Neon colors make perfect accents to any neutral, or add a playful contrast with another bold color. How do you wear neon colors?
1. Neonray Slouchpants 2. Turquoise Blue Fold Over Clutch 3. Neon Green Leather iPad 2 Case 4. Mini M.A.C. Clutch - Neon Yellow 5. Neon Pink Faux Feather Earrings Dipped in Gold Glitter 6. Neon Yellow Nail Color 7. Neon Green Triangle Earring Studs 8. Elizabeth Pointy Flats
I'm still sifting through my photos from my recent trip to Spain but here are a few of the cool mosaics at Parque Guell.
Parque Guell is a botanical garden with dope views overlooking the city, and elaborate walls and seating covered in mosaics of random tiles. I loved the mix of patterns and designs simply grouped together because of similar styles or palettes.
If you're an America's Next Top Model fan, this is the park where they shot the finale of Cycle 7 (Melrose and Caridee) — where the final contestants were dressed as brides running through what looked like caves.
Bright greens with sea and electric blues paired with leafy designs leaves me reminiscent of the tropics.
1. Rebecca Minkoff Bettina Flat Sandals in Neon Yellow 2. Rachel Rose Dot Silk Tee 3. Diane von Furstenberg Vintage Collection Large Beach Tote 4. Antique Fern Illustration 5. JETS by Jessika Allen Plantation Bikini 6. Pil El Palmar Pillow 7. Vintage Wallpaper Drum Shade
1. Botanical Journals from Rifle Paper Co. 2. Flora Clutch 3. Dropwaist Dress from Anthro 4. The Hill-Side Abstract Floral Pocket Square 5. Paintbox Floral Cardigan 6. Floral Sateen Slims 7. Liberty Dunks
Lately I've been totally inspired by the elegance and flair of Diana Ross' evolutionary style.
Looking at layers of color and texture in these global textiles.
Colors of the season to come; light, airy, sunny, and sweet — pastels.
Warm olives, bright curries, and lemony greens are all colors I am looking forward to incorporate into my spring wardrobe.
1. J.Crew Notebook 2. Ikat Pillow from MiCasaBella 3. Woven Neon Shoulder Bag 4. Toothpick Jean 5. Chrysanthemum Sprigs Scarf 6. Keepsake Tee
I've been seeing this combo of hot hues a lot: a bright red on top matched with a hot pink on the bottom (sometimes switched as well). It's a great look.
Homeboyz makes some noize! (And Homegirlz/Flygirlz too!)
There is not much I miss about 90's fashion, but what I do miss about it makes up for all of the strange experimentation that happened during that era.
The early 90's hip hop scene gave birth to a new kind of sound, some called it bubble-gum hip-hop because of it's light-hearted nature. The music was fun and it was all about having a good time: partying and dancing, hanging with friends. (All I wanted to do was learn how to jump over my leg like Kid from Kid 'n' Play.) Suddenly, we went from a serious song like "Self-Destruction" to something fun like TLC's "Aint Too Proud to Beg."
The wardrobe in those videos, which I watched religiously on the Video Jukebox Network, was alive with confetti, wax print and batik inspired patterns in bursts of primary and secondary colors. This all reflected the energy of that time. Style was still important, of course, but people were not taking it all too seriously (i.e. the TLC "costumes"), and guys with their colorful jeans and exuberant patterned button-ups were clearly not being left out of this fashion party.
It was fun.
Since 90's fashion has been re-emerging for the past few years I've been trying to make the contextual connection to why it's here again. Is it because the millennial generation is adopting past trends applying what millennial expert, Tina Wells, calls "What Everything is Old School is New Again..." in her book Chasing Youth Culture and Getting it Right? Or is it because we have been in an economic downturn, like that time during the late 80's early 90's, and people are looking for simple ways to escape?
I'm not sure. Either way I love seeing teens revisit styles from the past; them rocking gumbies or a jumper with one strap unbuttoned is fun. It's fun to see these crazy styles resurface and how they are reinterpreted.
Here are two collections that pay homage to the crazy-colorful style of that period.
Nicole Miller throws back to her own early 90's collections for inspiration. The bookbags and shorts from Miller's Indego Africa project also speak to that era with the rich colors and mixed patterns.
Looks from menswear brand, Agi & Sam, was clearly inspired by the throwback trend.
What do you think? Are there certain styles and fashion trends that should be left to our memories? Do you like seeing how generations take something old and make it new? Is there anything you would wear again from this era of fashion? Share your thoughts?
A look at some variations of Fly's 2012 color of the year, Blue Lagoon Green.
Let me begin with a hefty disclaimer: I TRULY admire and respect the work of the color masters and engineers at Pantone. As a graphic designer it can only be wise to maintain a healthy and respectful relationship with a brand that touches every aspect of my discipline. By no means am I claiming to be a color expert — although I live and breathe color, and love observing the contexts in which color trends emerge.
With that said, I have to say I disagree with Pantone's Color of the Year selection for 2012.
Here's a little background. Every December since 2007, after tons of research and exploration, visiting and reflecting on runway shows and trends, the color experts at Pantone release their color choice for the year. This is a color they predict we will see a lot of in the year to come and one that sets the tone (pun intended) for retail and product design; while also reflecting the mood and state of cultural, economic, and political conditions.
I have to admit I was pretty shocked to see that Tangerine Tango, a rich fiery orange, was their color choice for 2012. Mainly because it was very much a color to be had in 2011 (when in fact Honeysuckle, a magenta-y pink, was the color for 2011) and they released a similar color in 2007. I personally was obsessed with Tangerine Tango's identical twin sister, Chili Pepper Red, all of last year. From nail polish (Essie's Clambake) to my favorite corduroy pants, bangles, to a cute bag from J.Crew, that color ruled my wardrobe and moodboards. But it wasn't just me; it was pretty evident that this hue was dominant on the runways, in home furnishings, ad campaigns and beyond. And it totally made sense. Aside from the tangible color, color we could own, the essence of that color was/is everywhere in a very intangible way.
Looking at the world last year and today I understand why Tangerine Tango seemed like the obvious choice. The Occupy(s) movement, the Arab Spring, and the economic crisis in Europe are all examples of frustration, anger, disappointment, change and fear. Other words that come to mind are: action, activity, change and protest. The color that relates to those words: red, bright red. A fiery hot red that isn't typical because this red is associated with change.
Aside from the political and social relations, this color is also globally attractive. From Brazil to India the bold hue transcends culture.
So yes this is a fine argument for Tangerine Tango, because in this early part of 2012 we are still in and recovering from the activity that came to a head in 2011. The difference, though, is that there is a thread of optimism that has been brewing in the last few months (optimism is one of my buzz words for 2012 by the way) — in music, education, and technology.
Despite all that's going on people still want to be hopeful, content, and are seeking ways to bring peace into their daily lives. Dreaming, collaboration, growth and connection are words that come to mind when I think about what's to come in to 2012.
Free education, apprenticeships, community workshops, and idea incubators are themes that are growing rapidally in our culture and are important concepts we must all pay attention to. Tutorial based websites, design thinking, and even Kanye's Twitter rant about education reform and developing a design studio (DONDA) are all clear examples that people are rethinking how we learn. This new effort to share information and knowledge makes me think of the words above but let's also add synergy, participation, and intellectual wealth to that list.
If I had to establish a palette based on these concepts it would be a series of pastels that takes us to a place of thought, meditation, serenity and intellectual evolution. Pastels speak to hope and a dreamlike space; their tones blend effortlessly into one another suggesting the idea of fluidity.
Another important theme, on a more dismal end of the spectrum, is the word scarcity. As we move forward with critical and design thinking and sharing information we must come together to develop ways to address the lack of water, food, and other natural resources. From the perspective of color, pastels are indeed a visual representation of lack.
But how do you choose one color to represent all of these ideals and changes to come in 2012?
Tangerine Tango was a very popular color that stood out (to some people) on the catwalks during New York Fashion Week. In contrast, through my research, I found a consistent thread that stood out to me and that was the palette of pastels. Pastels can be blah and appear to be washed out so then I noticed designers were using a base color that held them together. It was a beautiful seafoam blue green (not to be mistaken for turquoise, Pantone's color of the year 2010). In some places it was paired with the bright orange tone but oftentimes it stood on it's own as an elegant contrast to the fiery hue.
We saw them in deeper shades of emerald jewel tones with a tropical glow in Alice + Olivia, J.Crew, Chloe and Proenza Schouler.
Light fairytale tones like those in collections from Carolina Hererra, Paul Smith, and Tracy Reese.
Not to mention the pops of sky blue and sea green variations as seen in Isabela Capeto, Marc Jacobs, Marni, and Proenza Schouler, and Rachel Comey.
These colors made collections feel optimistic in a calm, ethereal, forward-thinking, and futuristic in a retro way.
What is this color? Blue Lagoon Green is what I think is the color for 2012 (at first I really wanted to call it Blue Ivy **smile**).
For me this is the year of Blue Lagoon Green. Revisiting simplicity, values, acquiring knowledge, sharing new skills and collaborating with other creative thinkers.
Tangerine Tango is what starts out our year with vigor, but Blue Lagoon Green is the result of all that action and allows us to finish off 2012 with a sense of perspective and understanding.
If you had to choose, if your job depended on it, which color do you think is the color for 2012?
Check back Wednesday for a Blue Lagoon Green inspiration moodboard.
FYI: I did discover that Pantone included a variation of the seafoam hue called Cockatoo for their Spring 2012 Collections Trends.
Decorate with that dope Grace Jones print (my fave) or wear a little bit of sweetness in sherbert-y colors like strawberry peach, mint, and vanilla.
1. Grace Jones, print by Andy Warhol 2. Scotch Naturals nail color in Leprechaun Lynch 3. Pulled Tide Wedges 4. Cloudscape iPhone Case 5. Pastel Colorblock Tote 6. Toothpick Jean in Neon Persimmon 7. Square Vintage Post Earring 8. Sidra Necklace
