Leading up to fashion week, designers spend many months painstakingly planning their collections. One of the first steps in this process is developing a creative vision via artwork, mood boards and sketches. Tomorrow, New York Fashion Week officially begins, debuting a slew of new spring and summer trends for 2018. Ahead, designers share the inspiration behind the looks and give us a sneak peek at what’s sure to hit big.
Sneak Peek: Spring/Summer 2018 Collections
Self-Portrait
"Flux." —Creative director Han Chong
Delpozo
"Delicate color proportion." —Creative director Josep Font
Zimmermann
"I was really attracted to the simple, sunny feeling in these photos—the somewhat kitschy hotels and apartments contrasted with the surf, the beautiful white sandy beaches and a radiant, golden light. This clear light is something very Australian for me and something I'm always drawn to. The blues are bluer and the color just goes pop." —Nicky Zimmermann
Rosetta Getty
"I was inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's brilliant life, work and wardrobe." —Rosetta Getty
Sally LaPointe
"Spring 2018 is a focus on the certain confidence and clarity you get from being direct." —Sally LaPointe
Solace London
"Spring/Summer 2018 explores opposite extremes as fabrication and technique continue to drive design." —Cofounders Laura Taylor and Ryan Holliday-Stevens
Dion Lee
"Urban surf and weekend escapism." —Dion Lee
Tome
"Modern dance." —Cofounders Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin
Adeam
"East meets West" —Designer Hanako Maeda
PH5
"Human influence on nature. Artificially created, yet still beautiful." —Mijia Zhang and Wei Lin
Sachin & Babi
"The grand bazaar." —Sachin and Babi Ahluwalia
GCDS
"An ironic approach to streetwear, transporting the sporty aesthetic into a vibrant yachting club. Wearable knits and bright colors showcase Italian craftsmanship and technical fabrics, exuding equal parts sophistication and fun." —Giulano Calza
Rochambeau
"Cartesian geometry." —Joshua Cooper and Laurence Chandler
Creatures of Comfort
"Flowers across time." —Jade Lai
Novis
"Looking to antique botanical drawings for inspiration, I evolved the floral theme of the last couple seasons into the world of the ethereal jungle and enchantment, using laces, custom prints and embellishment to explore this theme in a palpable way." —Founder and creative director Jordana Warmflash
831MinhLe
"My mood board for this collection is full of soft neutral colors that don't evoke emotions necessarily but that call you to pay attention to the details and the way they caress the body. I was inspired by fluid shapes that are classic and timeless yet offer the mind a modern twist.
As I began to complete pieces, I was inspired over and over again by what I was seeing as I would glance up from the sewing machine and see hanging on the wardrobe rack. Pale colors and beautiful shapes peeking out from behind one another." —Minh Le
Rebecca Taylor
"Lately I have been feeling really nostalgic about a time in my life when I first became captivated by fashion. Reemerging photos of Princess Diana recall a time when clothes were romantic and we were all filled with hope." —Rebecca Taylor
Arias
"Arias celebrates the modern woman. It offers softness and warmth with an underlying strength. The collection calls for a new respect for minimalism and authenticity." —Nina Sarin Arias
Beaufille
"The idea of perception and the relationship between materials and the techniques that are classically used served as the contrasting element in our collection—material versus technique. Summer ease, effortless dressing and the perception of summer dressing was in our minds.” —Chloé and Parris Gordon
Sandy Liang
"The core of what I'm inspired by each season is pretty much the same—my neighborhood and the people in it, including my family and friends. Everything that inspires me is super personal and usually references my childhood in some way. Even though I grew up in Queens, I spent a good chunk of my childhood in Chinatown and the Lower East Side because my dad opened Congee Village in 1997, and my mom would drive us to my grandmother's apartment on Rivington Street at least once or twice a week and we would go grocery shopping in Chinatown." —Sandy Liang
Love Shack Fancy
"The collection is inspired by the ethereal world of David Hamilton, with a mix of Victorian and 1970s California. Soft, innocent undertones were influenced by vintage French fairy tales, referencing childlike drawings and the mood of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The collection is balanced by modern silhouettes and accented with artisanal hand-detailing that feels both dreamy and unabashedly feminine." —Rebecca Hessel Cohen
Hellessy
"The Utah desert. I imagined Lauren Hutton's all-American glamour and her love for a desert adventure in this collection." —Sylvie Millstein
Anna Sui
“For my Spring 2018 collection, I was most inspired by the an extraordinary exhibition at The Museum of Arts & Design, " Counter-Couture: Handmade Fashion in an American Counterculture " . —Anna Sui
