Mideast Culture

Style, Translated: Neon Pop

Neon jolted the runway last year and is still going strong in 2012. High fashion designers weren’t afraid to show couture and sportswear in dizzying hues of highlighter colors on the ramp, sometimes even going overboard with pairing sharp contrasts of neon together for a full-on look. The versatility of this trend is that there is no threshold of it being over the top, or being too understated. You can wear a neon statement necklace for a pop of color, or dress head to toe in striking hues of neon for maximum impact. The neon trend can also be incorporated with other trends this season, color blocking, floral, and peplum.

American designer Nanette Lepore is one of the many who didn’t shy away from the neon craze during the Spring 2012 fashion shows. “We approach color from a new place each season,” she told Style.com. “Everyone in this industry feeds off each other, and the fabric retailers have lately been pushing amazing, sturdy fabrics in these bright colors.” The trend continues all the way to her Resort 2013 collection but kept it to a minimum with random pops of neon.

Designers around the world are also incorporating the neon trend in their traditional and fashion-forward pieces. Last week, I looked at how Pakistani designers interpreted the floral pants trend at the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) Fashion Week 2012. This week I revisit the PFDC Fashion Week for Somal Halepoto’s “Qudrat” collection. Styled with dangling feather earrings and headbands, the Qudrat collection -- qudrat meaning nature in Urdu -- seems to have been inspired by tropical birds. The kaleidoscope of rich hues with a neon tinge dominated Halepoto’s runway in the form of the traditional kameez with high slits, and draped, breezy long shirts. She also experimented with international cuts with a parrot green silk jumper and screen-printed wide leg pants. Many of her looks were color blocked and embellished with hand embroidery and appliquéd work.

Sanam Chaudhri is another designer at PFDC Fashion Week to show a collection splashed with vivid, neon hues. Chaudhri’s collection, titled “Bitten,” took the futuristic route with its Jetsons-inspired cuts and forms. From the fluorescent yellow trench coat to the structured tangerine turtleneck dress with a front zipper, it was a collection that Lady Gaga would approve of.

Neon hues also made an appearance at the Muscat Fashion Week 2012 in Bahraini designer Kubra AlQaseer’s show. Known for revamping traditional Arabic silhouettes as high fashion, AlQaseer sent heavily embroidered traditional jalabiyas and its mini versions in a color palette ranging from midnight blacks to peacock greens and wisely punched her collection with a few neon looks as well.

If having neon tones in your wardrobe is a bit too much for you, try playing with accessories to add some fun pops of color to your outfits. Neon isn’t just reserved for the cool 80s new wave kids anymore; with its wearability and adaptability around the world, you could say that bright is the new black.

Are you dreaming in neon yet?

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