What We’ll Be Wearing Next Spring: Trends From NY Fashion Week

With New York and London Spring Summer 2012 fashion weeks over and Milan well underway, we take a  look at the trends seen across the catwalks that will dictate what we wear next spring.

Patterns

Patterns were strong on the the catwalk again this year with everything from graphic and tribal as seen on the the runway at the Custo Barcelona and Carolina Herrera light floaty florals like at Betsey Johnson and Rebecca Minkoff [above]. This is good news if you already splashed out on patterns this year as they will see you through another season.

Retro Glam

The nipped in waist silhouette of the forties and fifties is still big news. Monique Lhuillier seemed to take her lead from John Galliano’s final SS collection for Dior in particular with softly layered gowns splashed with colour. At Honor their dresses not only had that fifties appeal but also showed that the Peter Pan collar is still going strong. Lela Rose took a modern approach putting a diaphonous fifties style dress over citrus shade shorts and cropped top.

Fresh and Zesty

And citrus colours were strong on the runway across a lot of the show. Jason Wu, Badgley Mischka, Elie Tahari and Timo Weiland all sent models down the runways in tangerine, lemon, orange, grapefruit and lime hues. These fresh, zesty colours bring a welcome splash of strong colour that moves on slightly from the colour blocking of this year. With orange and tangerine already stong this autumn this is a trend that you can buy into now that will see you right through 2012.

Soft hues

Soft muted shades also had their place in the shows. Rafael Cennamo went for soft cream and frothy lilac, while Lela Rose introduced candy stripes in a subdued pink and Naeem Khan gowns had a buttery yellow tone. The great thing about these colours is they work well with most skin tones and are very flattering.

Au Natural

Nudes were still strong on the runway in New York with  Doo.Ri, Badgley Mischka and Lela Rose all sending models down the runway in bare hues. Be careful to choose the right shade for your skin colour though or you risk looking washed out or sick!

Tomorrow we look at London Fashion Week…

  • Miss B

    Belinda Wanis, aka Miss B, is a Belle About Town who likes to bring a little bit of style into every aspect of her life. An experienced journalist with over 20 years in the industry she turned to the web, creating Belle About Town in early 2010, to fill a gap for tech-savvy stylish women who want the best life has to offer at their fingertips. She loves a decadent cocktail bar, a beautifully cut dress, cultural getaways, quality over quantity and is partial to Asian-fusion food. A globetrotter, who has lived in Australia, the UK and Denmark, she enjoys holidaying in the sun and you can often find her on a beach in Thailand or on shopping breaks in Sydney or New York. But her first love is, of course, London!