This always happens. Just when my enthusiasm for fall style peeks, Fashion Week arrives. And with Fashion Week come light, airy layers and lots of skin. So while we welcome back our wardrobes of head-to-toe black, let’s also look ahead at five trends that are already making a major statement on the Spring 2013 runways. Taken altogether, designers are playing it safe and wearable this season, which is great news for consumers like you and me. Trends can be translated directly from the runway, and what we see at the shows will largely be what we get. It might still be summer 2012, but if there’s anything I’ve learned in the fashion industry, it’s that good things come to those who plan ahead.
Stripes: The sporty motif is going strong, but designers like Alexander Wang, DKNY, and Diane Von Furstenberg softened the edges with off-white tones, sheer layers, and cool racer-back silhouettes. Tommy Hilfiger’s mod striped suits appear to be lifted straight from Carnaby Street.
Wallpaper prints: Florals are a spring staple—last season it was ditzy Liberty prints, the one before, digital and neon. This spring I’m noticing patterns blown out of proportion and formerly at home in your grandmother’s dining room, as seen at Peter Som and Thakoon. Thakoon’s Asian-inspired patterns boast wildlife and blossoming branches, but, in my opinion, the best attempt at the trend came from Diane Von Furstenberg, whose ’70s-inspired blooms looked (somehow) both optic and sensual.
All-White Everything: This “trend” comes back around nearly every spring, and each time, it feels thoroughly modern. DKNY, Rag & Bone, and Victoria Beckham gave my favorite interpretations of the trend with crisp menswear-inspired shapes rendered in sheer, almost breakable fabrics. And of course Posh Spice offered us lots of leg to balance those prim necklines!
Skirts: From the still-chic pencil and peplum to full crinolines reminiscent of Dior’s new look, skirts are back in a big way. After a trouser-heavy fall and winter, it will feel so good to show a little leg! My favorite skirts were shown at Zac Posen, whose dramatic tiered constructions felt so feminine and Old Hollywood. For those of us with weddings and black-tie balls on the spring calendar, these gowns will make an unforgettable entrance.
Aqua: Whether talking about the color or the state of matter, water seemed to float through many of the collections shown so far. At Monique Lhullier and Diane Von Furstenberg, gowns shimmered in metallic turquoise and ocean blue, while Zac Posen’s mermaid skirts—made of sea foam green taffeta, no less—were fit for a Disney princess. Vibrant blues are universally flattering, and slick, ocean-inspired motifs always welcome at the start of vacation season, so I expect this trend to grow serious legs next spring.
