Seasonal Inspiration: Fall 2012

ABOVE | IRIS Fall 2012 Inspiration

My 2012 style resolutions were to wear more print and colors, but for the past few months I have been gravitating toward more minimal dark colored clothing. Prada FW12 probs is the main reason why I want to bring prints back into my look. I used to wear clashing prints a lot maybe two or three years ago but I want to get into all matching patterns instead. My favorite parts of the Prada show were the silhouette of the jackets and the large jeweled embellishments which reminds me of my FW10 inspiration from J. Crew’s collection with the jacket and brooches, except that look was more utilitarian and rustic looking. Aside from the prints, colors I usually like to wear in the fall are browns, mustard yellows, oranges, red and blues. Pants are an important piece to me this season; I’ve been wearing my favorite blue trousers from H&M way too much this summer. It’s difficult for me to find the perfect trousers so when I do find one that I love I wear them to death. I recently bought new trousers that I’m obsessed with, even though they’re black and not patterned (because I’ve been looking for patterned pants). A look I’m really excited to wear is inspired by Raf Simons FW12 menswear with a chunky knit, collared shirt and tie underneath. I’m excited to wear sweaters and ties even though I would’ve never thought I would be sporting the look. The Raf Simons show just reminded me how chic and cool they could be when not worn so uptight and old fashioned. Men’s Acne was one of my favorite menswear shows this season for the heavy layering and color scheme. My favorite from the show was this tonal brown and burgundy look second to last on the collage. I feel like I tend to always wear browns and I think mixing different shades of brown would be cool. Coats are my favorite part of Fall/Winter even though it never gets that cold in San Diego. I always take advantage of the rare super cold, gloomy days and wear one of my many coats. I really want a mid-length light colored coat like a white one or this powder blue at Jil Sander Navy coat because most of my coats are in dark colors.

After cleaning out my closet recently, I’ve noticed (even if it’s already obvious) that most of my clothes are black and white, with a few pieces of blue, red, and pink. That’s basically the jump-off point for my Fall 2012 inspiration, which focuses on a pretty clean and simple palette in solid, block colors. The main statement comes through instead in voluminous, strict silhouettes and a mixture of thick textures. Even in the cooler months, I don’t like to be weighed down by layers of clothing, so Raf Simons’ furry coats and open knits provide inspiration to add textural variety without too much fuss. It might be my childhood obsession with school uniforms, but Raf’ school boy styling and boxy silhouette is in the forefront of my mind for Fall, a look that was central to Guillaume Henry's Autumn collection for Carven. I think of all of fashion’s explorations and experiments, body abstraction is my favorite even if it isn't the easiest to break into. The strong, graphic lines at Comme Des Garcons, Jil Sander, and J.W. Anderson work well against the monotony of a single color. Overall though, I think my look will depend on a slim leg with a shrunken hem that will balance out the proportions of oversized coats, like at Acne, but the 70s influence at Lanvin still has me wanting to change it up with a wide leg sometimes too. Inspired by Tim Coppens, Raf Simons, Acne, and Carven, darker colors seem bolder and fresher when paired with a bit of white peeking through the collar, obvious but effective. Overall this season, while I’m still obsessed with pared down basic clothes in simple colors, I’m also attracted to more dramatic styling like the helmet-like knit hats, gloves, and modernist couturier take on menswear staples. It’s a pretty covered-up look, and that’s something that I’m looking forward to in the coming months. Protection, severity and strictness are exciting after having to be in repetitive shorts and t-shirts for summer.

BELOW | DANIEL Fall 2012 Inspiration