Blog — Chris Doerr

When I was first promoted into a design leadership position, I remember being specifically concerned about creating color palettes. I was skilled in garment design and construction, very adept in sketching and tech packs. But I had never been tasked with the creation of a seasonal color palette before. It is a big responsibility. Although I worked with color almost every day, I had always watched other designers put the palettes together. Often their process was long and drawn out and I witnessed more than one contentious meeting surrounding color. And now being the one having to step into this role was daunting at best.

Color is extremely important to fashion design. Not only does it help set the mood for a season, color sells the garment to both the buyer and the final customer. It can make or break a style. When thinking about color for a season, numerous factors must be considered simultaneously, from hue and saturation to fabrication and delivery. And a full palette must be expertly balanced and well merchandised. Beyond just selecting the prettiest colors, you must consider previous selling as well as incorporating newness and think about your customer. And of course, each color palette is subject to an arsenal of feedback and opinions from management, your sales team and their buyers. Color is subjective and means something different to everyone. With all of this in mind, you can see why I was intimidated.

Luckily, I am never one to shy away from a challenge. I immediately set to the task of investigating and developing the skills necessary to confidently create color palettes. And like so many things, with enough practice and an open mind, those skills came naturally over time. Frankly, I still don’t feel like the absolute expert. There is always room to grow. So I asked a pair of industry professionals to help me weigh in on the subject. And now I will be sharing what I learned, my personal process and best advice.

To get started on a palette, the first thing to do is overall broad research. This is the stage that I call “the gathering”. I pull as much information and inspiration together as I can manage. The most obvious source comes from trend forecasting services like WGSN. I always review their recommendations and try to lean-in to their predictions when applicable. I also attend any trend seminars that I can, at trade shows like Texworld or Premiere Vision. Webinars have also been incredibly inspiring lately, especially from services I may not regularly subscribe to like Mint Moda, Luminary, Coloro, or Doneger group. The insight gathered from these experts is invaluable at predicting where color is headed.

Another efficient use of forecasting services are the runway recaps and summaries. With so many high-end designers showing collections all year long, it can be challenging to keep up. With my busy schedule, I only find time to look at runways once a season on average. That is why I rely heavily on these types of services to give me an expert overview. I asked Olivia Miller, a trend forecaster, how much runway research factors into her color selections. “Historically, runway has been a huge influence on our color forecasts,” she says. “Sometimes it’s a slow build, where you see bigger color shifts that occur season over season, like how we saw a shift to warmer neutrals and browns over the last few years. Other times, it’s one iconic show that introduces a new statement color message, like the iconic Jacquemus Spring 20 show in the lavender field that really set off the trend for all of these beautiful ‘nearly neon’ pastels we’re seeing happening in a big way now.”

In contrast Tina Samet, a design director with 16 years of experience in daytime dresses, has mixed opinions on runway. “It’s hit or miss now that designers show so many seasons a year,” she explained. “The seasons sometimes get blurry. I keep a folder of images that I love and inspire me and refer to when I’m looking for color inspiration.” Instead she finds shopping the retail landscape more advantageous. “When traveling for design inspiration, I love to analyze the independent boutiques around Europe and see how they're visually displaying new collections. The stronger product is always in front of the store, so you’re hit with amazing and new color immediately upon entering.”

Once you have a general idea for color direction for the season, the next step is pulling colors from yarn services. I currently use NoA, a service supplied by Colors for Design. And I’ve also recently incorporated Design Options into my palettes as well. Another amazing resource is Pantone, the unparalleled standard of color within the design industry. Utilizing one or more of these color services is a key to success. Each individual person perceives color differently. Therefore, having a standardized color for all to follow is imperative, from your factories to your fellow employees.

“My team leverages several different color services: WGSN, Peclers, NellyRodi, etc.” Olivia recommended. “These are the genesis of our seasonal color research. After analyzing the services and seeing what macro color messages are showing up across all the services, we layer up with runway swipes, social media, and retail/data analytics to confirm our research. Personally, I also like to look at what’s happening in contemporary art, food trends, and beauty to see where there are overlapping colors across industries.” Tina shared these sentiments about influences outside of fashion, “I review architectural images, interior design, museum exhibits, runway and even social media.”

After you are feeling properly inspired, it’s time to begin assembling the actual palette. My initial process can be a bit messy, but fun. I think of it as contained creative chaos. I start by pulling an excess of colors out of the boxes, more than I need. I grab anything that jumps out at me, specifically keeping in mind color that speaks to the trends or visuals I’m trying to address. And I pull multiple options for each color represented. If I need a coral for example, I pull five different choices. At first they might all seem similar. But when you examine them closely, you’ll see how different each shade actually is. Color hue can shift and change as you examine it, especially when you pair the shade with another color. You’ll want to make sure that all the colors on your palette play well together. I also like to review each color on the back of my hand and those of my coworkers’, to see how the shade looks against various skin tones. Having sufficient options to test and switch out will help you narrow down.

The process of narrowing down to your final selections is difficult to describe. This is when you really need to trust your instincts and your eye. Your thought process must include equal parts creative choice and analytical decisions. A palette must be visually cohesive, combining colors of similar weight and value. There also must be the right balance of color, warm vs cool or trend vs core. I design separates, so my palettes need to be really versatile. For example, a color palette consisting of mauve, wine, and berry looks great for Fall. But these shades are all similar and don’t leave much variety for a buyer to choose from. The palette would be more well-rounded if you added a forest green or turquoise, for instance.

“I think it’s an organic process,” Tina considers. “A good designer will, for the most part, have good color intuition. What colors have been selling well recently, and how do those colors evolve into next fall or spring. If yellows were strong for spring, that might turn into deep mustard for fall and possibly true gold for holiday. We are also cognizant of the kinds of colors that perform well per season. This is where runway plays a deeper role. If many designers are showing a specific color, it would be difficult to ignore that color, as customers will be looking for it.”

“Whenever I’m building out palettes,” Olivia says, “I always try to create a balance between my key colors, those must-have fashion colors of the season; my bases, these act as a grounding element in the palette; and my accents, what’s that little dash of something special that is going to make the palette feel fresh? I definitely am drawn to unexpected color combos, but I’m always trying to keep the end use in mind, and make sure they’re as commercial as possible for the teams to adapt.”

History and analytics also affect the direction your palette will take. Often brands will repeat or update best-selling colors that performed well. “We analyze selling based on color and season,” Tina revealed. “That's how we determine which colors to repeat. It also gives us a good understanding of how many colors we need. In the past few seasons, we have reduced the number of colorways offered and it has not negatively affected sales.” She reflects on the importance of trusting what you’ve learned from work experience. “You need to have an extremely good understanding of your customer and how she shops. In my personal experience, neutral and classic colors like black, white, khaki, denim, grey, red and navy have outperformed fashion colors. That being said, if a few special colors are trending we will definitely layer them in. Also, certain stores will special order specific colors that they know will sell well, even if we aren’t currently running them. It’s all about connecting with the customer and understanding her needs.”

Olivia agrees, "In my department, we work with so many different brands, and each one has a unique history of colors that sell or don’t. We try to give a really broad range of shades within each color we identify in our strategy. So, for example, if we’ve identified a yellow that we feel is important, we’ll typically match back anywhere from 2-4 Archromas that make up the range of that color so that our teams have flexibility in choosing the one that will work best for their individual palettes.”

Another key aspect to consider is how the prints for a season will affect your palettes. Printed garments can represent a high percentage of most fashion brands assortment and often impact the color palettes directly, especially for coordinated separates or collections. “Prints are instrumental as anchors for specific deliveries,” Tina says. “We always want our solid colors to marry back to that season’s prints so that showroom looks balanced and cohesive.” Olivia has a broader strategy on how print can determine color, “We actually forecast a six-month scope of color, print and fabric at the same time, because they all influence each other so greatly. I think print is such an important vehicle for color, and a great way for our brands to be able to play a bit with colors that may seem a bit scary by using those more unexpected or offbeat hues as accents within a familiar print.”

A final consideration must be made around your customer base and where your designs retail. Traditionally, stores in the south prefer brighter color and more of it later into the year than their northern counterparts. Understanding customer location is essential in making informed choices. “Different parts or countries of the world wear color differently,” Tina says. “And the cultures of the country can help dictate the colors that people wear. Paris will always have lots of black, neutrals, and soft blush colors. Berlin tends to be dark. New York has a lot of black and grey. Mexico has lots of white and bright color.”

But beyond just location, lifestyle or social/political experiences will affect the way a customer thinks or reacts to color. Recently the fashion industry has seen a strong push towards sustainability, resulting in more natural and earthy inspired palettes visible across all categories. And certainly, the unprecedented circumstances surrounding the current pandemic will greatly affect customer buying habits in the future. Designers must be more thoughtful than ever to select color with strong staying power or soothing nature. “I think COVID19 is already having a huge impact on color,” Oliva adds. “While most of us are at home, color is really the first thing we see when shopping online. It’s the only way to spark the customer’s emotional desire to buy, since they can’t touch and feel the fabric or see the garment in person. I think people are also gravitating towards colors that make them feel optimistic and comforted, which will continue even beyond this pandemic.”

Understanding the expansive and lush landscape of color takes time, but it can be one of the most creative aspect of fashion design. With a great color palette, the rest of the design process can fall into place. Remember when creating your next color palette, to have fun and think smart. I wish you the very best of luck on all your future color explorations. Now go forth and CREATE!

I want to say thank you to my thoughtful contributors. Please find them on Instagram:

Olivia Miller @olivia____miller

Tina Samet @TzinaS

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