From the Runway to Your Buffet: Fashion Week's Influence on Your Events

The evolution of an event trend begins long before eager brides start their pinning. Many will argue that social media and cultural attitudes direct fashion's fancy. Maybe changing climate patterns affect textile producers, which in turn affect designers. My favorite explanation of "trickle-down" trends comes from the incomparable Meryl Streep in the "Cerulean Top" scene in The Devil Wears Prada...

For Event Planners, the most direct path a trend takes is usually as such: Runway, Pinterest, Weddings, Corporate Events, then Non-Profits. With that in mind, here are some Fashion Week highlights and how they might be influencing your events.

Feathers

Feathers have long been a staple in event decor. This year's runway shows' feathery features may inspire planners to use feathers in more creative and dynamic ways like incorporating them into bouquets or chandeliers.

Geometric Romance

Some of the runway's softest, most flattering silhouettes were set with bold black and white geometric patters. Since black and white are both neutrals, they play well with other colors. Try mixing chunky patterns with playful hues and textures.

Striped Elegance

In the past, stripes in fashion evoked a casual, even nautical nostalgia. This year's runway shows featured a more formal version of striped day-wear that seemed almost whimsical. The key to striped event decor is to use them to highlight pops of bold color.

Greenery

No blog on fashion's impact on events would be complete without a nod to the Pantone Color of the Year, Greenery. The color Greenery is supposed to represent optimism and new growth. The good news for event planners is that most budget-conscious floral designs rely heavily on (what else?) greenery.

As we move forward into 2017, whether you're watching the runways, social media, cultural attitudes, or weather patterns :) our industry asks us to draw inspiration from the world around us. The key is to keep our eyes open and be ready. As Jack London once said, "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club."