Vivienne Tam Spring 2012 Collection: Zen Garden Whirlwind

The main focus of Vivienne Tam’s Spring 2012 collection for New York Fashion Week was to take the elements of a Zen garden and work them into this beautiful set of clothes that you’ll soon see. Filled with lots of colors, the orchid also makes an appearance with the embroidery and appliqué details that she used and just the general sense of how each item seems to just float and flow down the runway.

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With zen gardens, calm fishes like goldfish and koi are one of the first to pop up in my mind, making these pieces a perfect fit. From the sleek blazer, billowy blouse, solid dress, and gorgeous top (pulled in for some shape with a skinny belt), everything is dressed in that great, bold pop of tangerine orange that lingers more on the jewel tone side for that deep richness.

Going a bit darker and more neutral pallet-ed now, a similar fish-flow design is seen again, this time on a sheer top and a jacket and shorts combo that seems like it would be pretty cute for the office. It’s a nice way to be bold without having to flash any bright colors.

Totally loved the shape of these two dresses, just very clean and so sophisticated. The tie scarf accessory on the white one was super cute.

Getting a bit more adventurous, we get into a zen garden-inspired print frenzy! I particularly like the bamboo details in the blue fabrics and the colorful plants of the pants on the outfit in the middle. Even on the solid pieces, you can still see how a few zen garden wildlife influences were worked in, such as in the texture and shaping of a few of the pieces.

Two of my favorites, mainly for just so chic they looked. Crazy in love for both of them, especially with that oh-so-wearable neutral palette that is going on. Though the zen feeling is still there, just a bit more subtle in appearance at first.

More inspired pieces. From the fish scales that seem to twinkle on the dress to the far left, the embroidered and appliqué details on the middle, and that cerulean blue color on that jumpsuit - so pretty!

Closing the show were these showstopper gowns that would definitely capture all the attention in a room. The long sleeves are really feminine-looking, with a touch of glamour. It almost reminds me of something kimono-like, which would all work with the inspiration. The colorful chaos print is back and really looks amazing here.

For the inspiration, I definitely loved the idea of using a Zen garden to pull influences from. You can totally see it through every piece and that also helped it to look very refined at the same time. With everything having a touch of flow and ease, it makes it pretty easy to want to reach for a piece to throw on when you’re in a rush but don’t want to look like it. Lovely and clean, just like a Zen garden should be.

You can check out the full collection at Style.com.