One of the season’s biggest trends is color-blocking, where designers and stylists play with color theory to create a dramatic combination of color. The color wheel simply represents the light spectrum in a circular form. Remember ROY G BIV? Colors opposite each other on the wheel are “complementary” colors that intensify each other when put together.
Basic Color Wheel
So, blue and orange make a striking combo, as Emmy Rossum shows.
Emmy Rossum Rocks Color Blocks
Another cool thing happens when you use “analogous” colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Emma Stone’s ensemble creates a smooth flow of bright red and fuschia [few-sha]. The saturated colors that are in the same color family balance each other nicely and certainly pop against any backdrop. Note the blending of nude-colored shoes that do not compete with the lively blouse and skirt.
Emma Stone: Red & Fuschia
They say that fashion is cyclical (apart from the color wheel). Yves Saint Laurent is the father of color-blocked fabric. He created the “Mondrian” jersey dress in 1965 after being inspired by the art of Piet Mondrian. Like Mondrian, YSL designed his dress using the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) within a black grid.
YSL's "Mondrian" Dress, 1965
You Wear It Well 