A brief introduction into the study of color terminologies, trend, seasons and it's relation to fashion & clothing

1. COLOUR
The natural, the religious and cultural, the
political to the purely emotional.
In order to design a successful collection,
colour must be strongly considered.
It is fundamental to feel the collection
through its colour(s).

2. COLOURTHEORY
It is important to understand the basic relationships of colour that can create maximum
results, particularly when it comes to selecting fabrics and placing prints
PRIMARY COLOURS
These are colours that
cannot be created by
combining other
hues.
SECONDARY COLOURS
These are created
from 2 combination
of primary colours.
TERTIARY COLOURS
These are formed by
mixing a primary and
secondary colour
COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS
Two colours that are
opposite each other
on the wheel.
Complementary
colours offers
maximum vibrancy
ANALOGOUS COLOURS
Colours that are next
to each other on the
wheel.

3. COLOURTERMINOLOGY
HUE
Another posh word for
colour.
SATURATION
The purity of the hue, it’s
richness, strength and
intensity.
Bright colours are very
saturated.
TONE
The lightness or darkness
of the hue. It is also
referred to as the value of
a colour. Dirty colours
have more black added to
them, pastel colours have
more white.
Both tone and saturation
gives colour its variety.
Terms used: Tone
down/Tone up. – meaning
to lighten or darken the
hue
HIGHLIGHT
A small proportion of
contrasting colour used to
enhance and lift the main
colours.
TONAL COLOURS
A palette of the same
colour/hue, but in
different tones.
MONOCHROME
one single hue
NATURAL
Colours derived from
landscapes, sky, earth,
water.
PASTELS/TINT
Hues toned down with
white. Pink is a tint of red.
SHADE
Hues darkened with black.
Maroon is a shade of red.

4. Whatterminologyof colouris
JenniferHudson’sJumpsuit?
M O N O C H R O M E
M i c h a e l K o r s
R e s o r t 2 0 1 3

5. Emma Stone is wearing a two-piece
number of different pink ____________ ?T O N E S
T h a k o o n 2 0 1 4

6. COLOURS AND THEIR FREQUENTLY ASSOCIATED MEANINGS
WHITE
Purity, surrender, truth,
peace, innocence,
simplicity, coldness, death,
marriage, birth, virginity
BLACK
Intelligence, rebellion,
mystery, modernity,
power, sophistication,
formality, elegance, evil,
death, slimming quality.
GREY
Elegance, conservatism,
respect, wisdom, old,
boredom, dullness,
pollution, neutral, formal,
decay, military, education
RED
passion, strength, energy,
sex, love, romance, speed,
danger, anger, wealth,
luck, marriage
ORANGE
Happiness, energy,
balance, heat, enthusiasm,
playfulness, warning,
optimism, abundance
Yellow
Joy, happiness, summer,
cowardice, illness, hazards,
greed, femininity,
friendship
BLUE
Water, ocean, peace,
unity, calmness, coolness,
confidence, conserved,
loyalty, depression,
sadness, idealism,
dependability.
GREEN
Nature, fertility, youth,
inexperience,
environment, wealth,
generosity, jealousy,
growth, health, calming.
PURPLE
Nobility, envy, spirituality,
creativity, mystery,
wisdom, gaudy, confusion,
pride, instability.

7. COLOURS & SEASONS
Colours help sets the ambience of the season that a designer wants to create for it’s
enticing consumers.
The pallete of a season could vary from delivery to delivery, collection to collection.
Colour is closely related to its season, although it may vary according to the designer’s
concept.

8. SPRING/SUMMER
Bright colours such as yellow, green, coral, purple,
turquoise. They help set the mood for the coming
season of summer, warmer climates and generally a
fun vibe.
Peter Jensen Spring 2014 collection
Mary Katrantzou Spring 2014 collection

9. FALL/WINTER
A transition period of the season where darker, deeper and richer
colours are favoured such as browns, olives, mustard, maroon, grey
and navy.
Balenciaga Fall 2014 collection
Polo Ralph Lauren Fall 2014 collection

10. HOLIDAY
Holiday usually refers to the Christmas period, so festivity colours are in favour for this
season. Complementary colours of ruby red and emerald green, jewel tones of sapphire
blue, metallic such as silver, gold or bronze, and even pure colours such as champagne
and ivory that represents the winter.
Holiday collections are mostly done by high-streets.
Rihanna for River Island Holiday 2013 collection

11. RESORT/CRUISE
This season is launched in the midst of Spring/Summer.
As the name suggests, it represents fashion during the high summer holidays. The hues
of this season are mainly soft pastels, whites, and bright colours.
Dior 2014 Resort collection

12. COLOUR
RESEARCH

13. COLOURCONTEXTS
When reviewing your research and mood board, analyse the colour contexts. The colours
extrapolated from your research and mood boards will provide the collection not only with colour
references, but also the proportions in which they are used
• Which colours serve as the mood board’s foundation, and which provide accents?
• How are the foundation and accent colours proportionate to one another?
• How many base colours can be extracted?
• How many accent colours are used?
Are they used equally or in varying percentages?
• What moods and emotions do the colours produce and how do they relate to your
theme?
• How can you accentuate this through fabric and silhouette development later on?
• How can the tonal differences of an image provide reference for a design
development?
- such as prints, fabric colours, layering of fabrics, and other dress-making
techniques?
• What textures are present and how can they inform my textile selection?
And what are the proportions of the textures?
.

14. TOSTARTYOURCOLOURRESEARCH…
1. REVIEW YOUR CONCEPT BOARD
What colors can you extract from there?
2. CREATE A COLOR PALETTE
How many colors should there be in a collection of 6 pieces? What is the base color
and what is the accent/highlight colors?
3. REVIEW YOUR PRIMARY RESEARCH
Lay out all of your research, determine where the colors you have selected for your
color palette comes from.
4. DRAW, COLOUR, CREATE AN ART USING THOSE COLORS
Once you have determined the source of your colors, Explore different tones by
extracting the colors out.
USE the colors from your color palette to draw, create, collage or paint a picture that
Is inspired by your CONCEPT.
5. SECONDARY RESEARCH
Look at paint color cards and catalogues, Pantone website, Other designer’s collection,
Art work, Paintings etc… which uses the same color palatte as yours.

15. COLOURCONSIDERATIONS
To develop colour palettes based in relations in the mood board, there are a number of
processes you can follow.
DEFINE THE COLOUR RELATIONSHIP
Defining the colours and
tones of your collection helps
set a foundation for all others.
Whether it is pure,
authentic, energetic,
colour helps you create
the mood for your
collection.
Define your colour
references by looking at
your point of research,
and whether there are
any references related to
colours in your design
influence.
Tata-Naka A/w 2012

16. CONSIDER THE COLOUR
SCALE
A bright yellow may be
appropriate in a large
silhouette, such as
trench coat, for one
designer, but another
may find it appropriate
only in a small accent in
a print of lining,
sometimes it isn’t the
colour that seems
inappropriate, but the
contexts surrounding it.
Gucci Pre-fall 2014

17. CONSIDER THE CUSTOMER
A colour may look good in your research e.g a photo or a painting, but
may not necessarily translate the same way on to the body. Colour that is
worn becomes part of the wearer’s personality and physical appearance
(aesthetic).
Leutton Postle Spring/Summer 2014

18. THE ‘MIDDLE’ COLOUR
When a palette of solid color that are
unrelated and disjointed come together, it is
essential to create a middleman to unify
them and create a harmonious colour story.
This could be a neutral colour, such as black,
white, beige, navy or grey added into the
palette as a highlight.
Using or adding textures are also a great
way to unite two disjointed colours together.
Prints, woven or printed stripes. Multi-
colored embroideries, jersey knits with
various colours and beadings can all serve as
an axis to bring unrelated colours together
and harmonize the palette.

19. COLOUR TREND FORECAST
Fashion designers must constantly exercise their
sixth sense to know how consumers behavior will
evolve and what the customer’s needs will be.
Apart from the usual seasonal colours, being aware
of the following is crucial:
- What season have you picked for your
collection?
- What were the colours of the previous years’
seasons?
To assist designers in their own observation and
speculations, fortunately, forecasting services have
developed a well-formulated research that
examines global changes, often through contexts
that will affect fashion such as historical, cultural,
societal, political and economic contexts.
SOME OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL
TREND-FORECASTING AGENCIES
WORLD GLOBAL STYLE NETWORK
PANTONE INC

20. COLOUR
MOOD BOARD