The Hottest Trends for Spring/Summer 2013

 

Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week is the highlight of all American fashion designers' lives. It happens twice a year and fills their weeks with joy, excitement, and nervousness all at the same time. For the attending fashionistas, it fills their minds with daydreaming and envy as they watch the models walking down the runway donning the garb they hope to wear in the upcoming seasons. Thus far, many designers have landed hits and several trends have been spotted. Some of which were expected while some have been somewhat surprising. Here are the top trends from the week!

The first big trend that was spotted would be floral. Last year we saw the reemergence of this forgotten pattern in small forms, but this year it has completely taken off. But what is so different about the trend this year? The size. The prints are big and bold whereas last year they were minute. Some experts have even compared the oversized appearance to a pattern that would be found on their grandmother's couches! So, say goodbye to the tiny petals of yesterday and hello to the new, bold flowers of today!

Another hot trend in the pattern department is the stripe. This design was seen in several collections and took on a variety of appearances throughout the week. Tommy Hilfiger gave stripes a very modern look by coloring them and placing them onto suits for women. However, designers like Alexander Wang and DKNY took a different approach with the pattern. They included off-white tones into the color palate, placed them on racer-backs, and added sheer layers over them. No matter what form they may take, stripes are guaranteed to be a frontrunner this spring.

While heavy patterns are racing to the front, we must not forget the always present spring "trend" of all-white. Every year, designers give their rendition of this spring staple and somehow manage to capture our hearts with it all over again. Maybe it is the uber chic look that it possesses or the awakening of our senses from the dull darks that surround wintertime; either way, the all-white trend continues. Victoria Beckham hit a home run in her attempt to tackle this look. Inspired by menswear, she used masculine shapes then balanced them with just enough leg to give them a feminine touch. Breathtaking.

Another color that took the runway by storm this year was aqua. It adorned exquisite gowns in shimmering metallics at the Monique Lhullier and Diane Von Furstenberg shows and found its way onto the taffeta of mermaid skirts in Zac Posen's collection. Different variations of the color were present, but they were all undeniably ocean themed, which is perfect for the beach-laden vacation season.

Another seasonal staple that was seen in a big way this year was the skirt. Pencils, peplums, crinolines, and tiers all made their appearance on the runways. Zac Posen took an especially dramatic approach and gave an old Hollywood feel to the ones featured in his collection.