Fast Forward to Spring... 2011

I just barely finished designing my Fall/Holiday 2010 line, and already it’s time to move on to Spring 2011.  It’s important to have samples ready for September, when all the buyers place their orders. The fashion cycle moves so quickly… it can get overwhelming and sometimes a little out of hand.

While looking on the Bergdorf Goodman website today, I saw that they’re already carrying pre-fall.  Ok, that’s great and all, but it’s barely June!!  Various other stores have summer merchandise on sale already.  It’s crazy that summer has not even officially started, and everyone is so eager to get back to fall.  In New York, we’ve had one really summer-like week so far, but it cooled off again this week.  After such a long winter, and last year’s sorry excuse for summer, believe me, the last thing THIS Texas girl wants to think about is fall and the onset of cold weather.  Can’t we just enjoy summer??  God knows we deserve it…

I’m all for planning ahead and not procrastinating, but it seems crazy to me, as well as economically brain-dead, for stores to sell summer clothing at full price in March or April (when it’s still usually snowing outside), and then have it on sale in prime summer weather (June/July).  I admit, I do get REALLY excited about spring and summer (probably more than anyone), but I just can’t think about buying a sun dress when it’s 30 degrees outside.  Same goes for fall clothing - who wants to think about wearing wool in the boiling temperatures of August?

But getting back to Spring 2011…  What I’m feeling is more delicate sizes and shapes, but fun with color.  I love the idea of mixing neons with neutrals - take for instance neon red with ecru and gunmetal, or chartreuse with antique gold and grey.  I’m also really into coral and salmon mixed with grey, pyrite, and black diamond.  I saw these beads at one of the stores I frequent, and it really inspired me: