Fall/Winter fashion

Valerie McPhail
MSMU Class of 2015

(11/2019) Fashion was never a dinner conversation, but my mother wanted to talk. Walking into the room while clutching the fabric of my plum Girlfriend Collective leggings by the waistband, she raised the garment and admired: "This is the color of the season."

Her statement was valid, and her approach was fueled by the opportunity to relate to her daughter. Although my passion lives on the runway and her knowledge was resourced from Macy's, where mannequins and face out clothing racks promote colorful clothing, fashion came full circle.

Indeed, color captivated the momentum of Fall/Winter fashion collections. Purples, pinks, and reds — as well as the host of color on quilted prints — urged expression this season. Color Psychology suggests that hues reflect emotion. The color wheel reveals a social imprint on fashion. For fall and winter, bold tones inspire vocal exclamations, an optimistic state of mind. In cold climates, where our culture gets as dark and icy with weathered fake news, an unusual color story of bright shades on the runway is a light in the dark.

The Color Purple

Magenta, mauve, periwinkle, and mulberry, the expressions of creativity, wisdom, and royalty commanded attention on the runway where Christian Siriano, Michael Kors, and Tom Ford colored their evening gowns. Designs were customary to evening wear attire: sequin, tulle, and grandeur of volume. The meek shade of lavender established the work of art. Stunning, majestic, and with confident ease are a few words that describe its aura.

The allure was mesmerizing. Kate Spade and Tibi introduced the color into ready-to-wear attire, exclaiming that the color purple was not just reserved for special events; its impact could be declared in the day-to-day. At Kate Spade, a three-piece purple outfit in a button-down, slacks, leopard cardigan, bowling bag, and turban accessory: each piece a different shade. Meanwhile, Tibi took the trend to sportswear, sending a lavender quarter-zip with an a-symmetrical waistband and matching skirt look. From high fashion to every day, the color purple made a definitive impact on trends this season.

Pastel Palette

Adeam's pink power suit, Chanel's teal-tweed printed jumpsuit, and Ulla Johnson's sparkly turtleneck knit dress were apparitions of light-colored clothing sent down the runway. Designs on par to suit the season ahead, it was the color paired to these designs that established the fashion statement. The trend advanced to outerwear when Max Mara released a series of furry coats the shade of sunshine yellow, cobalt blue, and cyan. At this show, colors led to the presentation of a new collection. Max Mara's show in Paris sent monochromatic outfits down the runway in a storytelling manner.

Vignettes of baby blue, sunshine yellow, and royal blue started the show, while a change of events contrasted the light colors with a series of all-black outfits. When it wasn't an ecstatic 80s-style faux fur coat, cropped puffer ski-jackets offered practical outerwear alternatives this season. Bright colors typically saved for the warmer weather months embraced the colder weather months ahead. After all, fashion loves a good contradiction. There was no exception to this rule. A rainbow has beamed across the runway. Fashion's new approach to color is exciting. Crazed, adventurous, and as always the case for style: dramatic.

Patchwork Prints

Referred to as a hobby in the knitting community and a technique to artists of quilt and rug designers; patchwork is an art form. Bridging space between craft and talent, fashion employed the print into the trend sphere this season. This pattern transitioned from home goods fashioned in the study, to everyday clothing. Despite the shift, the element of coziness remains. Sights of quilted coats from Prabal Gurung and Rachel Comey to a knitwear dress by Eckhaus Latta set new definitions of the fashion fad. Craftsmanship and nostalgia for the comfort of patched blankets and quilts bring warmth to this fall trend.

Fashion never loses sight of its origin; quilting has a history for incubating tenderness. In fashion, this was expressed through color, another creative layer to the printmaking process. Color blocking on knits and jackets married color patterns. While Eckhaus Latta's knit dress paired the traditional navy's scarlet red, grays, and beige like Tetris blocks, Coach 1941 designed a floral printed jacket with a blend of dark and light hues. Whether it is a rendition of a military quilted liner produced in a bright solid color or a knit patterned to color blocking, patchwork and quilted prints carried the color-centric seasonal trend with a unique approach.

Pink and Red

Pink and red surfaced early this season. A color combination themed around Valentine's Day, statements of velvet blazers and silky dress pants were repurposed on Tom Ford's runway. Color romanced these pieces. Holiday aside, the relationship between pink and red is a sentiment of charm, sensuality, and glamour. The union was also spotted among a few outerwear designs on the runway this season. Draping a pink cape over a candy red smock dress fashioned in Valentino's A/W 19 stated that the classic designs resurrect with color. Balenciaga styled in a similar fashion. A sporty red bomber jacket outfitted with a pleated magenta skirt, exercising how this color combination communicated a feminine touch. The pairing of pink and red on the runway was the most underrated trend this season. Culture denotes these colors to represent heartfelt emotions and passion. Injecting color onto simple fashion designs communicates a similar declaration.

My mother has her fashion facts correct. The color purple enamored the fashion industry this season. Hues of pistachio, bubble gum pink, teal, and tangerine accompanied. Like mother, like daughter, I found myself intrigued. Eager to shop at the sample sale, where Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's luxury brand, The Row, sold the Coco Mule and Top Handle 14 Two Bag, I wandered the space romanced and determined to leave with a new handbag or pair of shoes.

An interest in color took me to a display of silk blouses and navy sweaters, where one particular item, a sweet orange sweater, drew a smile to my face. It glowed among the surrounding somber shades. The sweater, like the lavender evening gown and cyan faux fur coat, energized emotion within me. Easily persuaded by my impression, that this sweater would complete an effortlessly cozy work outfit for this season, my mind won this matter. I walked out without the top and left with the conviction that the fashions and designs for the season were concurrent, it was a splash of color to my wardrobe that would disrupt New York's dull winter.