Spring’s Tropical Prints and Dark Florals
Designers across both sides of the Atlantic embraced tropical prints for Spring 2017, imbuing them with references from exotic travel destinations. The theme of fashion escapism was seen throughout beachwear inspired collections decorated with tropical florals, psychedelic patterns and geometric prints.
Paris designer Haider Ackermann used yellow as a focal point in several looks mixing them with a string black print of flowers and thorns. Junya Watanbe acknowledged the trend with a breezy black and white silk paisley print on pajama inspired tops and bottoms. Sacai’s collection embodied a global wanderer feel, featuring grey knits with a pink pineapple print.
In London, Katie Eary, best known for her quirky prints, plastered her silks with hammerhead sharks and barracudas in vibrant shades of salmon, turquoise and navy. Lou Dalton’s collection featured technical athletic wear inspired by her childhood walks on the Yorkshire Moors. Dalton included leafy print board shorts in warm tones of mustard yellow and deep vermilion. Coach’s collection included shorts, trousers and jackets decorated with bright red hibiscus flowers on a black background.
In Milan, Missoni’s South American inspired collection featured stripes rendered in Tikal triangles using Missoni’s signature patterns in a mix of turquoise, green, orange and yellow. The intricate woven tops were paired with either Breton striped shorts or trousers. Dolce & Gabbana’s collection included palm trees and an embellished pineapple print on velvet suits, blazers and silk trousers. Gucci’s collection, inspired by the dream of travel, included matching silk tops and bottoms decorated with psychedelic florals and illustrations of Donald Duck.
In New York, the fashion escapism continued with designers opting for tropical florals that gave many of the spring collections a playful and lighthearted vibe. Thorsun’s line of swim trunks included a variety of patterns derived from Mexican Meso-American prints. Parke & Ronan’s collection, reminiscent of collegiate culture, featured swimsuits in a variety of sea motifs such as crabs, starfish and shells. John Elliott’s starting point for his collection began with a Greek frescoe pattern emphasizing a watery theme. Elliott featured towel wraps that incorporated geometric patterns in shades of frothy blue and sea foam green. Tommy Hilfiger, not one to miss a trend, put a tropical twist on his preppy classics with tiny florals that popped on a dark navy background. Model/surfer Thaddeus O’Neil stuck to his beach ready aesthetic with a languid, gold jacquard bomber over Washi paper board shorts with a dry hand feel, a perfect combination for summer. Rochambeau’s collection embodied the trend of exotic travel with bold Moroccan prints in Berber blue.
