A/W 13/14 Paris catwalks: women's print analysis

By Alice Clarkson & Sandra Keating, WGSN, 08 March 2013 Key print and pattern directions from the Paris catwalks include chintz, black-and-white textures, hyperculture pattern, quirky conversationals and placed florals.

Chintz
Chintz florals with an antique aesthetic appear as the key floral message from Paris and other cities this season. Play with ditsy or large scale and space to create different looks within the trend.

Ditsy chintz repeat

Valentino autumn/winter 2013/14

Louis Vuitton autumn/winter 2013/14

Dries Van Noten autumn/winter 2013/14

Black & white textures

Monochrome print has been a key look across all the major fashion weeks this season. In Paris, designers use painterly textural pattern, stripes and jewels to create strong graphic monochrome prints.

Textural stripe repeat

Isabel Marant autumn/winter 2013/14

Rue du Mail autumn/winter 2013/14

Vanessa Bruno autumn/winter 2013/14

WGSN 2013

Hyper culture
Designers are looking to global cultural art references to create a new hyper-culture print look. Play with geometric shapes, vivid kaleidoscopic all-over prints, intricate geometrics, micro symbols and flower motifs.

Hyper-culture repeat

Manish Arora autumn/winter 2013/14

Kenzo autumn/winter 2013/14

Comme des Garons autumn/winter 2013/14

Gothic conversationals
Give conversationals a sophisticated gothic twist by playing with beetles, bugs and eye motifs in simple all-over repeats. Fun for halloween,this also adds an interesting feel to tailored looks for autumn/winter 2013/14. Play with scale for matching separate styling.

Jewelled bugs repeat

Tsumori Chisato autumn/winter 2013/14

Kenzo autumn/winter 2013/14

Lanvin autumn/winter 2013/14

Placed florals
Emerging as a new favourite among key designers are placed florals. Keep single floral combinations simple and play with random off-kilter placements and openly spaced arrangements. Appliqus and embroideries add sophistication and another dimension to this popular trend.
WGSN 2013

Floral embroidery placement

Christian Dior autumn/winter 2013/14

Lanvin autumn/winter 2013/14

Dries Van Noten autumn/winter 2013/14

Spots & dots

The polka dot in its many forms, big or small, uniformed or irregular is making a comeback. Key for 1950s-inspired looks, spots on pastel grounds are new for autumn/winter 2013/14.

Spot repeat

Miu Miu autumn/winter 2013/14

Vivienne Westwood autumn/winter 2013/14

Tsumori Chisato autumn/winter 2013/14

WGSN 2013