The hottest trends straight off the runways.

With the first frost right around the corner, the spring shows can seem like exquisite torture (after all, it will be months before we can actually wear those fabulous designs). But seeing all the fresh, inventive styles float down the runways can give us the fortitude to make it through another winter. Here, the top eight trends from the spring collections and the designers who translated them into the strongest shows of the season.

Sweet Simplicity
At its best, minimalism can be sexier than the barest dress or the most daring neckline. And this spring’s spin on simplicity—unlike the more austere looks of minimalist collections past—was peppered with soft, simple silhouettes that relied on cut and movement to deliver maximum impact. At Lanvin, Alber Elbaz’s directional collection projected a mature, confident sexuality, with pared-down shapes, luxurious fabrics, sparse ornamentation, and an unwavering focus on form and proportion. The minimalist trend even extended itself to labels traditionally known for their embellishment, such as Project Alabama, which eased up on its trademark embroidery and kaleidoscopic color palette in favor of lightweight sweaters cut close to the body and skirts accented with just the slightest bit of decoration.

Fit to Print
Spring always seems to bring out the best in patterns, and this year designers looked to pop art and geometry for their inspiration. At Diane von Furstenberg, a dizzying array of prints was shown in quirky, inventive combinations, while ’50s-style upholstery patterns were paired with skinny stripes. The end of Stella McCartney’s show unveiled a troupe of bold print dresses featuring oversize bits and pieces reproduced from a James Rosenquist painting. The surprisingly glamorous result was perfectly in synch with a collection that seemed to embrace a more grown-up version of the Stella girl.

She’s a Lady
After spending all winter wrapped in wool and cashmere, the prospect of slipping into a light-as-air, feminine frock seems sublime. Everyone loves pretty, of course, and perhaps no one does it better than Alice Temperley, whose vibrantly hued collection of modern florals and metallic details showcased several dresses that could be worn well into fall with boots and opaque tights. On the other side of the color spectrum, Costello Tagliapietra offered a small set of sophisticated jersey dresses in muted earth tones that women who wouldn’t be caught dead in Laura Ashley will be drawn to. At Lanvin, several garments, such as wide obi-inspired belts and modern variations of the goddess dress, made a strong case for often-overlooked feminine zones such as the waist and shoulder, while Missoni, Clements Ribeiro, and Nina Ricci also offered women the kind of dewy dresses and separates we long to wear when the weather turns warm.

Ruffles Redux
Like a sheer blouse or a pair of sky-high stilettos, ruffles can be devastatingly alluring or deplorably abysmal. Viktor and Rolf took the ruffle to the extreme this season, with dresses that seemed to asphyxiate the models in flouncy explosions. More convincing and wearable examples of the ruffle were found at Chloé and YSL. Phoebe Philo placed them on the bodices and sleeves of blouses and the necklines of dresses, while Stefano Pilati at YSL ran tiny ruffles down the front of a skirt and used them to superb effect on the dramatic collar of a sleeveless blouse.

Charming Cutouts
Few embellishments illuminate the lightness of the season like eyelet, an accent that adorned the hems of dresses and pants throughout countless collections. The loveliest examples were a midnight black shirtdress at Diane von Furstenberg and a pair of sandy linen pants from Twinkle, on which eyelet detail fell from the knee. The accent even showed up in an edgy leather iteration at Fendi, while Zac Posen, Antonio Berardi, and Cacharel presented their own enchanting versions.

Volume Play
When it comes to silhouettes, there’s little that we haven’t seen, but this spring, designers tinkered with the volume on skirts, dresses, and shirts. Giambattista Valli played with this idea, pairing trim tops with tulip and balloon shapes on the bottom. At YSL, Stefano Pilati continued the exploration of volume and proportion that he began a few seasons earlier by showing a group of balloon skirts that tapered in at the knee for a surprisingly easy-to-wear silhouette. Jeremy Laing, Calvin Klein, and Vera Wang also sent out their own appealing variations on this theme.

Perfect Pants
Although we all love a great pair of curve-hugging jeans, there’s no denying the appeal of a well-fitting, wide-leg pant that moves gracefully with every step we take. This trend was seen on numerous runways for spring, including Doo Ri’s and Blumarine’s. But the best translation was found at Chaiken, where a beautifully cut wide-leg version of the pitch-perfect pants it's famous for, shown with a slinky long rope belt, had just the right amount of slouch and sex appeal.

The Empire Strikes Back
In a return engagement from the fall shows, the Empire waist set off an array of dresses for spring, and the best examples were seen at Derek Lam and Paco Rabanne. Lam’s presentation included a gorgeous floor-length white gown that was featured in both a spaghetti-strap version and one cut with cap sleeves (either would be fantastic for a progressive, low-maintenance bride). For Paco Rabanne, Patrick Robinson went both flirty and sophisticated with a sleeveless Empire minidresses in a bright floral pattern and an evening gown in a toned-down metallic gray.

Costello Tagliapietra’s sophisticated spin on femininity.

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