NYFW Spring 2015 Trends- Initial Observations

We are in the midst of Day 5 of New York Fashion Week (NYFW Spring 2015)  and already, I am seeing a few trends starting to take shape.  First, a few initial observations: there is an absence of the saturated color we saw this past spring, and instead colors are leaning towards moody shades that can almost be mistaken for a fall color palette: inky blues, ochre, olive, dusty mauve, yam. And of course, black and white is always a staple on the runway.

Here are a couple of notable themes recurring on the runway this season thus far:

A Play on Black and White Stripes

Instead of using bright, bold color to make a statement this season, designers are instead using black and white stripes and are playing with proportion, spacing  and angles to create visual interest.

Japanese Textiles

Vintage Japanese textiles seem to be a big influencer on the spring 2015 runway. Carved wood block prints and the art of Japanese shibori, an ancient tie-dye technique where natural indigo dyes are often used, are reinterpreted and given a fresh new twist.

House of the Rising Sun

Designers Trina Turk and Mara Hoffman must have been in cahoots with one another when designing their spring 2015 collections for NYFW.  While Turk opted to go for a more graphic and stylized approach, Hoffman’s interpretation incorporates a traditional woodblock print, which is also influenced by the Japanese textile trend mentioned above. Different, but both designers are successful in their execution.

Stay tuned for more on what’s new on the New York Fashion Week, as I will be posting more NYFW spring 2015 trends seen on the runway as fashion week continues!