Illustration: Marcela Gutiérrez

The fashion illustrations of Marcela Gutiérrez now adorn the Prada flagship stores in both New York and LA.  The project depicts models from this season's campaign, and her painting style is both full or realism and a visceral sort of abstraction. 

Spring 12 Men: Prada

Flowers are blooming everywhere at Prada. There's nothing understated or manly about these florals, and the bold approach is refreshing in the menswear world of textures, stripes and plaids.

Scenic Route

Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia

Scenic views are no longer just for Sunday drives. Designers over the past few seasons bring photographic sights onto the runways and even interiors. Gaetano Pesce's sofa lets you enjoy the views without leaving your home.

Prada, Carven, Christopher Kane, Miharayasuhiro

Spring 11: Stripes

Prada, Louise Gray, Marc Jacobs, Chris Benz, Tsimori Chisato

Stripes came in all many shapes and sizes this season. Many were bold, graphic and solid (Prada, Marni, Louise Gray, Cynthia Rowley,) some nautical (Tsimori Chisato,Clements Ribeiro) and others like Marc Jacobs and Chris Benz were inspired by 70's and 50's vintage respectively. And Kenzo also showed softened stripes on his Japanese textiles.

Sophisticated Plaids

Clockwise: Winter Tartan Front Pocket Small Yasmin Tote by Vivienne Westwood,
coin purse by Cole Haan Genevieve, lace Up Oxford Pump by Opening Ceremony.

It's back to school time again, but no Catholic schoolgirl plaids here. Prada and Peter Som work plaids onto vintage shapes while Ivan Grundahl drapes an oversized graphic plaid with an interesting fade. Accessories are also playing with the tartan pattern, and it seems the plaid trend is not going away any time soon. The nineties have only just begun...

Upcoming Trend: Acid Landscape

balenciaga, prada, balenciaga, christopher kane, helmut lang. background: pattern people
This future trend seems to be popping up in different corners of high fashion, as well as lower-end retail. From Prada's 70's looking beach scenes to Christopher Kane's apocolyptic mushroom clouds, the mood ranges from mysterious to downright dark. Helmut Lang's moody ocean landscape from Spring 10, is somewhat gothic, and Balenciaga's sweater and coat prints for pre-fall seem to be a continuation from their paint-stroke prints of Spring 10. Here in Pattern People land, we've been combining treated lanscape photos shot in our own surroundings, with geometric elements like stripes. Clouds have also been a huge inspiration.