Color Buzz

Dressing According to our Environment

By Michele Coppin

It’s fairly obvious that weather often dictates how we dress in a given environment (shorts in the summer, coats in the winter). However, I have observed that our clothes go even further to reflect our environment in color and design.

Take for example, people who live in the country. They are surrounded by the geometry of fields and the changing colors of crops. We often tend to see more earth tones and plaids.                                  

People living by the sea, in constant view of the horizon, are known to sport horizontal stripes and variations of blue.                                          

                  

And city dwellers, whose environment is broken up by the light and shadows of the buildings can typically be found in more blacks and whites.          

                     

Take a look as you venture around your neighborhood!

Clashing Colors

By Michele Coppin

Combining colors that match is a safe choice. They tend to create soothing and serene effects that are easy to live with. However, MSN’s “Lifestyle” segment on June 17^th featured colors that typically clash, yet make a major statement brimming with elegance and energy.

Indeed, actress Reese Witherspoon was spotted wearing a hot pink and red dress with matching red sandals. This may not be the ideal combination for a room, but for an evening out, it is sure to be noticed.

How Might You Describe Your Hair Color?

This blog entry was written by Beehive Studios designer Veronique Habermann

I know we usually talk paint, but just for fun, what about a color topic unrelated to paint? How about a little test that proves men are from a different planet (or at least don’t see eye-to-eye with women on color)? Ask the men in your life what color they think your hair is. Unless he is a hairdresser or your hair is jet black or platinum blonde, chances are you'll get an answer that will make you smile (or frown if you just spent a lot of money on those beautiful honey highlights)...

Remembering Yves Saint Laurent

Yves Saint Laurent died this week. There’s a wonderful obituary in the New York Times. He has been hailed as one of the most influential designers of the 20^th century. He was part of a tradition of couture designers that included Christian Dior and Coco Chanel. In 1968, he revolutionized fashion’s attitude towards women wearing pants. He claimed that all women needed to be fashionable was a pair of pants, a sweater, and a raincoat (think Jackie O). He was known for his masterful use of color. He was able to “mix green, blue, rose and yellow in one outfit to achieve an effect that was artistic and never garish.” He was inspired by artists like Picasso, Miro and Matisse.

Later in his career, he toned down his work and created classic pieces that could be worn from one season to the next.

Check out his work and see if you can be inspired by his playful use of color.

Taking Fashion Color Schemes to Your Walls

I was just reading the New York Times Fashion and Style section. There's a great article by Ruth La Ferla about Tomas Maier, the Creative Director of Bottega Veneta. The article talks about Mr. Maier's focus on sustainable luxury. In this time of economic downturn, people want something that is going to last. No matter how much money you have to spend, right now, people are looking for quality, one-of-a-kind pieces that will last one season to the next. Nothing trendy here. If you want to be inspired by drop-dead, gorgeous, classic coloring, check out Bottega Veneta's website and look at their runway shows. The Fall colors are rich, muted tones with a silver quality to them. They are so refined! What about some amazing color schemes created from either the Spring or Fall collections?

                               

                                  Bottega Veneta Spring 2008 Collection

The Colors of 2008

   Marc by Marc Jacobs
        Sloane in Sun

In 2008 we will see more blues and yellows. Already in fashion, yellow is shining its sunny glow. From a fab new Marc by Marc Jacob’s bag to the pages of the J. Crew catalog, this bright color is catching on. One way to work well with yellow is to pick a bold bright tone such as Valspar Sunny Jonquil and frame it with neutral colors like Milestone 6007-1B and Cliveden Mist 6007-1A.

Pantone picked Blue Iris as the color of the year. Blue is both soothing and comforting but also can be rich and bold. A great color which delivers all these qualities is Ocean Sigh. For a gentler version, try Sea Tickle. One other color that is gaining raves is grey. It’s a gorgeous sophisticated color that also makes a nice complement to yellow. Try Filtered Shade with Honey Glaze.

            

                               
Sunny Jonquil 3010-1       Filtered Shade 4003-1B       Honey Glaze 3003-2A       

                                                             

                      Ocean Sigh 5002-10A         Sea Tickle 5005-7B   

Updating the '80s Look

Stripes, marbling, sponging, ragging, gold tassels, silk and satin, shiny jewel-toned paint, everything lush and lots of excess. It was all a blast! But now, it’s time for even the go-go ‘80s to get a facelift. Bring this look forward by pairing some of the richness with the understated colors of recent years. Take a deep complex color like teal; soften it up as in Valspar Twilight Meadow. Instead of using teal as the dominant color, let it pop against a fresh color combination such as Celery and Silver Leaf. The idea is to have your rich cake and eat it too, just keep from choking on the excess.

                                      
       Twilight Meadow 5007-8A       Celery 6007-10A            Silver Leaf 4006-1A

 

And the envelope, please...

The winner is definitely RED! Last night’s red carpet delivered a gorgeous array of elegant color block gowns, but red, especially deep lipstick red, made the biggest splash. Anne Hathaway looked glamorous in a single shoulder strap gown by Marchesa. Katherine Heigl was draped in an Escada column gown, again with a single shoulder strap. Heidi Klum charmed us in a beautifully sculpted gown by John Galliano Haute Couture. Ruby Dee was absolutely vibrant in her Kevan Hall gown. We can’t leave out adorable Miley Ray Cyrus in her very grown-up red Valentino number. The red was definitely classic - the color you wear to stun, sparkle and shine. Alongside red was a great supply of classic black. One gorgeous stand-out color was seen on Cate Blanchett. Her beautiful empire waist dress was by Dries van Noten. It had an exquisite color which danced between navy and deep purple. You can go to Oscar.com to check out all of the fashions yourself.

It's Showtime!

It's Oscar Weekend! It's time to slip into your Valentino gown and Jimmy Choos and step out. And, while you're at it, you may want to glam up your house as well.

One of glamour's meanings is to cast a spell. It's to take you away from the ordinary...the way Dorothy Draper would take you away from a drab city street and transport you into a world of fabulous details, colors and style.

Imagine Steve McQueen swaggering past surfaces of mirror, chrome, gold and satin, and walls shined up with a semi-gloss. Lots of polish. The dominating palette in this style is very refined and sophisticated. Colors like Valspar Filoli Gold Ecru and Silver Leaf play a great supporting role. Detailing in rich, bold colors like a deep burgundy or charcoal create the drama. One way Dorothy Draper would create excitement is by painting a room a deep blackened color,  and then painting the over-scaled, over-the-top architectural details in glistening white. Talk about drama!

To get a front row seat to all this gorgeousness, check out movies like Top Hat, The Women and Grand Hotel.

Much of what is going on currently owes its inspiration to golden era luminaries such as Billy Haines, Elsie de Wolfe and Tony Duquette. If you want further inspiration, check out this great blog -- Swank Lighting. You'll find interesting writing and links regarding Hollywood Regency.

Give the martini a shake and enjoy the show.

 

                                            
            Filoli Gold Ecru 3008-8C                       Silver Leaf 4006-1A            

The Corn Poppy Comes to Life

This blog is written by Beehive Studios designer Veronique Habermann.

Vera Wang’s Fall/Winter ‘08 collection had the most sophisticated combination of colors. She said she was inspired by the Dutch Fauvist painter, Kees Van Dongen. It is amazing how she was able to translate his color sensibility into her collection. I particularly love the way she paired the light red skirt with a camel top and a most beautiful shade of brown jacket...it reminded me of Kees Van Dongen's painting, “The Corn Poppy." She also has a long chartreuse dress that is just stunning. It’s a very beautiful collection and classic in the choice of colors for this time of the year.

On the other end, Marc Jacobs showed a very daring palette for this time of the year.  In contrast to his Marc by Marc Jacobs line, here he showed almost no black.  Instead he replaced it with an array of grays, from lightest to charcoal, and accessorized it with jewel tones, browns or pastels. It is a very interesting collection color-wise. It is unusual, but somehow works beautifully. I love the return of the pastels. He shows the most delicious peach sorbet coat with a pale grey feather hat - very elegant.