By Ahlia Bethea ’13, Staff Writer and Fashion Expert

When a celebrity stylist is trying to stay up-to-date on what this year’s fall trends will be, or a fashion blogger wants to snap some shots of some of the world’s hottest designers, there is one place they can all get what they want: Fashion Week. Whether it’s in London, Milan, or New York, Fashion Week is always filled with hundreds of models walking down catwalks, standing like statuettes or even passing out. However, Fashion Week can be extremely overwhelming for an everyday shopper. The dramatic makeup, the crazy clashing color patterns and off-the-wall hairstyles all appear to be impossible to achieve in “real life.” Not to mention that a Fashion Week in February is preparing you for the Fall and not the more pertinent Spring. The collections that we see on the runway are products of fashion designers’ radical imaginations. In order to fully absorb all of the wonderful styles that are being displayed, there is one word that should be on all fashion lovers’ minds: moderation.

It cannot be stressed enough that you should never be tempted to recreate an entire runway look. One part of an outfit or an area of the makeup is doable, but walking down the street in the exact same hair, makeup, and outfit is a definite no. An easy way to incorporate a Fashion Week trend into your wardrobe is through color. Designers such as Prabal Gurung, Rebecca Taylor and Oscar de la Renta all had lots of blue/black combinations on their catwalks. Jason Wu and Dianne von Furstenberg integrated deep red wine colors into their collections. In terms of makeup, Fall 2012 is going to be all about the eyes. The majority of the models were left with bare faces except for dramatic eye makeup. Jill Stuart had models in dark purple eye shadow and Jason Wu’s catwalk was filled with teal eyeliner. In terms of menswear, it appears as though menswear will be looking to the past for fall style trends.  J. Crew displayed pairs of green chinos and Perry Ellis models wore ’70s inspired colorblock sweaters. Formal trench coats, vintage baseball jackets and striped blazers will be everywhere come September.

This year some of our very own Newark Academy peers attended the fabulous Fashion Week festivities and they all have some great stories to tell. Check out fabulousandfeatured.com to see what they wore and to read more about the trends seen on the NYFW catwalks.

Although the latest Fashion Week has us looking ahead to fall, don’t forget that animal prints are going to be major this Spring. Look for sparrows and butterflies on your skirts, pants, tops, and ties if you want to make a trendy impact this upcoming season. But remember: being trendy isn’t the only way to be fashionable!