Bellevue’s Neiman Marcus, locals predict pattern-mixing, texture will shake up Puget Sound fashion this spring

Of all the fashion trends coming into season, bold mixtures of stripes, ruffles and layering are at the top of the list.

“A little bit of bad taste can make for a good look,” according to visual stylist for Neiman Marcus, Darryl Thompson. “I have not been this excited for the spring trends in a long, long time.”

Attendees Heather Lundy and Amanda Welch both agreed that pattern-on-pattern and texture were their two favorite trends seen at the spring runway fashion show hosted by Neiman Marcus at the Bravern on Feb. 8.

For Lundy, it’s because the patterns are “creative and very art driven.” She added that she sees fashion in Seattle becoming more and more pronounced over the years, and that the city is coming into it’s own in terms of fashion.

Dozens of people attended the small show and sifted through the racks of runway items, which were all available for purchase that night. Thompson said the night was the biggest event of their season.

Wearable ethnic pieces are what Alissa Suam could most see incorporating into her wardrobe, as well as oversized earrings, something that she found emphasized in the show and a trend that anybody can do.

“I think most people are looking for pieces that they can dress up and dress down,” Suam stated.

Lauren Vogt said her favorite trend on the runway was the layering of stripes and the mixture of textures and fabrics.

“Being a Seattleite, I do always like clean, simple lines so there was a couple of looks that really embodied that,” said Vogt.

Lizette Dillard said her favorite look was one featuring a leather jacket paired with a feather skirt, though she didn’t expect to see it around town.

“I think Seattle is a little more on the casual side… when you see fashion like that, it’s not very common in our area,” she said.

The show featured both womens-wear and menswear. Allen Dillard said that he liked the men’s shoes on the runway — specifically a pair of leather loafers — but couldn’t imagine local guys wearing many of the bold patterns featured.

On what most people in Seattle wouldn’t be seen wearing, Torie Rynning said that “there’s a lot of suede… if you live here, it can be hard to wear suede in the rain and when it’s hot out, but that’s not the point — it’s kind of all about the fantasy and ideas.”

When asked about Seattle fashion in general, Rynning said “I like that the Neiman Marcus shows are really texture rich and they really layer a lot, and the fashion director always says ‘More is more, less is a bore’… if you live in Seattle, that’s really not our mantra… but it’s so refreshing to come to these shows.”

For those not ready to tackle frills and patterns, neutrals were also an exciting part of the season’s selections, Thompson said.

“For the past few seasons, we have been plagued by reds… this year the color is all about neutrals,” Thompson said. However, if you want to bring in a little more color into your wardrobe, “it’s all about the olive, you’re going to see that everywhere this season, especially more towards the end of spring”.