Spring in New York City is said to be something special – more so if you experience it though the lens of fashion. The trees in central park or the skyline seen from afar against a light blue sky are enough to create an imprint in any spectator’s mind. Prints that are so often seen on the runways during New York Fashion Week can therefore be understood as inspired renditions. The season of Spring/Summer 2016 was no exception.
Pretty as a Picture – Blurring the lines between art and fashion even further, the inspiration for a lot of prints at New York fashion week seemed to be taken from behind the frame applying both abstract art in a whole look, as seen at Altuzarra, painted botanical prints as seen at Jason Wu and Adam Selman, or small repeated frames in different colors next to each other giving a new twist to the term “color-blocking” as showcased by Victoria Beckham.
Bringing Back the Classics – The year 2016 seems to be the season of the classic stripe dominating every runway. Even though there were a few plaid options, it was stripes that could be found at several runways. Pinstripe, as seen at Givenchy, a mismatched combination of bold and small stripes as showcased at Phelan, or white transparent stripes that conquered the scene amongst others at Cristian Siriano and Giulietta. This take was a fresh, yet unexpected, update of a classical print and gave the all-white look a new edge.
Embracing the Logo – In the late 1990s, the trend of wearing your brand on your sleeve became hugely popular. Big logos or small ones; it didn’t really matter, as long as you showcased from where your outfit came from. Lacoste re-introduced this concept and while also making prints out of several flags. The trick however was being so obvious you had to look twice to notice the brand itself.
Victoria Edman
