CLASS EXERCISES 1

- from the left to the right
#1Triad:
-colors at 120 degree within the color wheel
-eye catching effect
-the style may be soften by increasing the value & decreasing the chorma

#2Analogous:
-in aggressive colors (Red, Orange & Yellow)
-harmonious colors

#3the principle of familiarity
-colors of the nature
-harmonious effect

#4the principle of novelty
-complementary colors
-all colors stand out
-may look exaggerating if the value & chroma is not toned

#5Mono cgromatic:
-in recending colors (Sky Blue & Dark Blue)
-harmonious
-easy to match
-because the colors are of the same hue

#6Achromatic
-in Black & Grey

My Donna Karan x 47pcs

-according to my observation, Donna Karan seldom put more than 3 colors in a set of clothes

-therefore i cannot really show a lot of color use in the designs

-so i intended to do it with the accessories

-accessories can be matched with the outfit of the same color (Mono chromatic)

-in order to achieve a harmonious feeling

-but the outcome may be boring

-therefore it would be more interesting if we inter-match the accessories with outfits of different colors

-the Red handbags can be matched with the purple gowns

-achieve Analogous color matching scheme

-the Purple Blue handbag can match with the Orange short dress (complementary colors)

-but such use of colors is not common in Donna Karan' sdesigns

My Donna Karan Collection-Style

-i aim at showing the independance of strong careeer women

-while enhancing the softness of female at the same time

-this is coherent to Donna Karan's principles

-and is the style for the brand's target customers

-i have included 3-4 pieces of formal wears

-which are highly wearable

-for the rest pieces are evening gowns

-i have included Donna Karan's wrap dress

-and have demonstrated her draps

-these are the common pieces in Donna Karan's collection

-i picked 3 formal wears & 6 evenig wears

-as the common proportion of Donna Karna's collection last year

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-the collection showns a smooth transformation of color & style

-it transform from the most simple piece of suit into a formal wear with trench coat

-then to a more grand suit with heavy fury

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-to evolve from formal wears to evening wears

-an evening gown with features of trench coat is shown

-afterall, i demonstrated the more casual short dress in orange to tone down the grandness of the gowns a bit

-and then the Brown classic gown is featured

-the value has been increased since the display of the 1st gown

-and the chroma has been decrease as well

-becasue the colors of the gowns have to be toned down

-else the collection will be exaggerating

-and would be different from Donna Karan's previous collections

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-after the gown in Brwon is featured, the color shifts to the purple tone

-a nice wrape dress & drap dress are shown

-both dress show the same hue but the later one has an even higher value & lower chroma

-because the last piece is in Black

-toning down the 2nd last piece will faciliate the smoothness in transforming colors

My Donna Karan

My Donna Karan-FW2009

~High & low value
~Generally high chroma
~3 major color combinations
# Combo 1: Black, Grey
# Combo 2: Brown, Brownish Orange, Soily yellow

# Combo 3: Purple

~Black is used to accessorize the designs

~Black is applied to the Gloves, Hats, Scarf & Shoes

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-in order to match the common practice of Donna Karan's

-there are no more than 3 color combinations in my collection

-and there are no more than 3 colors in a single outfit

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-i have picked the colors commonly seen in Donna Karan's fall winter collection

-Black & Grey are usually used as the main colors (Achromatic)

-Brown & Reddish purple are also picked to give a sense of warmth

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-i have took reference from the color used in fall winter 08

-decided to keep using Black & Grey this year

-because they are a "must" for Donna Karan's fall winter collections

-Purple is used again this year

-but it looks less reddish comparing to the last season

-besides, i have also shifted the importance of the red to earth tone colors

-earth tone colors: Chocolate Brwon, Orange Brown & Soily Yellow

-the earth tone colors look great with Purple (Analogous)

-attention should be paied to these 3 colors

-because they are different from the earth tones used before

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-in the previous fall winter collections, earthy colors usually bring a burgundy tone

-which is sometimes similar to Red or even Purple Red

-therefore the earthy colors in the past give a sense of romance

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-this season, the earthy colors look less Reddish

-it consists of Chocolate Brown

-that looks more black & dim

-as well as Brownish Orange & Soily yellow

-which look closer to Ornage & Yellow

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-these 3 colors are inspired by the dried leaves, petals & trees

-common in autumn & winter

-a very cosy, warm, natural winter is created by using such color combo

-these 2 tones show great energy in the collection

-such new tones can also interest the target audiences

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-in past seasons, the variation between the color combos are small

-this season, there are great variations between the 3 combos

-they have very different values

-Black & Chocolate Brown has the highest value

-while Soily Yellow has the lowest

-so they can be show great contrast

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-to conclude:

-i have continue using Black, Grey & Purple of the previous season

-and add new colors

-Chocolate Brwon, Brownish Orange & Soily Yellow to the color family

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-i try to keep the color use as flexible as possible

-Black + Grey (Achromatic)

-Brown + Brownish Orange (Mono chromatic)

-Brown + Brownish Orange + Soily yellow (Analogous)

-Brown + Purple (Analogous)

-all 3 color schemes are applied

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-there is a smooth transformationof colors

-from Black to Grey

-the color shifts from high value to low value

-Purple is transformed into Chocolate Brown

-by increasing the Red & Black proportion

-Chocolate Brown is transformed into to Brownish Orange

-by increasing the proportion of Yellow

-eventually, it is changed into Soily yellow

-as it continuses to rotate in a clockwise direction

-the colors' values are decreased

-they shift from the 12 o'clock direction to the 4 o'clock direction

-by spinning the color wheel in clockwise direction
-a whole set of color in similar value & chroma can be found
-therefore the colors in the collection can mix & match with each other
-but still causing no eyesore effect

MONO CHROMATIC - PURPLE

-mono chromatic scheme

-in the Purple tone, including

-PMS255: Grape (higher chroma)

-PMS242: Burgundy (higher chroma)

-PMS5135: Dim Lilac (lower chroma)

-PMS5125: Plum (lower chroma)

-the value is generally high

-purple is picked because it is commonly seen in Donna Karan's fall winter collection

-the color gives a warm & romantic feeling

-in the last season, the purple used is similar to Burgundy

-which looks more reddish

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-this season, i would like to emphasis more on the Dim Lilac & Plum

-because these 2 purple colors look a bit grey

-the chroma & intensity are toned down

-so the colors look softer

-the grey tone also gives the 2 purple colors a vintage feeling

-which matches with the classic evening gowns of Donna Karans'

-the colors of these 2 dresses also go well with the accessories in the collection

-the Dark Violet handbag will be a match

-because of the similar hue (Mono chromatic)

-the Red clutch bag & the Burgandy handbag will be great choices (Analogous)
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-Donna Karan is famous for her wrape dress

-as well as the way she drapes soft fabrics like chiffon

-this helps to enhances the softness of female

-such features can be shown in these 2 evening dresses

ANALOGOUS-EARTHIY

-analogous color matching scheme

-in the earth tones, including

-PMS4625: Chocolate Brown (high value)

-PMS159: Dirty Ornage (higher chroma)

-PMS465: Beige (lower chroma)

-PMS1525: Brownish Orange (higher chroma)

-PMS131: Soily Yellow (higher chroma)

-the value is generally low except Chocolate Brown
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-earth tone colors are picked because they are common in Donna Karan's collections

-the colors give a warm & natural feeling (the principle of familiarity)

-in the last season, the earth tones used looks more reddish

-this season, i have increase the intensity of Orange & Yellow

-which give rises to Dirty Ornage, Brownish Orange & Soily Yellow
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-the variations of the earth tones are great

-interests the audiences' eyes

-allows the color use to be more flexible

-also enhances differnt styles & feelings

-the formal wear shows great difference in the value of the jacket & the value of the skirt

-in order to match the psychological belief of audiences

-the darker (heavier) Chocolate Brown decends to the bottom part of the outfit

-while the lighter Beige & Creamy White are applied to the jacket

-the evening gown (on the left) shows features of formal wears

-Soily Yellow is applied to the dress

-but in order to tone down the color a bit

-Brownish Ornage & Dirty Orange are applied to it

-thus it is more wearable
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-for the rest 2 dresses

-their major colors are Dirty Orange & Brownish Orange

-but the shorter one has a higher chroma

-so it looks much orange thus sharper than the lengthy one

-the strong color shows great energy

-which matches with the spirit of the short dress

-on the other hand, the length gown has a lower chroma

-the color therefoe looks less strong

-the softer color also matches with the elegance of the dress
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-though all 4 designs are in the earthy colors

-but different value & chroma contribute to a different style & feeling

-the suit in Chocolate Brown & Beige looks the most strong

-because of the contrasting value

-the Gown with formal wear features looks the most eye catching

-because of its unique color-Soily Yellow

ACHROMATIC-SMOKY QUARTZ

-achromatic scheme

-in the Black tone, including

-Black (highest value)

-PMS424: Dove Grey (low chroma)

-PMS429: Light Grey (low chroma)

-PMS425: Charcoal Grey (low chroma)

-the value is generally high except the Light Grey

-Black & Grey are picked because they are a "must" in Donna Karan's fall winter collections

-the color gives a elegant feeling

-because psychologically, Black & Grey are motionless, calming colors

-they reminds people of the elegance & grace of female

-but they do give people a cold feeling

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-because of this these 2 colors are great for formal business wear

-i have choosen Dove Grey for the suit

-matched with a belt in Charcoal Grey

-simple prints in Black color also add interets to the outfit

-making the formal suit less boring & stiff

-i have also choosen Charcoal Grey for the other suit that has a trench coat

-to make it more interesting

-its collars, pocket flaps & belts are in Brownish Orange

-for the evening gown, Black & Light Grey are picked

-the 2 colors have a contrasting value

-which adds interest to the viewers' eyes

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-accessories such as shoes & scarf are also in black, Grey & White colors (Achromatic)

-they can match with any of the above designs

-because they are of similar hues

-this shows fexibile use of colors

-and encourages mix & match as what Donna Karan wishes

The Overall Color Family

In Donna Karan's collection
-Balck & White are the most commonly used
-they are the most significant theme colors
-since Black & White are worn by most career comen
-who are Donna Karan's target customers
-Black & White are calming, classy colors
-because they enhance the elegance of women
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-Black & White enhance elegance of women
-because they are calming & motionless colors
-they give people an expensive & classy image
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-White is an important color in Donna Karan's collections
-because the color simbolizes some of the designers' point of view
-in the early 90's Donna Karan created a collection consisting of only White color
-that was the beginning of the 90's health-caring life style
-White also symbolizes purity
-relates to Donna Karan's care towards environmental protection
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-Black & White colors are not only used alone
-they are also used to accessorize the designs
-emphasisng the special features of the outfit or
-toning down the style/color of the pieces
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-since Donna Karan pays great attention towards environmental protection
-Brown & Beige plays important roles in her designs
-because earth tone colors are the most common natural colors
-these 2 colors can be seen almost every year
-in spring summer, Beige is emphasized more
-because Beige is a kind of nude color
-it gives people a refreshing feeling during the hot summer
-in fall winter, Brown plays a more important role
-because it gives a warm cozy feeling
-Brown & Beige also matches well with one another (Analogous)
-creating a sense of harmony
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-Red & Purple are also 2 major colors in Donna Karan's designs
-these 2 colors helps to show the softness of independent women
-because Red & Purple are feminine colors
-they are colors traditionly made for women
-in Donna Karan's collection, Red & Purple commonly have high intensity
-the color is usually rich
-making the designs more glamorous
-there are many types of Red in Donna Karan's collections
-she uses Reddish orange, Crimson & Reddish purple etc
-Reddish orange tends to look more natural & primitive
-Crimson looks flaming & strong
-Reddish purple contributes to a sense of sexiness & romance
-Purple is also more common than Violet
-because Purple matches with Red better than Violet
-Purple is closer to Red comparing to Violet on the color wheel
-Purple & Red also matches well with one another (Analogous)
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-Purple & Red also matches well with Brown & Beige as well (Analogous)]
-it is obvious that Donna Karan use of colors flexibly
-these 4 major colors can inter-match with each other
-Purple & Red, Brown & Beige + Black & White
-Monochromatic, Analogous & Achromatic schemes are applied

Color Pattern

-Donna Karan's designs show a strong Metropolitan style
-New York city gives Donns Karan a lot of inspirations
-Donna Karan also foucs a lot on the global environment
-therefore Donna Karan's collections show features of the New York City & the nature
-usually, the New York features are shown in the fall winter collections
-while the spring summer collections features designs related to the natural environment
-she commonly applies the principle of familiarity
-showing natural colors & features in her collection
-these designs are popular among successful career women
-because they also pays attention to the decaying environment
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-generally, there are no more than 3 color combinations in a single collection
-and there are no more than 3 colors in a single outfit
-except the Graffiti prints in SS06
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-in fall winter seasons, Black & Grey are usually used as the main colors (Achromatic)
-in order to interest audiences' eyes, Black & Grey are shown in different textures
-Brown, Red or Purple is usually added to the Black/Grey pieces
-Brown, Red & Purple are the most common "Mistress Color"
-the 3 colors are applied to give a sense of warmth in the winter collections
-they also matches well with each other (Analogous)
-in FW07 Blue is added to the collection
-making the scene even cooler
-still Purple & Burgundy is applied
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-usually, 1-3 pieces of designs showing colors outside the color family are featured
-eg the Shimmering Yellow one-piece in FW07
-eg the Lime dress in SS04
-using colors outside the color family may
-interests audiences' eyes
-tests market response
-responses to the trends
-differentiates Donna Karan from similar competitors (eg Kelvin Clein)
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-in order to match the audiences' belief
-dark colors weight heavier
-dark colors are usually placed at the lower part of the designs
-eg pants, leggings, skirts

Spring Summer 04-from Amazon to Urban

Donna Karan SS04

~High chroma

~3 major color combos

# Combo 1: Soily orange, Reddish Brown

# Combo 2: Khaki, Mold Yellow, Beige

# Combo 3: Smoky brown
- patterns & prints are used

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# Combo 1: Soily orange, Reddish Brown

-give people a very hot feeling

-together with the tan of the models' skins & make-up

-reminds people of the extremely hot & wet Amazon rain forest

-the colors shows excitment

-coherent to the theme

-because it is all about the journey in Amazon

# Combo 2: Khaki, Mold Yellow, Beige

-commonly seen in Donna Karan's spring summer collection

-give a softer feeling comparing to combo 1
# Combo 3: Smoky brown

-used to match with Beige in order to form patterns

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-clothes in the colors of combo 2 & 3 tend to look more formal

-because the color of combo 1 id too strong for formal wears

Spring Summer 05

Donna Karan SS05

~Low value

~2 major sets of colors

# Set 1: Dark/Light grey, Minty green, Off white

# Set 2: Biege
~Black color is not common in this collection
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# Set 1: Dark/Light grey, Minty green, Off white

-cool colors imply a cool summer

-Donna Karan shows concerns the green house effect that makes the summer hotter & hotter

-reflective, shinny materials are used for the Dark grey color

-gives an even frosty, chilly feeling

# Set 2: Biege

-apperas again in this collection

-apart from black & white, beige is used the most frequently

-bei0-ge=nude colors

-the most natural color

-since has similar tones as our skin
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-three sharp, iconic colors are shown

-the Reflective blue & Pink

-give a strong presence

-since the entire collection is pale & plain

-2 strong colors are given to create great contrast

-provide an alternative option for the target customers

-can also test market response regarding the new color

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-the blue is used in the fall winter collection of the same year

-however in a much higher value

-to suit the dim & dark fall winter collection

Spring Summer 06-Harlem

Donna Karan SS06
~Used the most colors

~3 major color combinations

# Combo 1: Black, White
+ Yellow, Red( Low value, High chroma)

# Combo 2: Black, Navy
# Combo 3: Brown, Beige

~Black can be found in almost every piece as an ornamental color
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-since Donna Karan receives inspirations from Harlem (New York)

-she would like to capture the spirit of the Graffiti in the Harlem area

-therefore the most colors are used in this collection

-all 3 primary colors are used

-because they are the basic colors for drawing (Graffiti)

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# Combo 1: Black, White

# Combo 2: Black, Navy

# Combo 3: Brown, Beige

-Formal wears' colors

+ Yellow, Red( Low value, High chroma)

-interests audiences' eyes

-by forming patterns

-the patterns are inspired by Graffiti

-but the patterns are toned down

-in order to look more graceful

-and suits the needs for office wears