I didn't realize that summer 2012 is already a done deal. "Le Cuir A Paris", a company that organizes a fair for the top fur, leather, and fabric industry leaders, is one of the heavy-hitters in color trends. Their website already has a "Fashion" and "Color" category for Summer 2012.
More importantly, they also set some trends for Spring 2011. I found an amazing website called FashionTrendsetter that has links to various websites about each season of the year. It's easy to navigate, simple, and to the point. They have a section about Le Cuir with 5 or 6 palettes that they tossed out there for Spring 2011 (with great titles, like Enchanted Picnic). Some are typical spring with bright, light pastel colors and some are more for the summer, but one struck my eye (image copyrighted to Le Cuir):
"Shadowy Shores". It's not what you would expect from a Spring collection, but I love it because it emphasizes those darker days of rain and mist. Standing on the beach, watching the stormy skies and dark waters...
It's refreshing after so many fairytale colors. I think it would translate very well into jewelry, creating understated, muted pieces that don't "pop" like usual. They meld with the clothing, acting as an extension rather than an accessory. Put in a few bright spacers to give it just a touch of brightness, nothing overwhelming. Chunky is best with this palette, since you can put in various versions of the same colors and use analogous colors to give the piece some heft and weight. With such a muted tone, you need something else besides the color to act as the base of the piece. Use a bluish-gray as the base for any beads with the other colors as accents. Large, round beads, not flat, will give it some depth as well. If you go for design, stick with something simple and soft; don't go overboard with the patterns.
Speaking of patterns, I also picked up a copy of the Spring 2011 edition of New York Fashion Magazine:
(yes, that is Jessica Simpson) It's their double issue with a summation of the fashion trends from Fashion Week in New York, but I wasn't that impressed with it because, instead of winnowing everything down and telling us what's in, they basically said "Anything Goes!" Sure, that might be the case, but SOME direction would be nice! All colors of the rainbow are in, whites are in, punk is in, nude colors are in, denim is in (unfortunately), even feathers. "Vogue Paris" put out this cover:
Which confirms New York's Report (I will unabashedly take a Parisian's word about fashion over a New Yorker's). Strong, solid colors that pack a punch on their own. Put it in your jewelry and you've got a home-run. People love beautiful simplicity, even more so when it's in style.
The one area I could find a slight direction in the New York magazine was patterns: "Go big or go home", as one of my friends likes to say. If you're going to go for a pattern, make it worth it.
These are from Rodarte during Fashion Week. I like the white with the blue pattern, very Ming of them. Note the recurring theme of loose and flowing...see my Spring Part 1 for some ideas on how to pair this with jewelry. With a pattern like this, I would put a simpler piece of jewelry. Plain beads, one strand, a watered-down version of the pattern, something that isn't so complex it looses itself in the clothing. You want it to stand apart.
I've also been seeing a ton of high-necked fashions, and I am not a huge fan of the necklace over the shirt, so I am going to focus on earrings a bit more than I would normally. You can go as crazy as you want with earrings when they aren't competing with a necklace for attention.
But for the season, I'd say the bracelet is going to be the most important accessory.
So remember: Big, Bold, Simple. Whether it's patterns or solid colors, don't wimp around.
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