Kendall Jenner makes a stylish appearance at an “Angel “event. (Amy Sussman/AP)
By Nicole Horton
For spring 2015, fashion designers reverted to classic styles and silhouettes while also utilizing new trends and keeping with recent ones. Whether it was the pictures of the many celebrity arrivals, new trends or your favorite designer’s show, New York Fashion Week has provided many buzz-worthy moments to discuss.
Arrivals from the stars of the fashion world showed that the attention was not only on the runway. Kendall Jenner, who represented Marc Jacobs, Diane Von Furstenberg and Tommy Hilfiger, held her own on and off the runway. At Victoria’s Secret’s “Angel” book signing, she appeared in a simple black, long-sleeved top and studded black miniskirt. It showed off her legs and blended seamlessly together as if it were a dress.
At Rag & Bone, J. Crew Creative Director Jenna Lyons posed with “Girls” star Allison Williams. Williams went for the understated minimalist look that is becoming increasingly popular in fashion. She donned a sleek, understated white frock with black heels. In addition to a white-based ensemble, Lyons mixed prints with a blue-striped white top and an animal print clutch. Mixing prints was a noticeable trend on the runway, proving “matching” is not always important.
The basic dress or shirt dress was a popular example of the new trend toward simplicity. A crisp white dress shirt could be found everywhere, including Linda Fargo from Bergdorf Goodman, and Carolina Herrera, who looks to achieve timeless fashion moments. Herrera is known for dressing stylish first ladies such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Michelle Obama.
Oversized black polka dots popped up on varying shades of white tops and dresses in Marc by Marc Jacobs. Polka dots can add a fun touch to basic dress shirts and blazers for spring.
In time for New York Fashion Week, color experts at Pantone have released their report on the hues they predict will be hot in spring 2015. For women, some of the popular colors include: aquamarine, lucite blue, scuba blue, classic blue, toasted almond, tangerine, custard, marsala and glacier gray. For men, trendy color predictions include: dusk blue, treetop, classic blue, toasted almond, sandstone, titanium and marsala.
For Herrara’s collection, she went for a bold, romantic red floral flair in the form of skirts, gowns and crop tops. Floral patterns, in the form of a giant angular flower or a smaller busy print, were also heavily featured. Yellow appeared to be a big color for spring, especially in muted tones. Milly’s Michelle Smith utilized energetic pops of color, like poppy red and yellow, to contrast a black and white base. Carolina Herrera, Nanette Lepore and Tracy Reese also utilized variants of yellow.
Mesh was an omnipresent new trend seen in many collections. It was in skirts at J. Crew, used in dresses by Alexander Wang and Milly by Michelle Smith and as an embelishment at Reem Acra. In addition to adding a cool edge to neutral or colorful dresses, it also shows how high-end fashion is embracing athletic wear. This is also evident in shoe choice, as chunky sneakers and sandals were used to dress down long skirts and dresses.
Another accessible trend that epitomizes glitz are sequins. British designer Jenny Packham, a favorite of the Duchess of Cambridge, showed lots of sparkle. She had a unique take on a white top that shined for evening. Victoria Beckham’s line took a break from clean black and white silhouettes to feature a long black sequined skirt.
For anyone whose closet features countless options in black, you can rest easy. All black ensembles made an appearance in many different shows — spring be damned.
Pleating also functioned as a luxe detail when utilized in accenting tops and jackets. Many of Victoria Beckham’s dresses and tops featured a gold chain across the waist or on the side, which added a sophisticated touch and a subtle pop of color. Gold chained belts are an easy way to switch up an outfit or add as a statement piece in the spring.
Broken glass and mosaic patterns were a unique trend this year in up-and-coming designer Jonathan Simkhai and Christian Siriano’s shows. Siriano’s set played with transparency; it is said that he was inspired by Sergio Redegalli’s glass sculptures. It should be interesting to see if this new idea translates into widespread spring fashion.
The peek-a-boo trend was all over for Fall Fashion Week, and it appeared quite frequently in the form of cutouts for evening gowns and crop tops paired with pants or flowing skirts.
Next to twerking and ice bucket challenge videos, crop tops may arguably have had the same amount of exposure—whether it is on the street, runway or red carpet. Carolina Herrera, Nicole Miller and Alexander Wang are just a few of many designers who utilized this trend. Even Victoria Beckham, whose style is not overly trendy, featured a few gowns with sheer cutouts.
It is apparent in the Spring 2015 collections that timeless trends will have staying power, such as clean black and white silhouettes. As neon colors have departed from the runway, a debate has emerged about the “hot colors” of spring, which may be yellow, poppy red or aquamarine. Some trends will continue, like the sometimes contested crop top, and new ones such as mesh or gold chains will be introduced. Whatever your fashion taste may be, Spring 2015 offers many trends and accessible buys straight off the runway.
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Nicole Horton is the Culture Editor for The Fordham Ram.
