I think the color trends for 09 are two-part. What's coming for fall will be softer and more intimate than what's going on for spring/summer.
As far as Spring/Summer 09 goes, the last of the shows finished back in September, so if you want to see what will be in the stores in a few months (and a few cases a few weeks), all you need to do is click on Style.com and check out some of the big names. However, I think that color always changes once it's out in the world.
In other words, the mood of the times really affects what people will chose to buy and wear and that's why some seasons you'll see a surge of a certain striking color everywhere. At the end of Fashion Week, there's lots of possibilities of what the pull-ahead colors could be, but only one or two always emerge each year.
my personal mood board for the ideas and feelings affecting the colors for 2009The colors that seemed likely at the end of the Spring 09 shows were black and white, tons of beige and then a whole lot of brights: fuchsia, orange, and yellow. But, I think what people will be drawn to is more mercurial. Because of the rough economic times we've seen, and, at the same time, the hopefulness associated with our new president, there is going to be an overall mood of optimism. That's why I don't predict we're going to see our movers and shakers - the people who matter to us - swathed in beige.
This spring, whether people wear somber black or bright colors, I think there will always be a pop of color somewhere. Fuchsia is my pick for one of the dominant colors of the spring/summer, but things will change as we move into fall.
My feeling is that there will be a leaning toward intimate, smaller design houses - a need to connect on a more individual level with designers and people in general stemming from a pull to authenticity. The fuchsia of summer months will soften to a petal pink; the pink of a cat's nose, the blush of a peach, the inside of a shell - all very personal, very intimate pinks. I also predict that overall, it will fit into the scheme of color much like the pink of a cat's nose--not obtrusively, but just the perfect soft accent.
Where I put my big color money, is with the color gray. As much as I hate the saying, GRAY IS THE NEW BLACK. And expect to see it here for a good ten years or more. Personally, it's my favorite color, so I'm glad--most people don't realize how difficult black is to wear on a daily basis as it's much too harsh for most skin tones. If you think about it, gray is really the color of the sky on most days. It's a humble but measured optimism, exactly where I think we are headed.
But woman cannot live on gray alone and I think it will be tempered with black and blue. For the more fantasy-minded, cobalt dipping into midnight blue will have endless possibilities, but it's quite possible that this is a color option that might remain at the very top end of the luxury spectrum both in fashion and home goods, appealing to the buyer who is always able to splurge on fancy dressing and sophisticated whimsy.
Without getting too carried away, I will say that there will also be a simultaneous pull toward the psychedelic - there will be a need for a complete break with reality, especially for those under 20 (or maybe 30) and I'm going to agree with some of the top people in the know and tell you that if you're looking for a new style icon for 2009 moving into 2010, check out Grace Slick.
Wrapping it up, in this order: gray, petal pink, deep blue, and like a posy of wild flowers, I'm seeing a whole range of psychedelic hues.
What a great analysis of the colors to come, don't you think? Thank you so much Mary Jo! I'm definitely off to check out some photos of icon Grace Slick for style inspiration, and I'm feeling her description of the pink of a cat's nose (I toldja pink was going to be big!). I'm also loving how each blogger is interpreting this challenge - just wait 'til you see the next guest this afternoon! What are your thoughts so far?? Anyone have their own predictions to add?
