33 Things That Inspired Fashion Designers and Their Collections

Courtesy

Well, all that sartorial magic has to come from somewhere, right? Whether it be a painting, a film, or an abstract concept, inspiration is all around us. And leave it to fashion designers to cash in on all this creative goodness and produce something stunning—like say, an entire ready-to-wear collection (oh, how blessed are we to live in a world alongside such creative geniuses?).

From an off-duty librarian aesthetic to the idea of glamorous camping, see what inspired designers and their upcoming 2017 clothing lines.

Start Slideshow

1 of 33

Bonnie Young

Courtesy

"Lost memories and untold stories."

2 of 33

Claudia Li

Courtesy

"Take me away to a different place and time."

3 of 33

Cinq À Sept

Courtesy

"Beautifully aged interiors evoke a feeling of nostalgia and romance."

4 of 33

ICB

Javier Camacho Gimeno

"Worldly and courageous, always exploring new horizons, the ICB girl finds herself amongst snow-capped summits and icy peaks this season."

5 of 33

LELA ROSE

Courtesy

"Flower fields of fantasy."

6 of 33

JI OH

Courtesy

"Girls Gone Wild."

7 of 33

Christian Siriano

Courtesy

"Hive."

8 of 33

NAEEM KHAN

Courtesy

"Cleopatra."

9 of 33

Jil Sander Navy

Courtesy

"Parisian."

10 of 33

Ohlin D

Courtesy

"Off-duty librarian."

11 of 33

NOVIS

Courtesy

“I used Danish and Swedish modern design as the inspiration and starting off point for the for the NOVIS Autumn/Winter 2017 collection. I was particularly drawn to the contrast between linear shapes and more fluid and round design sensibility, which I have explored through use of florals, plaids, and textures and seaming details.” – Jordana Warmflash, Founder & Creative Director, Novis

12 of 33

Pamella Roland

Courtesy

“I was inspired by a recent trip to see Rothko’s latest exhibition at the Pace Gallery. Rothko’s use of color in his entire body of work is the core of my Fall/Winter 2017 collection.” — Pamella Roland

13 of 33

Raquel Allegra

Courtesy Wyatt Hough

"Harmony." — Raquel Allegra

14 of 33

Sally LaPointe

Courtesy

"My inspiration was in creating an intimate moment. An allure that draws you in and keeps you wanting more." — Sally LaPointe

15 of 33

Stephanie Rad

Courtesy

“The fabrics in my Fall/Winter 2017 collection were inspired by Mathieu Lehanneur’s liquid marble series, which shows a sculpture that appears to be moving water but is in fact just a sculpture.” — Stephanie Rad

16 of 33

Ulla Johnson

Courtesy

"Undone glamour."

17 of 33

Tanya Taylor

Courtesy

“1920s Meisen robes.”

18 of 33

Brooks Brothers

Courtesy

"Timeless classic." — Zac Posen

19 of 33

ZIMMERMANN

Courtesy

“The Maples” is the name of one of the buildings which was used to house students of the Women’s College at Sydney University following World War One. I have fond memories of conversations with my grandmother, who I was very close to growing up, and what it was like living in Sydney in the 20’s. The starting point for the collection became a look at the life of female students attending the university during the time. We looked at these amazing photos—young women playing sport wearing traditional men’s attire—cricket whites and team blazers—slouchy sweaters, oversized coats. They smiled, they had defiance and there was something a bit roguish about it all. I’m always drawn in by a sense of optimism. And then there was the photos of the nights—thoughts of smoky danced-in rooms, a peeping sun at dawn, draped oriental silk pajama robes and demure bias drop waist dresses. The inspiration for the collection is more about the mood that the images evoked, rather than the dress of the period and the time itself.“ — Nicky Zimmermann, Creative Director, ZIMMERMANN

20 of 33

CLUB MONACO

Courtesy

“Patterns from a Romanian shawl and the film Time of the Gypsies sparked the inspiration behind the collection, but we’ve stayed true to our urban roots, mixing it up with crisp fabrics and sculptural shapes.” — Caroline Belhumeur, creative director and SVP of women’s design

“This season our overarching focus is pattern, incorporating florals and various renditions of stripes paired together in a novel way.” — Matthew Millward, vice president of men’s design.

21 of 33

NICHOLAS K

Courtesy

"90s hip hop." — Nicholas Kunz

22 of 33

Edun

Courtesy

"Carpet collector."

23 of 33

LA PERLA

Courtesy

"Leavers Lace meets RTW, further melding the lines between inner-wear and outerwear."

24 of 33

Brock Collection

Courtesy

“The exquisite detail and embroidery of Elizabethan era wedding dresses.”

25 of 33

CREATURES OF COMFORT

Courtesy

"GLAMPING."

26 of 33

FRAME

Courtesy

"Denim will always be at the heart of our collections. This season we continue to explore the crop flare, rigid fabrics and introduce embellishment with studs on key pieces like the oversized boyfriend jacket and mini skirt."

27 of 33

Delpozo

Courtesy

"Serenity."

28 of 33

Jonathan Simkhai

Courtesy Jonathan Simkhai

"That which is exquisite, yet powerful."

29 of 33

PHILIPP PLEIN

Courtesy

“Plush fur and sweatshirt fleece for a winter cape that combines luxury and comfort.”

30 of 33

Zero + Maria Cornejo

Courtesy

“Peeling back the layers of femininity.” — Maria Cornejo, Zero + Maria Cornejo

31 of 33

PH5

Courtesy

"This season we were inspired by Martin Creed’s work on the simple curve, the rhythm, and the lightness of a balloon."

32 of 33

Marchesa

Courtesy

"Decadence."

33 of 33

WHIT

Courtesy

"East meets West."

Replay gallery

Account

More

33 Things That Inspired Fashion Designers and Their Collections

1 of 33

Bonnie Young

1 of 33

2 of 33

Claudia Li

2 of 33

3 of 33

Cinq À Sept

3 of 33

4 of 33

ICB

4 of 33

5 of 33

LELA ROSE

5 of 33

6 of 33

JI OH

6 of 33

7 of 33

Christian Siriano

7 of 33

8 of 33

NAEEM KHAN

8 of 33

9 of 33

Jil Sander Navy

9 of 33

10 of 33

Ohlin D

10 of 33

11 of 33

NOVIS

11 of 33

12 of 33

Pamella Roland

12 of 33

13 of 33

Raquel Allegra

13 of 33

14 of 33

Sally LaPointe

14 of 33

15 of 33

Stephanie Rad

15 of 33

16 of 33

Ulla Johnson

16 of 33

17 of 33

Tanya Taylor

17 of 33

18 of 33

Brooks Brothers

18 of 33

19 of 33

ZIMMERMANN

19 of 33

20 of 33

CLUB MONACO

20 of 33

21 of 33

NICHOLAS K

21 of 33

22 of 33

Edun

22 of 33

23 of 33

LA PERLA

23 of 33

24 of 33

Brock Collection

24 of 33

25 of 33

CREATURES OF COMFORT

25 of 33

26 of 33

FRAME