With January behind us and a fresh new year underway, the buying season for all types of print designs is in full swing. We're starting to see the spring/summer trends and fashion trends taking shape, and it's exciting to watch how the market is evolving. After the subdued and moody vibes of recent catwalks buyers seem ready to break free from the runway trends covered from the big fashion houses like: Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Prada, Saint Laurent, Stella Mccartney, Dior ,Alexander Mcqueen, Loewe ,Valentino, Dries Van Noten, Acne Studio, Chloe, Victoria Beckham, Gucci, Miu Miu and Burberry to embrace bolder, more adventurous choices.
The print market, which has been saturated with simple two- or three-color designs, is now seeing a shift, particularly in women’s wear. Customers are becoming braver
and more experimental with their print selections, bringing a refreshing energy to the season ahead. The high street summer fashion brands are now going to be showcasing a range of wearable colourful prints.
Top Trends in Color
Peclers have realised the season colours predicting and advising their clients to use pastel tones of: Delicate blues, soft greens, muted yellow and oranges.
Women’s wear prints
1 ) Black-and-white designs are still going strong this season, but we’re noticing a popof accent colour creeping in. Yellow is taking the lead as a favourite, though hints of last year’s colour trends are still making an appearance.
2) Tropical prints haven’t lost their charm, but buyers seem to be on the lookout for fresh approaches and updated layouts. It’s all about finding new ways to keep this classic style exciting.
3) A strong feminine vibe is sweeping through, starting with last year’s love for bows. Now, we’re seeing soft roses paired with playful elements like cocktail motifs, adding a fun and flirty twist to women’s wear.
4) The decorative charm of Indian sarasa is having its moment in the spotlight! Treat the designs with a boho feel.It’s important to give this traditional style a modern twist to keep it fresh and relevant for today’s market.
5) Flowers are always a staple for the season, but after a wave of photographic floral prints, buyers seem to be gravitating back toward more traditional blooms. Of course, florals remain one of the most popular print choices—but remember, customers won’t buy what they already own.The key is to make your flowers stand out! How can you give them a fresh twist? Keep pushing boundaries with new ideas and creative approaches to ensure your florals feel unique and irresistible.
Analysing The Print trends
When analysing the latest print trends from London , New York and Paris , one thing that stood out to me was how many of these emerging styles are appearing across women’s, men’s, and kids’ wear. It got me thinking—why is this happening? Could it be the natural tendency to gravitate toward repetitive images that appeal to our subconscious, leading us to buy clothes for ourselves and then matching mini versions for our kids? Maybe it’s the growing popularity of trends like matching Christmas pyjamas or coordinated family outfits. Or perhaps it’s something else entirely—a sense of uncertainty among buyers about which direction to take with prints, prompting them to play it safe with designs that work across multiple categories. It’s an interesting shift, and I’d love to hear your thoughts at the end of this presentation!
With this in mind let’s talk about the trends moving across men’s, women’s and kids (The first ever design I saw of mine in a shop window of London 30 years ago ,was
sold to a brand in the uk called monsoon, it was sold to the children’s wear department. The design was made up of rows of little fruit and here the food or fruit themed patterns are trending again but not just for children’s wear.)
Conversational patterns
Conversational prints aren’t just for kids anymore—they’re trending across men’s and women’s wear too, with food-themed designs taking centre stage. From tinned sardines to fruit, all kinds of food-inspired prints are making waves. Pineapples remain strong, while bananas and cherries are quickly climbing the trend ladder.In women’s wear, there’s a playful “grown-up tea party” vibe emerging, with charming and nostalgic designs. For men, the trend takes on a more masculine edge—no tea parties here! Instead, we’re seeing similar fruit motifs but with a vintage Italian twist, like tomatoes worked into prints and graphics with a classic, refined feel.
As for kids, food prints are bold, fun, and clean, often using primary colours for a fresh, playful look. Think big, vibrant motifs paired with simple shapes. WGSN calls this colour palette “carnival,” and it’s easy to see why. While women’s and men’s designs lean into vintage aesthetics, kids’ wear adds an extra layer of whimsy by blending in bold geometric patterns and stripes—imagine a mix of circus tents and colourful performer costumes.
Take a look at john Dyer paintings (children’s wear colour palette) Food prints are definitely bringing something exciting and dynamic to the table this season.
Stripes, as I mentioned for kids’ wear, are trending—but they’re also making waves in women’s and men’s fashion. For some brands, stripes are a timeless staple to most capsule wardrobe , often sitting comfortably alongside their go-to animal prints.This year, however, stripes are bolder than ever across all areas of apparel. In women’s wear, we’re seeing full skirts with dramatic striped designs, often printed on pleated fabrics for an extra eye-catching effect. In men’s fashion, stripes are dominating shirts and swimwear, frequently paired with graphic T-shirts for a cool, coordinated look.Expect next year’s shops to be brimming with stripes in every style and category— they’re here to make a statement.
Home furnishing
In the past, I’ve talked about how trends often transition from fashion to home collections—and this year, it’s clear that this is happening again. Food imagery, in particular, is a strong trend, spanning two distinct styles.The first look has a richness inspired by muted tropical tones, where hibiscus and palm motifs are paired with tropical fruits. Think olive greens, blue-greens, and the darkest grey-greens, all brightened with dusky pinks, ochres, soft reds, and maroons.
It’s a palette reminiscent of Martin Johnson Heade’s Fighting Hummingbirds With Pink Orchid—rich, layered, and painterly. This aesthetic isn’t limited to apparels ; it’s also showing up in the shapes of plates, jugs, and other homeware. While not entirely new, this look continues to evolve, maintaining its appeal over the years.The second style features a cleaner, more primary colour palette. Picture gingham tablecloths adorned with Sicilian lemons, evoking a fresh and cheerful vibe. This look has a hint of the tea party trend we’re seeing in women’s wear, bringing a playful yet nostalgic touch to home collections.
On Fashion
As a textile designer I do think it’s important to think about what garments your prints will land up on. For me, I live for fashion and always strive to create the best women’s wear fashion prints. What will I be wearing this season? With spring around the corner I for one am looking forward to wearing new outfit ideas, discarding my winter coat in place of my oversized double-breasted trench coat. I’m no stylist but I will be swapping my cashmere cardigan for a blazer. Like I have written, I am no expert on emerging fashion trends, but I will be looking forward to wearing summer dresses, whether that’s a maxi dress, mini dress or midi dress. I love tailoring high waisted wide-leg trousers, these being a favourite type of garment of mine to wear in the summer. But if vogue is correct we will all be wearing midi skirts or mini skirts and loafers, maybe not together. But for those of you that know me very well I will probably stick to my minimalist silhouettes that I can pick up from Net a porter.