We’re always thinking about colour here at BIBCO. It’s intrinsic to the core decisions we make year on year as we are designing two complete collections, not just the individual garments.
One thing we truly believe and embrace is that colour creates mood and can impact how we feel about ourselves in a really powerful way. It’s crucial to think about this as each piece of the collection fits together like a jigsaw puzzle, with natural-looking combinations in sympathetic colours and prints forming complimentary textures, hues and moods.
What mood or feel do we want this garment to have? Will it make the wearer feel light, will it make them feel confident? Will it make them feel cosy? Will it feel luxurious?
It can seem that the fashion industry is quite preoccupied with trends, but these trends more often than not begin with haute couture fashion design which crystallise and prioritise key themes, often in the form of colour. These colour themes then filter down to the mainstream designs that we see all around us and then become more accessible and recognisable. Have you ever wondered why you suddenly feel you need a particular garment to add to your wardrobe and that garment is in a specific shade? Dove grey, moss green, cranberry, pumpkin?
As designers, we look to gather this information in and translate it into a language which works for our collections. It’s not a pure science by any means. We know our customers well and we also know the raw materials and styles we use must be versatile and wearable with wardrobe staples.
We often talk to our lovely customers in the shop about skin tone and how this impacts our colour choices. Many of us are already quite attuned to what works for us and what doesn’t but it can be helpful to get some guidance. And many of us are less comfortable about making these sorts of decisions, sometimes feeling wary about expressing ourselves through colour or playing it safe with the colours we feel most familiar with.
If you can identify your skin tone, this is great place to start when experimenting with colour. Traditionally, skin tone is broken down into two categories;
Warm – skin with a yellowish under tone including olive skin/ golden blond or dark brown hair
Cool – fair to dark skin with a pink or blueish undertone with cool blond/red/light brown or black hair
It can help to think what jewellery type suits you if you’re unsure. Warm skin tones tend to look better with gold jewellery and cool skin tones look better with silver or maybe rose gold.
Colours to experiment with for warmer skin tones are: oranges, stronger ochre yellows, golds, neutrals, rich browns, deep reds and plums and dark greens. Peachy and coral shades can also work really well, as will warm dove greys and creams.
Colours to experiment with for cooler skin tones are: pastel colours including pale pinks and cool blues, charcoal shades, emerald greens, soft yellows, silvery tones, brighter reds, violets and magentas. Bright whites, soft greys and navy can also work well.
Most importantly to us, is the impact colour has on our wellbeing. Having a clear understanding of the use of colour to create positivity and energy is something we strive to achieve.
With autumn well underway and winter around the corner, we hope the colours we’ve chosen help our lovely customers feel nourished, invigorated, content, on-trend and calm.
Discover the new colour palette here.
Best;Snow
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