The mind of a designer is a fascinating place—these creative visionaries find inspiration in the most unlikely of places and turn it into wearable art season after season. While some references are overt, others manifest themselves in more subtle ways—no matter the case, we’re always eager to hear the backstory of each collection come fashion week. Ahead, a crop of designers share their inspiration for the Fall 2016 season.
Rachel Zoe
"Fall 2016 is a play on masculine tailoring and feminine silhouettes. With juxtaposition between androgyny and romance, there is a subtle and unexpected sexiness throughout."
Dion Lee
"Experiments with embellishment are balanced with masculine shapes and utilitarian details."
Katie Ermilio
"The Fall/Winter collection is inspired by my recent travels in Spain."
Edie Parker
"The collection is inspired by the makeup compacts made by Suzanne Belperron. Unrivaled in her use of colorful stones and the only woman in the history of master jewelers, Belperron left the rigid lines of Art Deco behind to carve stones into organic shapes. The F/W 16 collection begins with Art Deco and moves on to motifs inspired by nature and distant cultures."
Alice + Olivia
"New York City circa the '70s—the downtown art scene at the time when the city was financially imploding and culturally exploding with creativity."
Wes Gordon
"Downtown romantics and effortless elegance. A wardrobe of black, white and gray layered with blush, rust and verdigris. Cozy knits, wide trousers, stately tailoring and delicate dresses. This collection is a celebration of my favorite things—the pieces, techniques and ideas I love."
Ji Oh
"The mood is rejuvenation found in going against the grain. One always rises after a fall; instead of falling apart, she strives to elevate and rise above. She navigates a metropolitan landscape with attitude and a luminous energy. In this way, this collection builds upon the marred backdrop of yesterday."
Suno
"For Fall/Winter 2016, we wanted to explore with the idea of subversion and tradition—creating fabrics and silhouettes that at once feel both familiar and new, pretty and off. Creating a collection that felt true to us and who we are as a brand, referential and colorful, but also pushed and mildly uncomfortable."
Marissa Webb
"The Fall/Winter 2016 collection is all about the fussy without the fuss."
Rebecca Taylor
"As a child, my family spent time in England and I remember my uncle's mother Jean, a well-known print designer working in London in the '60s and '70s. She created beautiful floral prints, exotic Indian paisleys and patterns, often inspired by Kate Greenway's illustrations. Jean's influence and spirit is found in my latest collection—it's a collage of textures, techniques and flora motifs made modern in their application."
Maiyet
"This collection is inspired by intimacy."
Brock Collection
"For Fall/Winter, we thought a lot about the juxtaposition of masculinity versus femininity. We focused on developing intricate fabrics, designing tailored silhouettes and playing with feminine shapes while maintaining a sense of ease that is integral to the brand."
J.Crew
“A little bit of this...a little bit of that."
