with a crisp combination of white and denim, as demonstrated by the above ensemble from DKNY.
5. Trousers
The counterpart to the collared top, trousers appeared in various incarnations within the fashion week tents. From fabrics ranging from fluid to firm, patterned to plain, these pants proved a malleable plaything for designers, as well as a consistent godsend to street style. While black or white trousers remain a classic, the J. Crew pair above makes us feel as though taking a fun fashion risk has never been so easy.
6. The Structured T-Shirt
Blazers aside, collared tees ruled a multitude of shows this September, appearing on runways for Peter Som and Preen (in a gorgeous floral pattern, above right). Mix up this basic staple by working a piece in pastel, or in a looser, more playful silhouette, as evidenced by the Marc by Marc Jacobs look above (left).
7. Metallic Accents
Designers took a shine to metallic details this season, incorporating a substantial amount of silver accessories into their respective collections. Diane von Furstenberg worked a fabulously wide metal belt into the colorworked scheme above, demonstrating an effective synthesis of two upcoming trends.
8. The Pastel
This fashion week, clothes weren’t the only ones on the receiving end of the runway’s pastel imaginings. Soft pink and purple hairstyles made a splash among the models for Anna Sui’s collection, proving themselves a must-try for all experimental onlookers with a penchant for daring beauty.
9. Sheer Fabric
As evidenced by the above look from Marc by Marc Jacobs, no, sheer fabrics and belly-baring tops are not exiting the fashion scene anytime soon. Balance the boldness of transparent material with a neutral hue like the featured beige, and pair any revealing elements of your look with a more covered up piece like a blazer or knee-length skirt.
10. (P)leather
Another texture to reappear on the spring runways was thick, shiny, rubberesque leather, either of the real or artificial persuasion. Phillip Lim took the fabric in a rocker direction with larger-than-life sunglasses and a big white blazer reminiscent of the ’80s.
The lesson from this season, it seems, is of the eternal mantra recited and relevant throughout all cycles of style—take something simple and rework it for optimal fun.
For more fashion week coverage, check out the source links below:
1. http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/style/fashionweek/runway.html#
2. Images from http://nowfashion.com/