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Spring color cues
Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes a whole new palette of colors. Here's a sneak peek at the hot hues you'll be seeing on the runway this season
BY LINDSEY ASPINALL

Sketch for Baby Phat by designer Kimora Lee Simmons who was inspired by the strength and sexiness of Hollywood divas, legends, and icons

Fashion designers are using a carefree color palette this season. The colors of Spring 2006 offer a respite from bold hues, opting for a lighter look. According to Pantone, Inc., the leading source of color communication, the top shades this season will include cameo pink, melon, and viola, among others. Blue dominates the palette with three shades placing in the top 10 list this season.

"You'll see a range of really pretty, pale, and relaxing colors this spring," says Lisa Herbert, executive vice president of Pantone's fashion, home, and consumer divisions. "The whole idea for the season is about sitting back and having a carefree attitude. It's about taking a break from worrying about all the issues in the world and really letting our minds go free."

Much of the color influence this season has come from the beach and desert, as well as natural and organic materials, which are represented in colors like sand dollar and clove. The sea inspires shades like blue tint and deep ultramarine.

"A lot of the designers' inspirations for this season's colors are coming from vacation spots," explains Herbert. "Colors like sand dollar or ultra marine come from the times when these designers are able to kick back and enjoy their favorite places."

These new colors are neither pastels nor brights— they represent something in between. Terms like "toned-down," "muted," and "quiet" will be used to describe the new shades.

"Designers have taken a deep breath for spring 2006," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "After a few seasons of 'color! color! color!,' it's time to relax a little. We see this relaxation in the prevalence of blues, neutrals, and the classicism of black and white. Designers are still having fun, but don't need the stridency."

Mixing and layering colors was a top choice among many designers. "What makes this season's colors really new is the color combinations," notes Herbert. "You'll see some very interesting ways designers chose to combine the new colors. The lavender is mixed with the skyway and the brown, for instance. There are some really pretty color combinations."

With these new colors painting the runway, accessories and eyewear are sure to be next on the list.

Top to  bottom: Sketch by Tracy Reese; sketch by Douglas Hannant; sketch by Wolfgang Joop for Wunderkind; sketch by Luca Orlandi for Luca Luca

"You'll absolutely see these new colors reflected in accessories and eyewear," says Herbert. "Both accessory and eyewear designers will take cues from the colors they see on the runway. And with frames, you can really have fun with these hues." 

Pantone Inc. has compiled a list of the top 10 most directional women's ready-to-wear colors for Spring 2006. Here are the favorites:

1.   Sand Dollar

2.   Deep Ultramarine

3.   French Vanilla

4.   Lily Green

5.   Skyway

6.   Blue Tint

7.   Cameo Pink

8.   Melon

9.   Clove

10.   Violet

Designer Choices

Pantone, Inc.'s Spring 2006 Color Report provides the latest on what the world's designers will be doing with this new color palette.

Zac Posen

Choice colors: Sage, mint, and turmeric, with a feminine spectrum of blue violet and butter cream white.
Color philosophy: "We retreated into the mindset of a perpetual vacation, indulgent in luxurious Mediterranean and European cuisine. We maintained the idea of soft exoticism and foreign travel."

Nicole Miller

Choice colors: Turquoise and tobacco, mixed metallics, light olive and khaki, white, and
pale yellow

Sketch by Zac Posen, who was inspired by the dance-like silhouettes of the Ballet Russe

sketch by Nicole Miller, who was inspired by movies from the sixties and seventies

Color philosophy: "Mixing darks with lights and brights. Mixing tobacco and berry with spring colors."

Michael Kors

Color choices: Ivory and white, cobalt blue, and black, with sunbaked red and orange accents
Color philosophy: "Tonal mixes."

Lela Rose

Choice colors: Black, white, and navy.
Color philosophy: "You can mix any of the colors in my collection since they all complement one another. White pieces mix well with black or navy, yet contrast well with one another without seeming harsh."

Anna Sui
Choice colors: African violet, hothouse orchid, bourbon, rose, bleeding heart, fire azalea, buttercup, shamrock, spearmint, blue bell, black narcissus, lily white

Color philosophy: "Featherweight exoticism."