Blue-Sky Thinking

In many ways mood rings and fashion --and by fashion I mean take-your-breath-away cutting-edge fashion-- have a lot in common. I'm not talking about 1970's kitsch here, rather the fashion pack's habit of manipulating color to reflect society's mood. Be it through economic upturn, or political change, with every swing in society's mood, designers twist and turn the fashion kaleidoscope to match. Just compare the austerity of the 1940’s fashions with the luxe, vibrant fabrics and palettes of the post war years for an idea of how the trend started.

So when the Pantone Color Institute released its top color picks for Fall 2008 last week, one thing seemed very clear: this fall, we're in for a blue mood. Hardly surprising you may think during this time of economic and political uncertainty.

Yet, far from being melancholy, Pantone's new bevy of blues proved radiant. Whether injected with red, or tempered with soft, powdery mineral-like tones, for 2008, blue has had a makeover. Gone are the average royal and navy blues from seasons past. Make way for a rhapsody of blues heavily perfumed with the scent of dewy dawns, tropical sea breezes and floral bouquets. Shakespeare’s “that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet,” hardly rings true for shades with such evocative names as Caribbean Blue, Twilight Blue or Blue Iris.


Suffice to say that the blue hues that appeared on the New York runways were just as whimsical as their Pantone names suggested. Erin Fetherston used Blue Iris on belts and tights to provide a jolt of color to a slew of dresses in silver-spun tweed and floaty florals. In his debut Halston collection Marco Zanini opted for the powdery cornflower shade on a jersey all-in-one jumpsuit, while Preen showed a diaphanous dress in parachute-like silk in a rich purple-hinted interpretation of the color.

Electric indigo blue amped up Anna Sui's tapestry of deco-meets-native-American tunics, caftans and mini dresses, while at Karen Walker dashes of the same vibrant shade lent a voluminous skirt and peacoat added wow. From Bill Blass to Matthew Williamson by way of Phillip Lim and Calvin Klein, the vivid array continued throughout the week. And where there wasn't bright color play with amethyst, ochre, green and orange colors, blue appeared time and time again, like a bright patch of blue sky on a gray and cloudy day, punctuating neutrals in dove gray or mushroom-like brown and set against thick dark ribbed tights.

In fact, set against the ladylike and sometimes demure silhouettes that proved popular at Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan and Jonathan Saunders, blue appeared more like a sartorial slick of red lipstick than any bellwether of bad times. And, like a sweet pick-me-up, the color gave serious-feeling collections a much-needed playful outlook.


So, with 2008's blue shades charged with so much hope and positivism, could it be time to rewrite the old color clichés? After all change does happen, even if it is once in a blue moon.