Black and white on the runway at Carmen Marc Valvo

It’s Just That Black and White

Don’t call it a comeback! Designers flooded the runways for this season with the simple palette of black and white in sexy and daring designs that still maintain the sophistication that the classic color contrast is synonymous with. Designers play up the polar opposites with eye-catching patterns, prints, textures and embellishments, and even spice up the most basic black and white pieces with bold shoes and accessories. So don’t write off your black and whites just yet because the possibilities for putting together a stunning outfit are endless.

Geometric patterns ruled the Spring/Summer 2009 runways and put a new spin on black and white pieces. The shapes appearing on garments intensified the contrast between black and white. Rubin Singer and Michael Kors freshened up otherwise simple black dresses by freckling them with white polka-dots. Carmen Marc Valvo added zing to the classic little black dress by intertwining strips of black fabric into a body-hugging, checkered weave. Meanwhile Phillip Lim crated a quilt of black and white triangles for his pencil skirt, in an attempt to give a little oomph to the workplace wardrobe.

Michael Kors’s polka-dot dress with full crinkled skirt and patent leather belt

Michael
Kors

Carmen Marc
Valvo

Phillip
Lim

Rubin
Singer

Aurelio Costarella’s black and white satin dress

Distinct fabric textures that are especially shiny, shaping or sheer give garments in black and white a hint of sexiness by making the contrast, notably against enhanced summer skin tones, really pop. The skin-tight bandage mini-dress by Max Azria is perfect for putting a little va-va-voom in an evening. Meanwhile the less conspicuous lightweight fabric designs such as the sheer black tunic dress by Anna Sui or the flirty white lace dress by Diane von Furstenberg are perfect for warm summer nights.

At retailers such as Banana Republic traditional lightweight summer fabrics like linen, in skirts, dresses and pants are also plentiful in black and whites this season.

Herve Leger by
Max Azria

Anna
Sui

Diane von
Furstenberg

Banana
Republic

Intriguing black and white patterns and prints are bringing ho-hum traditional shapes to life. Dresses with large motifs like the South American inspired designs from Anna Sui play up the bohemian look befitting of daytime casual. Smaller prints like the one featured on the patterned sheath by Wenlan are workplace appropriate when paired with a blazer or cardigan. The elegant chandelier-like design on the lacey hem of Anna Sui’s spaghetti strap dress illustrates how a subtler pattern on a delicate fabric create a look that’s suitably dressier for night.

 
Anna Sui’s South American inspired strapless dress

Wenlan

Anna
Sui

Cynthia
Steffe

Diane von
Furstenberg

Aurelio Costarella’s satin 

ruffled one sleeve top

Unconventional silhouettes like an asymmetrical cut or extravagant ruffles are another way the black and white garment has been reinvented. Look for eccentric shoulder features like Aurelio Costarella’s tousled one shoulder top or Calvin Klein’s take on the white satin dress with a sharp fold-over neckline and sleeves. Yeohlee’s puffed cap-sleeves and Costarella’s ruffle sleeves with contrast piping add exuberance to the black and white designs. When in the market for a new little black dress, find a silhouette that’s avant-garde like Max Azria’s sultry asymmetric design.

Calvin
Klein

Yeohlee

Aurelio
Costarella

Max
Azria

A modern take on using black and white in a single garment is achieved through dip dying: the black dye darkens and fades across fabric, allowing the designer to create optical illusions on pieces. The process can be seen on popular shapes like Omnialuo Zheng Luo’s fading black to white satin skirt and Max Azria’s dip dye bandage mini-dress. This trend has made its way from the runway and onto the racks of affordable retailers such as Forever 21. Hip dip dyed duds like wrap and shift dresses as well as tops and cardigans are available for shoppers without breaking the bank.

Dip-dyed one sleeve bandage dress for Herve Leger by Max Azria

Omnialuo
Zheng Luo

Omnialuo
Zheng Luo

Forever
21

Forever
21

The look at Matthew Williamson at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

Black and whites serve as a blank fashion canvas, which makes getting creative with what’s already in your closet easy and fun. This season designers sent their black and white frocks down the runway accented with bold bags and belts, brilliant shoes and bulky jewelry. Adorn the collar of an otherwise plain black top with a multi-colored necklace or with thick, patchwork leather belts and chunky bracelets. You can also liven up black and whites with vibrant shoes and vivid bags.

Accessories to dress up black and whites are available at retailers such as Topshop while stylish footwear are available at Piperlime , where brightly colored clutches and other accessories are also available.

Louis
Vuitton

Oscar de la
Renta

BCBGMAXAZRIA

Topshop

Black and white will continue to live up to its hallowed reputation as the epitome of classic style so long as it is consistently reinvented and revamped. Whether it’s time to purchase new duds or recycle old ones, you can stick with this universally flattering color combination by adding pieces with fresh accents or accessorizing with the latest trends to keep your existing black and whites in circulation. After all is there really such a thing as “the new black” and its partner in crime, white?

***All runway photography courtesy of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week***

About the Author: A self-described style connoisseur and product of the concrete runway that is San Francisco, Rania Ahmed strives to bring her innate love of fashion to her articles. She closely studies the latest trends and designs hot off the runway to bring you up-to-the-minute style reports.

About the Editor: With a degree in Psychology from Brown University, Miko Laube creates intuitive fashion articles drawn from her experiences as a stylist, makeup artist and dancer in San Francisco. She credits her upbringing in cosmopolitan Hong Kong and her mother, Yuka, for her fashion sensibility. You can submit a question to Miko through the "Ask The Expert" section or contact her directly at  miko@herstoknow.com.