Trending At Fashion Week: Pops of Pattern

Nothing is more daunting than embracing head-to-toe pattern and a full face of theatrical makeup, which is why Edun designer Danielle Sherman should be applauded for her minimal use of each for spring 2015. Instead of smothering her pared-down ensembles in excessive, overwhelming prints, the design simply threw in a stripe of pattern here and there.

A vertical swatch of irregularly dotted fabric — which, Sherman explained to Style.com, recalls African kponyungo masks — was applied to a simple steely-blue long-sleeved dress and used to accent the collection's outerwear, buttons, and blouses. Likewise, color was used in moderation. Crimson accented the waist of a tunic-style sleeveless top and lined the lapel of a silken smoking jacket. Stripes also made an appearance on the hemline of coats and blocked in sections across boxy tops. As with the designer's past collections, proportions were slightly oversized and the cut of each piece painstakingly crisp and sharp. Belts, or rather one oversized, circular clasp in particular, emphasized the waist of more than a few looks in the collection, though the pared-down design suggested function rather than ornamentation. Manolo Blahnik and Edun joined forces for the collection's chic yet comfortable-looking footwear, and there was nary a sky-high, torturous stiletto in sight.

The runway's makeup look was deliberately minimalist as well, keeping each model's skin looking healthy and highlighted without an excess of bells and whistles. Earthy terra-cotta shadow slightly winged out at the corner drew attention to models' peepers, which in perfect conjunction with the collection's no-nonsense vibe, were fixed on the audience in steely determination. In other words, nothing about Edun's latest collection could be labeled as less than fierce.

Images: Getty Images