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Top 10 Must-Haves from New York Fashion Week

By Della Hasselle | September 16, 2011 7:35am

LINCOLN CENTER — As New York Fashion Week wraps, it's time to look at the runway's hottest trends for Spring 2012.

So, if you were wondering what's hot and what's coming, the news is: neon colors, retro hot shorts, sheer clothing, sequins and bright orange anything.

"The designers are really pushing the limits this season," said fashion expert and stylist Dawn Del Russo, a fashion commentator who has been a regular at Fashion Week for the past seven years.

Below are Del Russo's picks for the top 10 trend must-haves for spring 2012.

NEON

Neon yellows, oranges and greens are hard to miss.

"I would say 70 to 80 percent of the runway shows incorporated neon into their shows," said Del Russo. The neons could be seen at the shows of Cushnie et Ochs and Peter Som as well as Christian Siarano, Nanette Lepore and Betsey Johnson.

"It is getting everyone to think outside of the box and incorporate it into [their] wardrobe,"  Del Russo added.

PASTEL PANTS

Designers Tibi and Luca Luca displayed this style in their shows, with pastel coral and green colors.

“So many shows did them. They showed these light colored pastels in the blue and pink. It is a color we are seeing over and over again," Del Russo commented. “It was so wearable, which is unusual for runways."

PUTTY TONES WITH SEQUINS

Rebecca Taylor, BCBG MAX AZRIA and Luca Luca were all pushing sequins and putty colors, and Del Russo says it's a fashion that's not limited to spring.

“You can wear it anytime of the year. It is going to be a color that is going to transition right into fall [2012]. It is a very season-less type of color," Del Russo said. "It is a little bit more muted for the girls that like to sparkle a little bit.”

MAXI SKIRTS

Christian Siriano has brought the long maxi skirt back, dressing it down with a simple t-shirt.

The normally dressy pleated skirt has been given a more youthful twist in his spring collection.

“It’s a go-to option. He really showed how to play with the maxi-skirt and get rid of the fear of it," Del Russo said. "He makes it easy to do the maxi-skirt trend."

BRIGHT ORANGE TOPS

Many designers went for the bright orange look. Jill Stuart made it especially retro, with a short jumpsuit.

"They are very good to incorporate into your wardrobe," Del Russo said, adding that she suggests pairing the color with denim or even khaki.

HIGH-WAISTED SWIMSUITS

Nanette Lepore, Betsey Johnson and Anna Sui all went for a retro look with their swimwear collections, pairing high-waisted bottoms with longer, almost shirt-length swimsuit tops.

"I saw so many of them," Del Russo said. "I feel like everyone is going in that direction. It's a very flattering style."

Del Russo added that the new style of swimwear, which comes in both solids and patterns, is much "more wearable."

RAIN JACKETS

Rebecca Taylor came out with some unique styles for rain jackets for her Spring 2012 collection, including some shorter, puffy polyester and slick jackets with hoods.

The item may make dressing up in the rain a little more fun, Del Russo said.

"Dress it up, dress it down," she added. "It's really an item that's versatile."

RETRO HOT SHORTS

The short shorts are back for Spring 2012, with designers Peter Som and Cynthia Rowley in the forefront of the new trend. The style is super short, and can be dressed up or down.

"They can be worn toned down," Del Russo said, or "They are an item that you are going to wear on the beach or with your tunic."

FLORALS

Vera Wang brought a lot of floral-style prints to her clothes for her Spring 2012 collection, especially in her pants and shirts.

"Rather than being the traditional smaller print the designers were going for those big style prints," Del Russo commented.

CHIFFON AND SHEER

BCBG and Jason Wu both added some twists to the the chiffon and sheer trend for their Spring 2012 collection with layers and various fabrics.

"It is nice to add layers so you are able to wear it differently," Del Russo said. "We are used to seeing a shirt over the skirt, now we are also seeing it underneath."

To view this year's Fashion Week coverage, click here.