MFW Runway in Review

Everyone in fashion knows that if you want quality and craftsmanship you look to Italy. The same goes for print design, and no one does it like the Italians! With their love of bold color and print mixing, paired with their classic technique, Milan Fashion Week is always something to look forward to. 

Designers (left to right)- Roberto Cavalli, Alberta Ferretti, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Fendi,  Roberto Cavalli

Milan gave London a run for it its money this season with a wide array of print mixing that is sure to excite. The mix masters at Cavalli kept things bright and festive with solid stripes with everything from tropicals and animal print to lace, dots and florals. Alberta Feretti went with a softer more feminine approach, with stripes and pink orchids, while Fendi presented a more stylized orchid print mixed with stripes of abstract shapes. 

Designers (left to right)- Gorgio Armani, Salvador Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Salvador Ferragamo

Unlike in London this season, the animal prints of MFW were very soft and neutral. Ferragamo and Armani showed movement in their skins with swooping lines and color that add to the elegance and sophistication of the beautiful flowing silks they were printed on. Cavalli and Gucci stuck to simplified color and motifs for a more classic look.

Designers (left to right) - Jil Sander, MSGM, Faisto Puglisi, Angelos Bratis, Faisto Puglisi

Milan took a little bit from all of this season's geometric trends. Faisto Puglisi mixed geos of different scale and color while Jil Sander kept to small and tonal shapes. MSGM and Angelos Bratis carried the oversized geo trend forward with large placed geometric motifs.

Designers (left to right) - MSGM, Marni, Max Mara, Bluemarine, Marni

Streamlined florals were all over the runways in Italy, giving the classic feminine print a stylized twist. Marni offered large flat florals with thick outlines in rich color combos while Bluemarine kept things clean with outline only floral motifs. Although they chose contrasting scales, MSGM and Max Mara both stuck to black and white.  

Finally, because we loved the collection so much, we have made a board to exclusively feature the beautiful Spring 2015 prints of Etro. Their perfect summer palettes and eccentric mix of ethnic, paisley and tribal prints made this collection one of our runway favorites.

Please check out our Spring 2015 Pinterest Board for more runway inspiration and check back soon for Paris!

Fall Prints in the Pages

 This week we are taking a short break from our Spring 2015 Runway in Review to share with you some of our favorite fall editorial prints from fashion magazines around the world! When it comes to trends, the glossy pages never lie and this fall season was full of the best. Here are some of the stand out paisley, decorative floral, texture, geo, and floral prints that inspired us the most.

Olga Maliouk in Etro by Signe Vilstrup for Glamour Italia October 2014

Lera Tribel in Burberry by Tom Allen for Harpers Bazaar UK November 2014

Lera Tribel in Hermes by Tom Allen for Harpers Bazaar UK November 2014

 Leaf Zhang in Kenzo by Mark Pillai for Elle UK November 2014

Sasha Luss & Irina Kravchenko in Giambattista Valli, Roland Mouret and Max Mara by Sølve Sundsbø for Vogue China October 2014

Sasha Luss in Prada by Sølve Sundsbø for Vogue China October 2014

Frankie Rayder in Prada by Terry Tsiolis for Allure Magazine September 2014

Vanessa Axente in Dries Van Noten by Mario Testino for US Vogue October 2014

Check back soon as we continue with our Spring Runway in Review and please check out our Prints in the Pages Pinterest board for more magazine inspiration!

LFW Runway in Review

Move over New York! It's time for our London Fashion Week in Review! Although it is one of the shorter fashion weeks, London didn't disappoint this season and was filled with lots of excitement and whimsy. Many parallels could be seen between the New York and London runways but a few adventurous new trends also emerged.

Designers (left to right) - Hunter, Jonathan Saunders, Peter Pilotto, Toga, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

LFW took a slightly different approach to New York's Oversized Geometrics trend. Hunter, Peter Pilotto, and Preen focused on thick asymmetrically placed stripes in bright color combinations that give a clean sporty vibe while still retaining the fun youthful energy that London is known for. On the other hand, Jonathan Saunders and Toga stuck to large pieced shapes with soft edges and interesting placements. However you interpret it, these bold shapes are here to stay!

Designers (left to right)- Matthew Williamson, Holly Fulton, Julien Macdonald, Temperly London, Holly Fulton

NYFW's Geo Tribe trend also got a funky spin in London. The eccentric Holly Fulton used shiny triangles to create interesting tribal motifs and Matthew Williamson gave it his signature twist with lots of added texture. Julien Macdonald and Temperly London took a more sophisticated approach with dark tonal shapes for a polished look.

Designers (left to right) - Giles, Tom Ford, Emilio de la Morena, Felder Felder, Wayne

Stylish Londoners love their animal prints and this season brought some dramatic new takes on these classic skins. Giles and Emilio de la Morena updated their leopard prints by using geometric cut outs for an edgy graphic look.  Tom Ford and Felder Felder turned to texture and bright candy pastels to spice up their skins. Either way you render it, these prints are sure to bring out your wild side!

Designers (left to right) - Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Mulberry, Preen Line, Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

No one mixes prints quite like the Brits! This season the print mix masters behind Preen showed off their skills in both of their collections by proving that putting everything but the kitchen sink in a print (if done properly) can be oh so effortlessly cool. Mulberry also showed us a softer side of this seasons never ending geo trend by weaving in a delicate floral print. 

Please check out our Spring 2015 Pinterest Board for all of this seasons best runway prints and check back soon when move on to Milan!

NYFW Runway in Review- Ethnic, Tribal & Damask

 For our final installment of our NYFW Runway in Review before we move on to London (and then Milan and Paris!) we examined some of this seasons fresh new takes on ethnic, tribal, and damask prints.

Designers (left to right)- Baja East, Custo Barcelona, M Missoni, Herve Leger, Rachel Zoe 

The summer season is all about travel and escaping the monotony of the everyday. Whether you are jet setting around the world or just exploring your own backyard this New Nomad trend will transport any wardrobe to worldly new heights! These exotic summer prints took on a softer, more playful approach this season by incorporating ikat and painterly techniques. Linear layouts and print mixing also contribute to this global bohemian vibe that will cause all urban gypsies to rejoice. 

Designers (left to right) - DKNY, Oswald Helgason, Custo Barcelona, Custo Barcelona, Marissa Web

Geometrics are taking over the New York runways and these Geo Tribe prints are no exception. Unlike New Nomad, these multicultural designs focus on clean shapes and bold layouts. Whether you stick to black and white like DKNY or use this graphic combination to platform pops of fun, bright color like Custo Barcelona this trend is destined to be a festival favorite!

Designers (left to right) - ZAC Zac Posen, M. Patmos, Naeem Khan, Alice + Olivia, Tadashi Shoji

Not everyone has the budget to embroider garments like Naeem Khan or source expensive laces like Tadashi Shoji but who says these one of a kind embellishments can't be interpreted into beautiful prints just as elegant and special as their inspiration? We love looking at embroidered evening gowns and reinterpreting them into sophisticated prints worthy of elevating your favorite t-shirt. This seasons luxurious laces and embellished damask placements were the most inspiring.

  Stay tuned later this week for LFW Runway in Review and be sure to checkout our Spring 2015 Pinterest Board for all of the best prints on the runways (so far)

NYFW Runway in Review - Geos and Textures

Next up in our NYFW edition of our Runway in Review series are geometric and texture prints! 

Designers (left to right) - Ostwald, Thakoon, Sass & Bide, Tory Burch, DKNY, Lela Rose

Geos are officially back and in a BIG way. Many of our favorite New York designers showcased Oversized Geometric prints this runway season. DKNY and Ostwald focused on clean and symmetrically arranged shapes while Tory Burch and Lela Rose paid more attention to bold lines and asymmetry. No matter which way you interpret this graphic trend it is sure to turn some heads!

Designers (left to right) - Lela Rose, ADEAM, ZAC Zac Posen, Suno, Trina Turk, Boss

While Oversized Geometrics made a bold statement on the runways, Shrunken Geos also played a huge role. To add more interest to these simple shapes and tiny repeats many designers pieced two different color ways or scales together for a very sleek look. You can't go wrong with this chic showstopper. 

Designers (left to right) - ADEAM, Tibi, Zoe Jordan, Jason Wu, Donna Karan, Jason Wu

Abstract texture prints have been huge these last few seasons and Spring 2015 will be no exception. Many designers stuck to white grounds and muted palettes but these Bold Strokes are anything but boring! Tibi and Donna Karan used large textured brush stroke placements to add an edge to their feminine dresses while Jason Wu and Zoe Jordan opted for smaller all over texture to complement their more structured garments.

Designers (left to right) J. Mendal, Milly, Donna Karan, Dion Lee, Marissa Web, Sachin & Babi

Unlike the neutral coloring of Bold Strokes, Refined Graffiti turns the volume up a few notches with bright and beautiful hues. These loud urban prints elevate your typical street graffiti; making it fun while still keeping a level of sophistication. Colorful paint splatters and smudges were popular at Marissa Web and Sachin & Babi where Donna Karan and Dion Lee took a more mixed media approach with torn shapes, mixed textures, and prints.  

Stay tuned next week for our next installment of Runway in Review and be sure to check out our Spring 2015 Pinterest Board for all of the best prints on the runways (so far)

NYFW Runway In Review - Floral and Tropical

Today is our first installment of our Runway in Review series where we will be recapping some of our favorite fashion week prints and trends from each city!

New York Fashion Week kicked off the Spring/Summer 2015 runway collections and as always, florals and tropicals were well represented but interpreted in fresh and inspiring ways.

Designers (left to right) - Lela Rose, Naeem Khan, Tracy Reese, Zimmerman, Bibhu Mohapatra, Carmen Marc Valvo

Transitioning from the Fall and Resort shows, vintage inspired painterly florals continued to be very popular on the runways.  These soft watercolor blooms add a romantic touch to springs feminine frocks.

Designers (left to right) Elizabeth & James, Peter Som, Carolina Herrera, Vera Wang, Suno, Rag & Bone

In contrast to the soft Watercolor Blooms mentioned above, graphic interpretations were also seen all over the runways. Whether it was the cut out silhouettes at Peter Som and Rag & Bone or the floral dot mix as seen at Vera Wang and Suno, these modernized florals add a bit of edge and complement more structured garments beautifully.

Designers (left to right) - Rag & Bone, Yigal Azrouel, Thakoon, Timo Weiland, Elizabeth & James, Nicole Miller

In continuation of the Graphic Floral trend, clean shapes and silhouettes were also exhibited in this seasons tropical prints. Simple repeats and reduced colors give a vintage feel to our favorite palm prints and the muted color palettes add an air of sophistication and maturity to this playful summer staple.

Designers (left to right) - Osklen, Osklen, Josie Natori, Nicole Miller, Clover Canyon, Clover Canyon

Unlike Simplistic Palms, Island Oasis is anything but simple. Adopting a 'more is more' attitude this season, designers like Osklen and Clover Canyon exhibited very loud tropical floral prints reflective of the colorful environments they capture. Photo real and blurred techniques excite the eye and are sure to make a statement.

Stay tuned later this week for the next installment of our Runway in Review series and check out our constantly updated Spring 2015 Pinterest Board for all of the best runway prints (so far)!

Digital Fabric Printing for NYFW!

At stylecouncil, there is no other week quite like New York fashion week! We love checking out all of the runway shows and getting inspired by the seasons hottest trends for our original print collection.

This season we had the pleasure of digitally printing fabric for two of our New York fashion week favorites!

What you might not know is that we also have a highly advanced in house digital fabric printing department and CAD team available to assist designers in getting the job done in time for runway (or retail) magic.

Please email us at creativeservices@stylecouncil.com for more information about our digital printing and CAD services and check out our board on Pinterest for the latest prints straight off the runways.