Every year there are new prints that emerge, old ones that resurface and fresh versions of the comeback trends…; this year is focused most on the last category. While novelty prints transcended us to new stories and themes that the designers were inspired from, pop art dialled us back to the 70s fascination with the bright hues and abstract patterns. It was polka dots, stripes, tropical and florals that provided designers with typical options to recreate these prints in new and off-beat ways which focused more on the texture, technique, fabric and colour. These five prints that have been carefully shortlisted by FFT as the hottest prints, find place on shelves at retail outlets across the world…
Novelt
Conversational or novelty prints were seen on the runway in colourful versions, they weren’t abstract or simply complex florals but they depicted themes, which were inspired from various places, activities, holiday destinations, etc. Jeremy Scott kept things simple by using a vibrant range of florals on his dresses that went well with his colour pop theme, Au Jour Le Jour followed the same technique but with brightly coloured fruits instead which made his collection look playful. Louis Vuitton followed a dual theme by depicting the clothes as machines, adding nuts and bolts through prints with fashion accessories alongside them; Sonia Rykiel’s version was more on the whimsical side too as she mixed an abstract rose print with logos.
Polka Dots
Since all fashion trends are cyclical, 2015 witnessed the comeback of the retro polka dots. Seen on everything from a strapless mini dress at Marc by Marc Jacobs to a 3D design by Junya Watanabe to Chanel’s angle, the variations offered more choices than before. Since Dolce & Gabbana were heavily inspired by the Spanish flamenco thematic, they juxtaposed this pattern with romanticism and red flowers on midi-length dresses. Lela Rose on the other hand drew inspiration from Japan, thus mixed florals with polka dots and cut outs. Marc Jacob chose to stick with the classic monochrome version of the trend on his scrunched up dresses and Moschino did just the opposite by colour blocking his polka dots.
Pop Art
O wing to the reign of the 1970s, Andy Warhol inspired patterns made the rounds at a lot of collections. With circle motifs, bright and bold colours, intersecting stripes, the collections were a truly vibrant display. From Junya Watanabe’s statement skirts and innovative styling, to Loewe’s panelled dresses and Dries Van Noten’s playful layering, it’s clear pop-art is no longer restricted to museum walls and street art. A consistent pop art theme ran across JC de Castelbajac’s collection too, on retro silhouettes. Chanel presented mismatched prints that echoed the political messages on the signboards the models were carrying and Elie Saab captured the theme by using turquoise lace that complimented the deep orange and blues in the ensemble.
Exaggerated Blossoms
Florals is not a groundbreaking trend but the ones that showed up on the 2015 runways were. While last year was dominated by miniscule floral patterns and intricate prints, this year focused on the exaggerated florals that clearly put the texture in the spotlight. Michael Kors was the frontrunner for the trend as he whipped up perfectly colour coordinated separates with huge blooms. House of Holland followed closely with his 60s-70s floral patterns on vibrant mod dresses; Erin Fetherton, Dolce & Gabbana, Elie Saab presented big roses on a black background and foliage cut-outs, appliques and embellishments at Christian Siriano, Theia, Tracy Reese, Peter Pilotti, and Monique Lhuillier, florals in all its many incarnations as a trend made a bold statement this time around.
Palm Trees
One can call it wishful thinking of a vacation by designers or exploring different flora through tropical prints but palm trees were to be found everywhere – from pants to dresses to skirts and jumpsuits. While 2014 circled around more delicate and feminine prints, an edgier and exotic look was preferred for the year of 2015. Cut25 by Yigal Azrouel paired up their simple black and white prints with bright pops of red through various separates, whereas Tomas Maier complimented his traveller styled theme with blue hued tropical trees, amalgamated with thin pinstripes on chic shirtdresses. It was Mara Hoffman and Elizabeth and James, who tried something different by using more detailed prints where the texture of the leaves was the focus.
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