How Fashion Has Influenced Interior Design

If you are a serious fashionista with a keen eye on the catwalks of the world, the chances are you'll also be interested in what's hot in home interiors. Recently, these areas of creative endeavor have moved closer, swapping influences and re-interpreting ideas in exciting ways.

Social media has had a huge effect on the way the world interfaces with high fashion on the runways of New York, Paris, London and Milan. New designs are flashed around the world in moments, whereas before we had to wait for the big fashion tomes to issue their verdicts. In short, the time-lines in the clothing and interior design worlds are colliding far more frequently and sometimes it's difficult to work out who is influencing whom.

The Color of Now

It may seem to happen in a parallel universe, but haute couture fashion will influence the shade you select for a new dress and sofa. Following prestigious catwalk events, High Street designers get to work on distilling the strongest ideas and directions and incorporating these influences into fresh, mass-market creations. The connection between the ochre cardigan you have bought or the green tablemats, however vague, can be traced back to the catwalk.

The colors of now are slate grays, deep browns, ochers, vivid greens and violets and the ever present cobalt blue which seems to be gathering momentum, despite having been around for a couple of seasons. Select clothing, home furnishings, upholstery and wall coverings in any of these hues to establish your up to the minute cool credentials. With developments in textile and manufacturing technology, the rainbow of shades now available to us in our wardrobes and homes is staggering. For example, window treatments have been revolutionized not only by the explosion in textiles available but the stunning new wooden shutters in unique colors and shades that complement any chic interior.

Pattern Predictions

Look out for loose geometric shapes in designs that marry rigid lines with fluid silhouettes. Rich, detailed patterns evoking the work of artists such as Klimt and Gaudi are very current, and a flavor of that will filter swiftly through to the showrooms.  

Moroccan style prints have long been popular in interiors, but the trend is flowing in the other direction now, back towards fashion. Look out for fashion wear that puts a twist on Moorish textiles, blurring the lines for a softer, relaxed feel.  

Other pattern staples that aren't going away in a hurry include fabulous florals, monochrome graphic prints, and leopard spot. Bold color blocking was a direct lift from the catwalk a few seasons ago and is still popular in interiors, however, anything with cowhide is fading fast and being overtaken by insect motifs, feathers and vivid, jewel colored prints.  

How we choose to dress ourselves is the purest form of self-expression. So it doesn't take a massive leap to appreciate that we naturally do the same when it comes to our interiors – our homes reflect who we are, how we feel and what makes us tick. The way things are moving right now, there can only be a further narrowing of the gap between the worlds of fashion and interiors. Surely something we can all benefit from...

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Author: Aimee Wiggle