By Stacia Kindler
Staff Writer
Put away your Uggs and forget about that fur-lined down jacket we all uncomfortably drag around when temperatures outside plunge into the unbearable negatives.
Spring is here and making a vibrant splash on the runways with color blocking, our first noteworthy trend of 2012.
Color blocking is when two or more seemingly mismatched colors are sewn together in blocks or shapes in the same garment or paired as separates. This can be seen in, say, a horizontally striped shirtdress in tangerine, purple, and yellow, as shown in the Tommy Hilfiger collection for spring ready-to-wear. Not feeling quite bold enough? Don’t go running for the hills just yet. This trend is more versatile than you might think.
Color blocking has been around since mismatched second graders worldwide took a chance with geometrics. However, this involves slightly more than simply being able to dress yourself – think Twiggy in the 60s.
Color blocking in fashion is most famously represented from the Mondrian Dress by Yves St. Laurent in 1965. The dress was inspired by Pieter Cornelis Mondrian, a Dutch artist and inventor of neo-plasticism, one of the earliest forms of abstract geometric art. His 1930 painting entitled Composition II was the inspiration for the Mondrian dress, which is now displayed as part of color blocking fashion history at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Color blocking is a great trend for college students to experiment with because you do not have to purchase anything new! Today, color blocking is done with separate pieces entirely. This is showcased clearly and cleanly this season in the Acne ready-to-wear collection for spring 2012 by designer Jonny Johansson.
Inspired by his recent trip to Morocco, Johansson uses earth-tones and pastels to divide the body into cohesive and imaginative sections. Although the lively separates of Acne do not take color blocking as far as Hilfiger or trend guru Marc Jacobs, Acne shows great adventure and bold imagination with Johansson’s color choices.
For those still not feeling daring enough this February, also putting a new spin on color blocking this season comes the 3.1 collection by Phillip Lim, a whimsical and airy collection inspired my Lim’s days of flying kites on the beach as a child of the 90s. Described as a “sophisticated youth,” the collection shows just that – as black and ivory are mixed with pastels of purple and orange such as to recall a sunset, paired with the lightest of green and pink. Phillip Lim offers inspiration to a color blocking newbie this season, so take a look and fly into spring with ease.
Color blocking is also done with accessories, such as those Technicolor wedges or flats that are so easy to be afraid of – resist the urge no more. Multi-colored, neon or pastel nail art is also a risk-free way of getting some springtime hues into your life this semester – a favorite of the “California girl” Katy Perry and the fashion-flawless Alexa Chung.
The good news is that the colored denim you splurged on isn’t over just yet. Be sure to keep up with your color trends and be ready to see a lot of mint, blush pink, as well as plenty of juicy tangerines this season – and remember to be brave.
