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Spring/ Summer
2016 Color
Trends

“Colors this season transport us to a

happier, sunnier place where we feel

free to express a wittier version of our

real selves.’ This is what is stated on

the Pantone website dictating the

spring/ summer 2016 color trends.

We have been in love with the way the

colors appeared during the Fashion

Weeks around the world, from New

York to London, Milan to Paris. The

pieces presented were superb, but it

was the way the palettes worked

together that really made us feel like

experimenting by mixing and

matching. And yet, because of the

rainbow, a wide array of hues that

define the top 10 trendy colors to be

used for 2016, we often wonder what

the best color combinations are. For

this, we turn to the Panton fashion

spring 2016 color trend report for

support.

U p d a t e : check out the new F a l l /

Winter 2016-2017 Color Trends

The colors that were to be expected

this coming spring, and certainly did

not disappoint with their artistic flair,

on an official basis are:

• Rose Quartz – Pantone 13-1520

• Peach Echo – Pantone 16-1548

• Serenity – Pantone 15-3919

• Snorkel Blue – Pantone 19-4049

• Buttercup – Pantone 12-0752

• Limpet Shell – Pantone 13-4810

• Lilac Gray – Pantone 16-3905

• Fiesta – Pantone 17-1564

• Iced Coffee – Pantone 15-1040

• Green Flash – Pantone 15-0146

These colors have been influenced by

the world of art around us, pushing

technology to the side, at least in the

minds of the experts putting the

palette together. What they did not

know is that some designers would

incorporate a modern and futuristic

world into their designs and shows,

very much bringing in technology

when the focus should have been on

the physical matter of artistry. The

palette is soft and warm and inviting,

a calming tribute to the forces of

nature, truthfully capturing the spring

and giving the wearer a chance to

discover a happy new world of

tranquility and curious exploration.

We see a class between urban design

and lush vegetation, creating color

combinations that really work but

would not have otherwise been

paired. The classically natural was

pushed in with the vibrant, the great

artists of the last few centuries kept in

mind as designers looked down

towards Cuba and lower for grand

inspirations, creating a world that is

both constructed and thoroughly

organic through their designs.

The spring/ summer 2016 colors

themselves are unisex for a reason,

transcending gender norms and

forgoing culture. It was all about the

emotions, the vivid hues bringing out

excitement and optimism, while the

quieter tones stabilized the line-ups

that were presented before us on the

runways. Of course, these are not the

only colors that were prevalent on

that catwalk, but we can safely say

that they were top of the list for the

most part.

The overall spring/ summer 2016 color

trends on the runway, both Pantone

and not, include these hues:

#1: Rose Quartz

This is a gentle hue that conveys

feeling of compassion, appearing as if

a budding flower, a flushed cheek or

serene sunset. It is for the lady who is

busy but holds a touch of naiveté in

her heart, enjoying the simplest of

things nature has to offer. The Rose

Quartz looks incredible when paired

with the Peach Echo, Serenity or Lilac

Gray, a hue that appeared in

abundance on TOSIA, Houghton,

M.PATMOS and Charles Youssef. Add

the Limpet Shell to the mix and you

have a softly lovely combination that

kind of reminds us of baby girl and

boy clothing combinations. It comes

into play at Paul & Joe and at Stella

McCartney, at Emporio Armani with its

lovely cuts and undulating designs, as

well as Roberto Cavalli.

#2: Peach Echo

An orange hue that is quite warm and

friendly, a lovely color that is perfect

for all seasons. It is playful but

tempered and perfect for a more

mature woman. This one is positively

beautiful and designers like Christian

Siriano, Rebecca Minkoff, Denis Basso

and Ella Moss are among the many

who found grand use of it on their

runway shows. It is perfect to be

pared with Rose Quartz, Serenity, and

Lilac Gray. We see the color appear in

muted fashion on Sonia Rykiel, while

gorgeous prints appear on

Giambattista Valli, and the ruffled long

sleeved mini dress at Roberto Cavalli.

#3: Serenity
Serenity is exactly what the name

hints at, a tranquil, weightless and airy

color that calms, no matter the time

and space. It emanates love in a very

gentle form and is a transcendent

blue, which speaks of millennia of

wisdom. The cool hue is perfect with

the warm Buttercup or the energetic

Snorkel Blue, while lending pretty

contrast with Peach Echo. Emilio Sosa,

Rachel Pally, Harbison and many

others found it to be just perfect for

their own ensembles.

It looks incredible at Celine, Haider

Ackermann and Junya Watanabe,

appearing at Christian Dior and in

abundance at Carven. Blumarine

brings in Serenity with its rather laid

back, toned down and positively

enticing garments meant for the

ladies, who have a rather unique

personality. Serene looks are Amanda

Wakeley’s forte, giving chic comfort to

the women she dresses.

#4: Snorkel Blue

Another blue hue among the top 10

Pantone colors for spring 2016, this

one is very energetic, fun and happy,

inspired by the docks and the marines.

It has energy bursting out while still

keeping a sense of serenity,

encouraging the wearer to thin of

incredible vacations and enjoyable

escapes. A gorgeous color on its own,

the Snorkel Blue pairs beautifully with

the contrasting but equally energetic

Buttercup, the neutral earthy tones of

Iced Coffee and the soft beauty of

Peach Echo. It was a favorite with

Georgine, Tadashi Shoji, WHIT NY, and

Angelys Balek, among others.

It appears at Louis Vuitton and stuns

with its vibrancy at Chanel. There is a

lovely detailing option at Alexander

Wang in this color, while whole pieces

appear at Hermes in this incredibly

loud blue. We see it at Vivienne

Westwood and Osman among all the

Fashion Weeks, from New York to

London, Milan to Paris and

everywhere else, including the Sao

Paolo and Miami swimwear weeks.

#5: Buttercup
We saw a whole lot of this sunny

colors, as if the golden orb in the sky

was warming every last inch of our

bodies with the hue alone. It is a

shining beacon of happier days and

perfect for creating some much

needed contrast in a look. So very

beautiful and used by designers such

as Charles & Ron or David Hart, this

sunshine yellow looks incredibly good

with the Snorkel Blue, the soft

Serenity hue, and the gentleness of

the Lilac Gray. It looks incredible at

Valentino, with the warmth and

buttery attitude of a grown buttercup.

Gorgeous yellow comes into play on

Hermes dresses, and then there is the

whole Giambattista Valli feeling with

the fluttering gowns on the runway. It

seems that nearly all the top brands

had at least one sunny yellow piece,

Stella McCartney no exception. Haider

Achermann brings in pretty bows and

lovely ankle cropped pants, while

Junya Watanabe brings up the Asian

ethnic. It brightens up the Isabel

Marant collection and Vetements,

looking especially sunny on the Marni

line-up.

Moschino is no different, looking

fabulous in its very traffic-oriented

designs that bring in the orange and

the yellow and line it with white,

adding crazy feathers and all to make

a woman into a bird. Of course, there

should be tees for the birds as well,

something Osman provides in his

London collection put on stage. Match

it up with pinks and purples and red

and blues and you have the swatch,

colorful Christopher Kane collection to

boot.

#6: Limpet Shell

Aqua illusions were loved on the

runway, even if they could have

appeared more often. This is a clear

color, defined and fresh, bringing in

tranquility while still keeping a whole

lot of its energy going. It is perfect for

the spring and summer as it gives off

happier but also rather tranquil vibes.

It is meant to go beautifully well with

the earthy Iced Coffee, the pretty

Peach Echo and the soft Rose Quartz,

having been utilized by Ground Zero,

O’2nd, and Kung Katherine. It looks

pretty awesome at Alexis Mabille and

Alexander Wang, on Sonia Rykiel and

Stella McCartney. We see it on Chloe

and others as well. And here we also

find Vivetta, Blumarine and a few

others who make the whole shell-like

appeal all the more endearing.

#7: Lilac Gray

While gray is a classic and to be

expected on the runways, the lilac tint

to this shade is what brings out a

touch of warmth to the otherwise

stark and gloomy but very calm color

from the Pantone top 10. It is a lovely

neutral but with a distinctive edge to it

that we cannot help but fall in love

with. The gray weather could use a

dose of lilac it seems, which is

perfectly paired with the feisty Fiesta,

Green Flash and the Iced Coffee for an

added dose of neutral.

KARIGAM, Rebecca Vallance and Yoana

Baraschi all seemed to hold special

love for the slightly warmer neutral

hue. We see it at Paul & Joe, Acne

Studios and Saint Lauren, Altuzarra

and Giambattista Valli. We see hints of

it at Stella McCartney and Celine, the

latter bringing it out on a puffed up

midi dress or two. Carven’s suits look

pretty awesome in this particular hue.

We see the lilac gray at Emporio

Armani, at Prada and Amanda

Wakeley.

#8: Fiesta
If you love the color of excitement and

have been driven by the orange hues,

this is a fiesta on garments appearing

among the collections on the runway.

One of our favorites in this hue

actually appeared on some Chromat

swimwear, looking positively fantastic

with its free spirit and fiery

personality. It is a strong color, one,

which speaks of women with

incredible focus and energy who can

drive the world towards the future

without breaking a sweat.

It may have calmer undertones but it

is most certainly a contrast with most

of the other spring/ summer 2016

colors appearing on the runways,

making it such a covetable shade for

our wardrobes. Fiesta is one color that

looks pretty amazing paired with just

about anything, from the Lilac Grey to

the Snorkel Blue, the Green Flash to

the Limpet Shell. It looks amazing on

Pamella Roland dresses and Malone

Souliers shoes! It is a fiesta in Adeam,

though most pieces are of starker,

darker colors.

The colors are lovely at Altuzarra and

Sonia Rykiel, quite bright at Hermes

and truly delectable within the

Olympia Le Tan collection, where

everything from the trips to the tights

to the belts and skirts and tops came

in this wonderful hue. We see the hue

at Junya Watanabe, at Carven and

Prada. It is a party happening at Toga

as well, with those skirts reaching mid-

height and contrasting beautifully with

the prints and the monochrome tops.

#9: Iced Coffee

Neutrals are always good to have

when the top spring 2016 Pantone

color palette includes contrasts

between calm and full of energy.

Earthy neutrals are very much loved in

general as well, creating a stable

foundation to any ensemble. This

particular one reminds us of a good

dose of caffeine while feeding a sweet

tooth and desire for something cool