50 shades of blue for F/W 2016

WE may be in the midst of summer, but fashionistas are already thinking about updating their wardrobes for fall and winter. One key upcoming trend to keep in mind is blue in its myriad shades. We've got the lowdown.
Electric blue, pale blue, turquoise, navy and lavender: the fashion houses are giving all shades of this cool color pride of place in their F/W 2016 collections. It's one of next season's "must-haves" of pastel tones and brights usually associated with spring (along with lemon yellow, fuchsia, orange and purple).
An electrifying season
Fall-Winter 2016 will be lively and varied, with feminine, sensual pieces, some hints of rock'n'roll, and a big emphasis on color. Womenswear will be in audaciously vibrant colors, including electric blue, which is making a big comeback.
Blue was a favourite with designers and fashion brands in the latest catwalk shows. Louis Vuitton put together a range of shades (in patchwork and other forms), Saint Laurent used it for its fur coats, shoes and dresses in very retro rock'n'roll style, and Courrèges chose it for a jumpsuit with touches of white. On the other side of the Atlantic, Tory Burch also surfed the electric blue wave, with a number of pieces in this season's hue.
Navy and midnight blue
The darkest blue, in some cases veering towards purple or black, was also a key womenswear trend for the season. It was the color of choice for many pieces at New York, Milan, London and Paris Fashion Week.
Kenzo was won over by this deepest of blues, choosing it for suits and coats, as a head-to-toe look, and combined with a tiger print, while Sonia Rykiel and Dior opted for a glittering, sparkly version of the shade.
Stella McCartney unveiled two-toned dresses and midnight blue puffer jackets. In a more classic form, the color was in evidence at John Galliano and was chosen for military-inspired jackets at Prada, Jason Wu and Chloé.
Spring and summer shades of blue
This fall, color will be center stage, in bright and pastel shades. Blue is a case in point, as it will be found in bright shades along with azure, sky blue and turquoise.
Quite a few brands put the most audacious tones of blue on the catwalk. Missoni combined it with other bright colors, or blacks and grays, in its graphic coats, while Fendi opted for thigh-high boots and fur in the palest blue. Balmain and Dolce & Gabbana also caught on to the trend, adding touches of sky blue to their collections.
A special mention goes to three brands which were particularly strong on blue for F/W 16, combining various shades together. Versace was one, offering all kinds of blue, as a head-to-toe look, combined with other colors, and mixed with hints of pink. Diesel Black Gold and Byblos Milano took a similar path with a whole range of pieces in the colors of the sky and the ocean. — AFP Relaxnews