When the spring 2012 shows marched down the New York runways last September, neons, technicolor brights and soft pastels filled the collections. Despite these attempts to inject some color into spring, the whole affair came off as monotonous.

But when the fall shows hit the catwalks of New York from February 9-16, a darker palette set the tone for a season with plenty of variety — luscious jewel tones, subdued prints and foreign influences.These fresh styles exhibited an attempt by designers to think outside the box and inspire their audiences to embrace individuality.

Up-and-coming Wes Gordon wowed the fashion world with a dose of heavy glamour: delicate black lace, gold overlay and deep plums and marigolds all made for a standout collection. The real star of the show was a jade green shift dress ending in a long train lined with blood-red satin. It will most likely adorn the bodies of many a fashion editor once fall rolls around. Gordon’s unique vision was a modern update on an era of bygone Hollywood, a welcome departure from the standard blazer-blouse-pants combo so often reiterated on the runways lately. 

The sumptuous detailing of these collections will help lead trendsetters away from the sleek but boring minimalistic style that has defined New York fashion for the past few years. Foreign influences were surprising yet welcome for fall. Moving away from the cheerful brights he showed for spring, Jason Wu looked to the dramatic colors and theatrical embroidery of traditional Chinese attire for fall. He explained to Style.com that his inspiration came from a trip to Taiwan last year, where he asked himself, ‘What is Chinese?’ He answered this with lace overlays, stern military jackets, fur accents and lavish gold embroidery. The boys at Proenza Schouler also infused Asian accents into their collection with a modern take on the kimono and shimmery floral embroidery to boot.

For more wearable pieces, Nahm (designed by Tommy Hilfiger’s daughter, Ally Hilfiger), Suno, Jill Stuart, Anna Sui and Rachel Antonoff all delivered sweet wallpaper-inspired prints. Nahm presented its line in front of a wall layered with paper that matched the Dr. Seuss-like prints of the dresses.

Stuart used deep tones of red and purple on a black backdrop for a funereal approach to the standard floral print, while Suno’s quirky humans-holding-hands pattern offered a respite from the serious quality of much of the other collections. Sui and Antonoff called on the beloved ‘60s to provide ladylike silhouettes for psychedelic patterns and prints. Yet again, these designs were a much-appreciated divergence from minimalism, a change New Yorkers should take to heart for fall.

But the show that had everyone talking was Marc Jacobs. The star of the New York fashion scene, Jacobs stunned the crowd with a bizarre collection straight out of Wonderland. The outerwear-heavy show played with crazy proportions, trippy colors and prints and featured furry chapeaus reminiscent of the Mad Hatter that will most likely perch on the heads of every street-style star come fall. Though this collection will be a difficult one for your average non-fashion person to pull off, Jacobs’ message — to be crazy, to be unique, to be you — can be universally acknowledged and applied.

Despite its seeming lack of cohesiveness, Fall 2012 Fashion Week offers much to contemplate between now and next fall. When fashion month concludes after the shows in London, Milan and Paris, use the new trends to plan your fall wardrobe, but don’t rely too heavily on them. After all, if Marc Jacobs can be different, so can you.

Julie Kosin is a sophomore magazine journalism major. Her column appears every other Monday. She can be reached at jkkosin@syr.edu. Follow her on Twitter at @juliekosin.  

Published on February 19, 2012 at 12:00 pm