Spring/Summer Fashion Week Color Trends 2012

by Victoria Stanell

Published Oct 10, 2011

Fashion week may be officially over, but we're still swooning over the gorgeous colors emerging next season. Beautylish recaps which colors were hot for spring from New York, London, Milan, and Paris!

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK S/S 2012

Colors were ablaze in New York. Tribal prints in stark black and white were popular at Donna Karan, saturated orange and rich blues shined over at Peter Som, and hues of periwinkle, citron, pastel pink, and sea foam enriched the funky Aztec aesthetic at Mara Hoffman. Wear neon lips to capture the bold, graphic statements from New York.

BEAUTYLISH RECOMMENDS

Urban Decay Super-Satured High Gloss Lip Color in Punch Drunk

LONDON FASHION WEEK S/S 2012

Color was most adventurous in London. Myriad prints featured candy-coated hues of turquoise blue, aqua, lemon yellow, and deep lavender. Designers also used this palette as the beauty inspiration—blue lips, turquoise eyes, and coral brows were part of the show! We love the futuristic mixed-media prints at David Koma (left), the impressionist pastels at Mary Katrantzou (center), and the feminine grunge at House of Holland (right). Experiment with color in unexpected places—that bright blue could be your next hot look!

BEAUTYLISH RECOMMENDS

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 20 Bright Blue

MILAN FASHION WEEK S/S 2012

Milan went deeper and brighter with color this season. Richly textured satin, silk, and chiffon showcased gorgeous multi-tonal prints with contrasting, discordant shades. The standout shade, however, was a vivid grass green, spotted in a majority of the shows. The verdant hue made its most dramatic statement at Gucci (left), but was subtly infused in the floral and geometric prints at D &G and Blumarine (center, right). Sweep an emerald shadow across the lids for a bejeweled effect.

BEAUTYLISH RECOMMENDS

Sugarpill Cosmetics Pressed Shadow in Midori

PARIS FASHION WEEK S/S 2012

Paris took a more demure, subdued approach to spring fashion. Darker shades of burgundy, chartreuse, and burnt sienna mixed with taupe and silver to create an unexpectedly dramatic color palette. Bold sunset tones like those seen at Haider Ackermann (center) were popular as well as neutrals, seen at Lanvin and Giambattista Valli (left, right). For a fresh update, designers used fabrics with metallic sheen and shimmer. Dab a metallic cream highlighter on the cheekbones for a similar surreal finish.