News Awards & Events Fashion Week 25+ Things NYFW Designers Were Inspired by This Season By Kim Duong Kim Duong Kim Duong is a writer and editor working in the fashion and travel space for six years. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on September 6, 2017 @ 07:30PM Pin Share Tweet Email Photo: Getty; Courtesy (5) Season after season, New York Fashion Week comes at us as a week-long glimmering parade of ready-to-wear and, frankly, what-we're-more-than-ready-to-wear. Fashion! It's just too good! But of course, all that sartorial goodness had to come from somewhere. And us being the true journalists we are, we set out to find out what inspired this season's roster of fashion designers. From an image snapped from an Uber to a daydream of a '70s beach vacation, scroll through to see what inspired designers and their upcoming spring/summer 2018 collections (and ICYMI, see what inspired designers last season, too). 01 of 27 Hakan Akkaya Courtesy of Hakan Akkaya "For Spring 2018, I mixed black and white geometric prints with soft pastel hues to create a collection full of edgy contrasts." 02 of 27 Cinq à Sept "A modern fantasy." 03 of 27 AUDRA Courtesy of AUDRA "Old words are reborn with new faces." ―Criss Jami, Killosophy 04 of 27 ADEAM Courtesy of ADEAM "ADEAM Spring 2018 started with my trip to Hong Kong and how I was inspired by the East meets West aesthetic of the city. Hong Kong is a cultural melting pot where western influences are merged with the traditional Eastern aesthetic. There is a spirit of embracing different cultures and celebrating different kinds of beauty, which also led to my exploration of '70s disco. I love the bohemian spirit that existed in that era and the freedom with which people dressed at places like Studio 54. When you look at Guy Bourdin's photography of the era, you get a true sense of individuality. I wanted to merge all of these ideas into a collection that celebrates the freedom of expression." —Designer Hanako Maeda 05 of 27 831MINHLE Courtesy of 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. I am often inspired by time periods and architecture, although the Art Deco period is often an influence for the feminine aspects of my collections... especially SS18. Oddly, 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." 06 of 27 BARRAGÁN Courtesy of BARRAGÁN "Looking for inspiration and beauty in filthy places." 07 of 27 Cynthia Rowley Courtesy of Cynthia Rowley "Swing." 08 of 27 Badgley Mischka Courtesy of Badgley Mischka "Capri." 09 of 27 Eugenia Kim Courtesy of Eugenia Kim "In your dreams." 10 of 27 Delpozo Courtesy of Delpozo "Asymmetrical beauty." 11 of 27 GRETA CONSTANTINE Courtesy of Greta Constantine "Uprooted. It's a collection driven by the feeling of being pulled, tugged, moved, shifted. Disorienting in some respects but stimulating in most others." 12 of 27 Christian Siriano Courtesy of Christian Siriano "My Spring 2018 collection feels like a dream—almost a psychedelic hallucination of what's inside my fantasy greenhouse. All the different plants and flowers inside come to life in the most romantic and beautiful way. I've used a bright and bold color palette, including electric fuchsia evening looks, sunny yellow day dresses, and grass green suiting. The collection is playful, bold, and feminine: a perfect mix of something new and exciting for our customer." 13 of 27 ICB Courtesy of Luis Eduardo Borges "For SS18, the ICB girl finds herself in an urban wonderland, a dreamlike cityscape full of optical illusions." 14 of 27 GREEDILOUS Courtesy of GREEDILOUS "Botanic exotica." 15 of 27 KÛR Courtesy of KÛR "This collection uses Beeralu lace and etching prints to explore all ranges of femininity and formality, melding the lines between upscale dressing and urban street style." —Kasuni Rathnasuriya, KÛR 16 of 27 Landero Courtesy of Landero "American sportswear reimagined" —Robert Berry, Landero 17 of 27 Lie Courtesy of Lie "Perfect imperfection: Perfectly, I'm perfect." 18 of 27 Michael Costello Courtesy of Michael Costello "Inspired by the whimsy and romance of classic fairytales, Michael Costello's collection for S/S18 entices us with a dreamy escape from the monotony of the day-to-day while accentuating his signature alluring, modern silhouette." 19 of 27 Marchesa Courtesy of Marchesa "Enchantment." 20 of 27 Laurence & Chico Courtesy of Laurence & Chico "Blush brush." 21 of 27 PH5 Courtesy of PH5 "SS18 is dedicated to human influence on nature. The idea of artificially created, yet beautiful, arrangements. Focusing on flowers and mankind's desire to control nature." 22 of 27 Sandy Liang Sandy Liang "From an Uber on Canal Street." 23 of 27 Sally LaPointe Courtesy of Sally LaPointe "Spring 2018 is a focus on the certain confidence and clarity you get from being direct." —Sally LaPointe 24 of 27 Solace London Courtesy of Solace London "Spring/Summer '18 explores opposite extremes as fabrication and technique continue to drive design."—Laura Taylor and Ryan Holliday-Stevens, Solace London 25 of 27 Shoshanna Courtesy of Shoshanna "For Spring 2018, Shoshanna was inspired by the joyful spirit and colorful town of Seville, Spain. Easy silk dresses with ruffle details evoke a festive flamenco mood for spring." 26 of 27 TOME Hollow Oak Tree, Fontainbleu, 1855-1857 & Square — Suzanne Bocanegra "Modern dance." 27 of 27 ZIMMERMANN Courtesy of ZIMMERMANN "For Spring '18, I was inspired by images from the '60s and '70s of the sunny beach side strip called the Gold Coast in Australia. I was really attracted to the simple, sunny feeling in the photos—the somewhat kitschy hotels and apartments contrasted with the surf, the beautiful white sandy beaches, and a radiant golden light." —Designer Nicky Zimmermann