(designers in the color chart i’ve created above: celine, philip lim, dior, versace, gareth pugh, gucci (both for the teal and red) and givenchy)

earth-tones, color play, darkness, bohemia, classic vogue, retro-futurism, old-new, and orchestra – are just part of the influences we see on the catwalks this fall. the biggest and boldest color trends are undoubtly black (dark as nightfall and always a classic), muddy-earthy browns (from red to orange to green undertones), mustard yellows, blue-based electric purples, and bold cobalt blues. summer has just started, but i think it’s time for a full report on what’s coming up for the fall 2011-2012 trends.

BLACK has been one of the key features of the fall collections. context ranged from fetishism (marc jacobs and givenchy), classic cuts (lanvin & gaultier age-o-rama), layers & peeling (at margiela), and apocalyptic rock & roll (the whole chanel collection basically). glossy, matte, transparent, or shiny black – it is one of fashion’s eternal picks, but we see it given great emphasis once again for fall.

BROWN also ruled the catwalks. fall is very much about earth-consciousness and natural vibes, so it’s only natural to see a lot of mud tones. from ocker to clay colored hues, brown is all around again – with either green, yellow, red or orange undertones. we often saw it all-over (in colorblocking) or paired with black or another one of the bright colors in trend.

YELLOW goes on with us from summer, and instead of the popular sunshine-yellow we see this summer – we see more mustard tones and canari yellows. in some collections, like anna sui’s, yellow went almost lime green, and in others – like versace and givenchy’s – its either furry, feathery, or wool-ish.

PURPLE was very, very bright – and blue based. here we see it grape-colored in yves saint laurent, a little darker in burberry, and blazing electric in versace (which collection was full of purple hues, by the way).

BLUES were actually all about cobalt-blues this fall, rather than the electric blues we saw this summer – this is another color that goes on with us unto winter and gives the moody fall collections a strike of brightness. it was often seen colorblocked and in flowing garments, like here in gareth pugh and versace. a smart investion you can already make now, seeing as this is super trendy both for this season and the next.

TEAL was seen less often than those other colors but was still a distinct trend. it’s used more sparingly and as a sub-color in outfits, although colorblocking was spotted as well. it went from super-bright at versace, to full-on at gucci, and a bit darker in proenza schouler and chanel.

RED was loud and daring, and no matter if it was dark blood-red or strong poppy, it made a strong statement. here it’s seen in colorblocking, from lanvin and prada to gucci, but it was also a popular choice in details, patterns and accessories all throughout the season.

GREEN is also a color trend for fall but this time it’s a little trickier. it went from sewer-washed out to evergreen to snake-pattern or teal. it wasn’t used as much as the others, but again – its definitely a detail that completes the fall outfit.

GRAY and WHITE were seen too, as always, but they were much less significant and trendy than black. it was a popular color in wools, fur coats and knits and often paired with black – burberry prorsum even made a dalmatian-style white coat, splattered in black spots. it might also be the time to mention that the cruella-deville look, and black + white pairings both in hair and outfits, is a big big hit for fall.

so what about the patterns & textures?

POLKA DOT – one of the hottest trends for fall. marc jacob’s collection, obviously, was the boldest with this trend – but the interpretations by stella mccartney and prada (using the dots as a fishscale texture) were no less stunning. the polka dot is going to be to fall 2011-2012 what the prada stripes are to summer 2011, which means it’s going big.

EXTRA LARGE. speaking of big… it went XXXL this fall. it’s kinda like the boyfriend trend, of stealing your partner’s shirts and jeans – but this time the clothes got ten times larger. it’s a continuation to summer’s sculptural “exaggerated silhouette” trend, but more laid back and slouchy.

BOYS – one of fashion’s biggest fascinations for years now, have been the androgynous theme. girls, who are boys, who like boys to be girls, who do boys like they’re girls, who do girls, like they’re boys… except here girls do look boyish and steal bomber jackets, coats, and varsity jackets (the one from givenchy is making my heartbeats skip) from their boyfriends.

FETISH. marc jacobs’ collection for louis vuitton had been undoubtly one of the naughtiest seen for this season. but sheer tops, see-through skirts, plastic accessories and clothing and hypersexual vibes were everywhere. plastic has already been prada’s hit for summer 2009 (it inspired me and i got myself a black transparent bag too) but this time it’s a whole another level. i’m head over heels for that transparent skirt + high socks look, and no doubt i’ll be doing this look very soon…

SNAKE. if you go into any fast fashion retailer right about now, you’ll see dozens of snake prints and python accessories everywhere. the snakeskin trend has started little this summer but in fall 2012 it’s going big. the fun part? snakeskin in cool unnatural colors such as deep blue, lime green and red.

BOLD POCKETS – most often in a different color or material than the rest of the piece – are part of the big big big patchwork trend i’ve already reviewed here. i’m in love with how it pops in lime colored nylon at alexander wang, leather at chanel and military green at fendi.

PATCHWORK is one of the key trends this fall. take a lot of different elements, mix them up together, twist, tie, dye. it’s fashion’s interpretation to recycling and using a lot of different bits together – and lots of contrasting garments all at once. it’s a great trend not only visually and statement-wise, but also because it goes along with anything. just mix and match!

WOOD – mainly at celine – is not exactly a trend but nontheless a very interesting take on the eco-trends and earth oriented designs. i would really love to see some wood-print skirts and suits at zara, for example. original and a very big statement maker.

STARS are another hit pattern – seen mainly at dolce & gabbanna but i’m sure it will span to be much wider and popular than that. sheer, on fur, on dresses or in accessories, it’s even seen as shapes in viktor & rolf dresses or accents in miu miu jackets.

GOLD FOIL. i’ve already reviewed this trend too, but i think it’s an essential addition. looks just like aluminum foil wrapped up around the body – awesome.

GRIDS. remember that sheer grid pantyhose american apparel made? now is a good time to find it and use it. grids, as a texture or part of a pattern, were a cool addition to fall collections, and were seen as cut-out leather in balenciaga, 60s patterns in prada, and kinda like an extension of plaid patterns in general.

SMALL PATTERNS PRINTED ALL OVER for high impact and dazzling optical illusions. unlike this summer, in which the patterns were mostly fixed and the same, here we have patterns with movement, different strokes and directions, and vivid color. that erdem dress, by the way, made me stare at awe for like 20 minutes.

DIAGONAL STRIPES are a bit like summer’s stripe trend, but one step forward. diagonal stripes, zig-zags, and even diagonal cuts (in balmain’s tops) are a refreshing take on a classic. seen here as zigzags in dries van noten, red and gold stripes in diane von furstenberg, and in an effortlessly super cool sweater from balmain.

this whole trend forecast was all gathered up, analyzed, and written by me.
share if you care, but i would do appreciate it if you credit me.
x yul

(source for all the photos: style.com)