This winter the colour and fabric trends are all about wrapping ourselves in comfort and warmth and nostalgic, happy feelings.
As you’ve no doubt seen in coming out in the shops, the women’s and men’s wear fashion colours for Autumn – Winter 2011 are quite dark, warm, rich and regal. There is still a layered, boho French Parisienne flavour – with stripes, spots, vintage florals, and the 1950s longer hems to skirts. The top most used colours in fashion are camel shades of brown, with warm red berries and purples. Add layers upon layers of knits as the key wardrobe look, along with gold, lace, military and aviator styled coats, platforms, boots and wedges.
Overall, the fashion looks are much more reserved than we’ve been used to in Winters’ past. It’s as if the world’s natural disasters and economic situation is keeping us in check, stirring up a desire to hold onto treasured trends, comfort, grace. Of course with a little bit of luxe to perk us up!
The fashion world’s influence on crafting and interior decorating trends in fabric is really literal this season. The colours follow fashion’s lead exactly with the hot new trends in printed fabrics focusing on nostalgia, French inspiration, and cute, old fashioned happiness.
If you’re a crafter, designer or interior design home decorating fanatic, read on for my take on the fabric and print trends.
THIS SEASON’S FABRIC COLOUR STORY:
Pantone’s Fall Fashion Report for 2011 surveyed once again all the fashion designers in New York Fashion Week and came up with a colour palette for the season that rotates around ‘camel’ or as they call it, ‘bamboo’.
As you’ve no doubt seen in coming out in the shops, the women’s and men’s wear fashion colours for Autumn – Winter 2011 are quite dark, warm, rich and regal. There is still a layered, boho French Parisienne flavour – with stripes, spots, vintage florals, and the 1950s longer hems to skirts. The top most used colours in fashion are camel shades of brown, with warm red berries and purples. Add layers upon layers of knits as the key wardrobe look, along with gold, lace, military and aviator styled coats, platforms, boots and wedges.
Overall, the fashion looks are much more reserved than we’ve been used to in Winters’ past. It’s as if the world’s natural disasters and economic situation is keeping us in check, stirring up a desire to hold onto treasured trends, comfort, grace. Of course with a little bit of luxe to perk us up!
The fashion world’s influence on crafting and interior decorating trends in fabric is really literal this season. The colours follow fashion’s lead exactly with the hot new trends in printed fabrics focusing on nostalgia, French inspiration, and cute, old fashioned happiness.
If you’re a crafter, designer or interior design home decorating fanatic, read on for my take on the fabric and print trends.
THIS SEASON’S FABRIC COLOUR STORY:
Pantone’s Fall Fashion Report for 2011 surveyed once again all the fashion designers in New York Fashion Week and came up with a colour palette for the season that rotates around ‘camel’ or as they call it, ‘bamboo’.
Pantone called the season’s look “sensible, but spirited”. “Designers take a painterly approach to fall 2011 by artfully combining bright colors with staple neutrals, reminiscent of how an artist would construct a stunning work of art,“ said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “Much like a painter's masterpiece, there is a certain romance to this season's palette.
“Taking cues from the great masters, sepia tones of old Hollywood, Chinese opera, cityscapes and countryside, designers are paying close attention to texture, contrast and color for fall 2011 – pairing menswear with feminine twists, warm prints with cool metals, incorporating both old and new influences, and creating an intriguing balance between colors."
Check out their top 10 palette below, and my mood board (top of this blog post) I’ve put together to illustrate it. My favourite new colour in the palette is the gorgeous deep ocean-inspired teal greens and blues – so amazing and such a modern take on the winter dark forest green we’re used to.
I’ve just got to get that shade into my next home project – or maybe a new lily pad?
Check out their top 10 palette below, and my mood board (top of this blog post) I’ve put together to illustrate it. My favourite new colour in the palette is the gorgeous deep ocean-inspired teal greens and blues – so amazing and such a modern take on the winter dark forest green we’re used to.
I’ve just got to get that shade into my next home project – or maybe a new lily pad?
Pantone’s accompanying 2011-12 Trends for Home Furnishing and Interior Design Report puts the trends into nine colour stories:
Nonchalance
Subtleties
Resilience
Indigo Effects
Transcending Time
Back to the Fuchsia
Reflections
Nouveau Neon and
The Comics.
Nouveau Neon and
The Comics.
Just the names of the palettes alone make it clear what the home trends are.
In terms of a favourite colour combo for room schemes, the American home and design magazines and blogs like Apartment Therapy have picked grey and yellow as their favourite interior colour scheme, and Ty Pennington’s first collection includes this palette. I’ve also noticed design leaders in New Zealand such as Homestyle magazine , LÃl Magoolie and crafter Dear Colleen highlighting the sunny yellow trend.
However downunder in both Australian and New Zealand interior magazines we’re still seeing the bright red, black and white combination that’s been strong for a couple of years now continue.
And how jealous am I of this 'office in a cupboard' in white, teal and red:
TRENDS IN PRINTS
In both fashion and interiors, everyone’s looking for texture, so we’re seeing tartans, houndstooth and checkers. The tribal ikat from last season has become more refined, often resembling casual stripes and spots.
The French influence keeps nautical stripes in vogue, and large print spots from Parisienne blouses and scarfs comes in too. Supporting this theme is an astounding number of US and European quilting and craft designers bringing out prints with Eiffel towers; fleur de lis; poodles, French postage stamps, and love words in type.
The other key quilt and craft fabric theme is a fluid, bohemian group of patterns that include some abstract florals and damasks, flowing circular patterns, and styles emulating the lace look that’s so central in the fashion trends.
Following on from last season, typography continues to dominate in prints – mostly showcasing old style postal stamps, war posters, and coffee sacks.
In both fashion and interiors, everyone’s looking for texture, so we’re seeing tartans, houndstooth and checkers. The tribal ikat from last season has become more refined, often resembling casual stripes and spots.
The French influence keeps nautical stripes in vogue, and large print spots from Parisienne blouses and scarfs comes in too. Supporting this theme is an astounding number of US and European quilting and craft designers bringing out prints with Eiffel towers; fleur de lis; poodles, French postage stamps, and love words in type.
The other key quilt and craft fabric theme is a fluid, bohemian group of patterns that include some abstract florals and damasks, flowing circular patterns, and styles emulating the lace look that’s so central in the fashion trends.
Following on from last season, typography continues to dominate in prints – mostly showcasing old style postal stamps, war posters, and coffee sacks.
CHILDREN’S PRINTS
For little boys, the nostalgic trend introduces patterns such as view finders, old fighter planes, rustic robots, bicycles and buses. For little girls, the French theme provides a range of patterns, with gorgeous poodles, cute cherries, apples and spots.
KEEPING IT LOCAL
This year I love that New Zealanders have also invented their own special, localised theme - with “Kiwiana”, prints, typography, place names, and heritage images really hot on t-shirts, baby clothes, cushions, tea towels, wall art like bus roll canvases, and more. The ultimate style symbol this winter: appliqued cushions made from old fashioned, snuggly upcycled New Zealand woollen blankets!
My pick of the bunch: by StudioK on Felt.co.nz
But a promise is a promise. And I truly do see the benefits of daily fresh air and sunshine. So, Isaac and I venture out every day. Sometimes Daddy joins us. Always the dogs do. And on a rare occasion, we might see a neighbor. Sometimes we venture till we are hungry and tired. Other times we might make it to the mailbox and back. 
And some days I take my camera with me, just to prove (though I don't know to who) that we really are crazy.... I mean, committed! 
