spring 2021


Color of the year 2021 Illuminating and Ultimate Gray

Photo courtesy of Pantone

The color of 2021 is here! Pantone has announced that it is, once again, a double color year. Last time we saw two colors as the color of the year was in 2016. So move over Classic Blue! There is a new color, um-shall we say colors, in town!

Pantone feels that yellow and grey, otherwise known as “Illuminating” and “Ultimate Gray,” are colors which evoke a feeling of happiness, fortitude, and hope. Personally, I feel that with yellow, but the grey is throwing me.

In my mind, grey is dull and sad. While I love it as an alternative to black in fashion and interior design, I don’t look to the color grey for inspiration or feelings; to me it is too sad a color. On the other hand, yellow is well-known to evoke happiness and positive energy. I always love yellow as a ray of sunshine and hope; but grey confuses me!

Pictured: yellow tote (currently sold out, also love this one) / grey loafers / grey scarf /

I am looking forward to enjoying yellow in the new year, but grey will be an accent color for me; not one which evokes any uplifting feelings. What are your thoughts on the color of the year 2021?

You can read all about it at Pantone.com.

Shop my grey accessories and fabulous yellow handbags around the web:

Do you think you will wear yellow and grey in the new year?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy


Spring 2021 trends from the NYFW runways

RaisaVanessa final walk spring/summer 2021 NYFW (photo credit: screenshot by me)

New York Fashion Week was different this season; in case you hadn’t already heard. Designers showed thier spring/summer 2021 collection in a virtual format. While few designers offered in-person, outside runways shows with extremely small attendance, the majority made artistic videos which showcased thier new collections, or filmed runways without an audience and livestreamed them.

In addition to the shows I was invited to watch, I was able to watch several more designer shows than normally. Not only because I was able to view collections I am not normally invited to see in person, but because I could sit at my desk and go from show to show, instead of having to allocate travel time between shows. This was a very relaxing, and productive, way to do fashion week! Let’s take our “wins” out of this and share them!

If you had a chance to watch along with me, you may have noticed a ton of inspiraiton came from the 1980s and 1990s for spring 2021. Designers loved powersuiting, bright colors, exagerated sleeves, feminine designs, prarie silhouettes, ruffles-lots of ruffles, and a ’90’s hip-hop flair. While the ’80’s donimated, you could still see some early ’90’s floating around, and mixing in with the flashy 1980s. So, without further ado, let’s check out the biggest trends from the New York Fashion Week spring/summer 2021 runways!

The Power Suit

White Party

Bold Lines

Romantic: Lace and eyelet

Puffy Sleeves

Dramatic Ruffles

Bermuda Shorts

Wide Leg Pants

*all photos credit: IMAXTREE.com

Loving all these fun trends for spring 2021! Which trend is your favorite?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO
Cathy

Chromat

Supima Design Competition 2020 NYFW

supima design competition 2020 nyfw

Photo credit: Cathy O’Brien-screenshot from Digital Runway Show

Amanda Forastieri from Drexel University

Jenny Feng from Fashion Institute of Technology

Jennie Nguyen from Kent State University

Sakura Mizutani from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising

Terrence Zhou from Parsons School of Design

Kyra Buenviaje from Rhode Island School of Design

This was the first time I watched the Supima Design Competition runway in a digital format. Hosted by Law Roach, it was fun to see the designers bio videos before their collections were presented, and also to see Law Roach’s commentary during the runway show.

I always love seeing the designs on the Supima runway. The designers are extremely creative and really show off the versatility of Supima’s fabrics. This season I was obsessed with Jennie Nguyen’s collection. It had beautiful prints and silhouettes. I would wear every piece!

All of the designers used vivid hues, and creative silhouettes to create fabulous collections for spring 2021. Of course, this runway show is a competition, and there can be only one winner!

Amanda Forastieri from Drexel University was the winner of this year’s Supima Design Competition! Her collection was named Utopia, and she hopes her collection “will serve as a messenger of a better future after the crisis. Her collection aims to portray the hopeful story of a near future post-COVID in which humans unite to build a new system, one that stems with love and respect for the planet and, most importantly, each other.”

I’m looking forward to seeing more designs from the Supima designers in the future. You can learn more about Supima on their website at Supima.com.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more from NYFW!

XOXO
Cathy

All photos: Photo Credit: Kailey Fellows c/o Supima PR