With each Fall season we inevitably see a resurgence of plaid parading down the catwalk, often within the clean and crisp domain of menswear. This season we are seeing a more feminine, perhaps even free spirited, approach to plaid. Plaids are being juxtaposed against whimsical paisleys, sweetly naive florals, and in the case of Stella Jean’s brilliant collection, ornately detailed folkloric illustrations of animals. Think about inserting a does of grunge into your next bohemain collection, by way of the simple punky plaid.
Red Valentino, Stella Jean, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West
Textured prints take a turn for the lighter side in this nature-driven trend. Some examples resemble cracked ice, some look more like striations found in marble, others even take on the swirling formations found in radar images of weather systems. What they all have in common are their intricate, organic details and simple, limited color palette.
The example we used in our background was made with watercolor paints, but manipulating photographs of tree bark or experimenting with paints designed for a crackle effect would be great places to start when you’re ready to make your own Cracked Ice print.
Jonathan Simkhai, J. Mendel, Tory Burch all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West
Baby, it’s cold outside. And several fashion designers must be predicting next Fall will be no different, because the colorful ski-style Fair Isle sweater is making a come back. Chevron stripes combined with clean, geometric elements in bright, youthful color combinations make this a great trend to start with when designing your A/W 2016 print collection.
Vivienne Westwood Red Label, Stella Jean, Sibling all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West
There is no way to wrap up our review of Spring 2015 runway print trends without first serving up a healthy dose of fruit salad. This tasty trend has been around for some time now, and with all the examples found in recent runway collections, we predict it will remain on the menu for a good while longer. Keep your prints from feeling stale by combining your fruity conversationals with other trends like abstract textures, geometric elements or the Matisse collage look.
Nicole Miller, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel, Au Jour Le Jour all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West
Ikat prints have been at the forefront of mainstream fashion for several seasons now, and continue to inspire designers, even at the runway level. The primitive hand and global sensibility of these simple motifs make them both universal and able to transcend typical seasonal parameters. You can never have enough of these prints in your collection.
Matthew Williamson, Baja East, Pam & Gela all via Style.com
Background print © Aaryn West
