Spring 2013: Bright Colors, Bold Prints, Mixed Materials

Spring 2013 offers fashion enthusiasts the ultimate opportunity to express themselves through vivid colors, bold prints and playful textures to create a signature look. Here's a look at a few of my favorite trends for the season.

10 Crosby set the pace for in-your-face color with their 2-piece cobalt blue suit worn by Emily Weiss, Beauty Blogger and founder of Into the Gloss. Stacey Bendet of Alice + Olivia was clearly on the same page because she sent a similar suit in canary yellow down the runway citing late 1950’s optimism as her source of inspiration.

Burberry Prorsum showcased bold color in the form of an ombre-inspired, collarless cocoon coat with oversized pockets and a belted waist (above) while Oscar de la Renta decided to go all the way with his embellished hot pink cropped jacket paired with a teal latex pencil skirt (below). 

Color can be worn for spring as a single piece (skirt, pant, top) paired with a neutral color (denim, chinos) or worn head to toe to create a bold look that begs to be seen. Bold colors can also be added to any wardrobe in the form of easy accessories like belts, bags, shoes and jewelry. 

Bold prints and patterns proved to be another big trend for spring. Geometric prints dominated the runway at Hervé Léger by Max Azria, Vivienne Tam, and Balmain (above) while fluid digital prints were showcased at Christian Siriano, Proenza Schouler, and Carolina Herrera (below). 

Clever combinations of texture and the use of mixed materials added an element of freshness to many spring collections. I love the casual but cool combination of this re-designed crew neck sweatshirt paired with a silver sequin mini skirt by Topshop Unique (below). 

Strategically mixing the texture of an outfit instantly makes old pieces feel new again. Lace mixed with velvet, leather pants paired with a brocade top, and a chambray shirt paired with a silk skirt are all great combinations to try this season. Shown below: Just Cavalli, Hermes, and Blumarine. 

Texture for spring also comes in the form of accessories: a fur handbag at Prada, a studded shoe at Fendi, and lucite choker at Missoni (below) all made their way down the runway giving new life to classic colors and silhouettes. 

My must-have items for spring include a cropped, collarless leather jacket to create texture, bright colors to perk up neutral pieces and something with sequins to make every outfit a little more fun.