Let “Bohemian Rhapsody” play on: Nostalgia for the 1970s heavily influenced spring’s most coveted fashion trends, and industry insiders expect to see the era linger in this year’s fall-winter collections at New York Fashion Week, which started Thursday.
Waists are high and layers are long, with extended tunics paired over slim dress shapes like fluid pants (often with a slight flare) and long skirts.
“It’s a slimmer silhouette — much more concise and much more grown-up,” said Lizzy Bowring, who identifies the key trends to emerge from the global runways for fashion forecaster WGSN. “It isn’t a granola look, as one might say.”
Bowring foresees the baby doll dress to become a key item but anticipates the overriding trend to be masculinity with strong elements of bespoke tailoring in a sleeker, slimmer silhouette.
In line with this tailored look, expect emphasis on the waist with a made-to-measure jacket and relaxed pant combo, flaps on lower pockets or patent belts that nip in the waist.
The belted waist lends itself well into a slight military aesthetic, with a focus on uniformity and utility. Because of this, the color palette skews toward olive, forest greens and navy.
But that’s not the only color story this year: There’s soft, pure neutrals and cosmetic tones like camel and chalky whites that are juxtaposed with warm, rich tones like cognac, saffron and blood orange.
The Pantone Color Institute’s top 10 colors for fall 2015 paint a similar picture, with offerings like cadmium orange, dried herb, stormy weather and marsala, which was recently named color of the year.
“The fall 2015 palette is rooted in multifaceted, androgynous colors that can be worn to portray effortless sophistication across men’s and women’s fashion; it is the first time we are seeing a truly unisex color palette,” said Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the institute.
And while the 1970s reign supreme, Bowring wonders whether things won’t hark back even further to a time of “historical romanticism,” as she calls it, with high, intricately laced necklines, empire-waisted gowns and tapestry prints.
