The leaves are falling, the weather¡¯s cooling down, and the days are getting shorter as we find ourselves in that special time of year when we layer on our favorite fashions and accessories.
Polished and sophisticated, fall fashions are modern, but realistic¡ªbig on luxury, but easy to wear. It¡¯s about wearable clothes with an edge¡ªlike fur trim, sequins, or metallic accents that look chic all day and night. The season provides lots of options¡ªfrom short skirts to long, wide-legged pants to skinny, pumps to flats. Favorite influences draw from the sleek modernism of the ¡®60s, as well as ¡®80s rock chic, ¡®70s disco, ¡®50s ivy league, ¡®30s dames, and ¡®20s Jazz age style.
Gem bead necklace look by Erickson Beamon for Anna Sui's fall fashion runway show.
Cultural inspirations come from the landscapes of Spain and Russia, tongue-in-cheek British mod and Asian flare in kimono sleeves and mandarin collars.
Various gem bead necklace looks by Erickson Beamon for Anna Sui's fall fashion runway show.
Jewelistas will be happy to know that fine jewelry remains an essential fashion accessory. The focus this year is not on flash, but rather elegance with attention to detail and craftsmanship. Major movements reveal ultra feminine motifs, masculine shapes with ladylike accents, art deco themes, and futuristic mod graphics. Hammered metals in pink, yellow or white gold set with gemstones are key.
H. Stern long gem chain necklace for Diane Von Furstenberg fall 2007
Other trends embrace yellow gold and onyx, a men¡¯s classic, reinvented for women; ¡®40s-style gem pav¨¦ with bold, faceted chalcedony or chandelier-cut crystal; and clean metal shapes adorned with crystals, hematite, and marcasite.
As expected, dark neutrals prevail for fall fashion, including black, brown and gray, with various shades of gray most prominent. But looks are not so somber this year, as vibrant jewel tones and rich pastels enhance the palette. The most powerful color trends in New York are driven by concern for the environment. Green rules, especially softer, more botanical shades like moss. Nature blues¡ªin the colors of the sky and water¡ªare important.
Purples explode in a natural fusion of plums and berries. New earthy neutrals reflect hues of stones and soil. Yellows shift to lower chromes of ochre tones. While rich, ethnic accents like deep, exotic reds and warm, radiant oranges punch up lighter neutrals.
In London, Milan and Paris, rich, saturated color is even more pronounced. Next to dark neutrals, purple is a favorite in shades from violet to grape. Popular blues range from inky navy, indigo and cobalt to teal, aqua and ice blue. Greens, too, offer a spectrum of earthy colors such as grass, spearmint, emerald, jade, sage, and olive.
Various orange into yellow shades are key like burnt amber, persimmon, poppy, tangerine, marigold, mustard, and lemon. Even eye-searing bright neons inject shots of lime, hot pink, fuchsia and scarlet into the palette. Burnished gold and bronze hues add a decorative touch.
H, Stern rock crystal earrings for Marc Bower NY Fashion Week Fall/Winter 07
The contrast of the season¡¯s neutrals combined with bright emerging colors creates the perfect balance¡ªas in ashy gray with berry purple; metallic silver with fruity citron; charcoal with burnt orange; almond with bright tangerine; chocolate brown with bubble gum pink; or graphic black and white with chartreuse, emerald, or malachite.
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