Key Print & Pattern Catwalk Trends for Spring/Summer 2016

The Trendstop trend experts have been hard at work analysing every new print and pattern innovation to come out of the Spring/Summer 2016 catwalks, distilling their findings into an essential roundup of the strongest surface directions for new season women's fashion. Fresh from runway shows of leading designers in New York, London, Milan and Paris, these print directions will prove influential in updating directional womenswear designs for S/S16, as well as more mainstream collections going into S/S17. This season, key developments emerge across Print & Pattern, Geos, Stripes & Checks, including creative plays on natural world-inspired aesthetics and striking ways to approach slogan placements. Elsewhere, fresh, ultra-feminine florals introduce a sophisticated appeal. This week, FashionUnited readers can discover three must-have print directions emerging from the S/S16 ready-to-wear catwalks.

The Watercolour Masters

Referencing the work of master painters, watercolour prints introduce romance and expressiveness to womenswear this season. Blurred pastel-coloured blooms are key, on show in all-over patterns or oversized placements. Clean white bases add freshness and enhance the impression of clothing as canvas.

First Draft

Prints appear to be going through the creative process, as seen with the use of imperfect or amended slogans. Placements are cut off mid-phrase or interrupted by contrast placements, while hand-written typography takes on an abstract doodled form with repeated phrases. Scribbled motifs can also be used in place of actual words.

Organic Pigments

Two aesthetics come together in this directional trend, as organic-inspired prints express an artistic creativity for added sophistication. Patterns recreate materials found in the natural world, as bold silhouettes reference leafy plant life and abstract brush stroke patterns recreate earthy mineral surfaces.

Exclusive Offer

FashionUnited readers can get a free copy of Trendstop's complete Spring/Summer 2015 Print & Pattern on the Catwalks Report, containing essential print trends sourced from directional runway shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Simply click the banner to receive your complimentary report.

Trendstop.com is one of the world's leading trend forecasting agencies for fashion and creative professionals, renowned for its insightful trend analysis and forecasts. Clients include H&M, Primark, Forever21, Zalando, Geox, Evisu, Hugo Boss, L'Oreal and MTV.

Images courtesy of Trendstop.com: Calvin Klein, BCBG Max Azria, Simone Rocha, Christopher Kane, Each x Other, Ashish, Hunter Original, Prabal Gurung, Jasper Conran, all Spring/Summer 2016.