Raffia: What It Is and Why You Need to Know It

The spring and summer seasons typically call to mind blooming flowers that make up a colorful palette of tropical motifs. So it makes sense that for their Spring/Summer 2014 collections, designers literally integrated hot-weather foliage into their designs. Raffia, a fibrous textile from palm trees, was a common thread among many. At Derek Lam, raffia-fringe belts and necklaces served as accessories layered over easy pajama silhouettes. At 3.1 Phillip Lim, the designer took a breather from his geode-inspired looks to line tops and bottoms with multicolored raffia. Christian Siriano, who said he was inspired by a vacation to Mexico, twisted raffia into floral French knots that decorated a pretty chiffon dress. Woven, knotted or fringed, commit this to memory: Spring 2014 is all about raffia.

Plus, check out all the behind-the-scenes moments we saw and heard at New York Fashion Week.

MORE:• It's a Wrap! 75 Moments from NYFW• NYFW Trend: Baseball Caps• Try This At Home: Oscar de la Renta Makeup