As a fashion merchandising student, Kent State offers important aspects of what I study, including current trends and forecasts.

This year, the most influential fashion magazines are out with their lists of “Spring 2014 must-haves” and “straight from the runway.” As I spent the first month of this year browsing through some of these magazines, I couldn’t help but wonder where fashion is really heading this year.

Underneath the obvious buzz about the latest trends and how “orange is the new black,” what is really shaping fashion trends each year? Some of the most obvious inspiration for this year’s trends has come from the Year of the Horse. According to Elle magazine, we are quite literally talking equine dressing.

Skirts are getting longer, patterns are becoming more abstract, and have new horse-themed jewelry is hitting all our favorite stores. Metallic color schemes are tastefully back in. Vogue is even highlighting a trend of clothing that can be classified as “wearable art.”

While designing winter clothing is inarguably more challenging than for the other seasons, is the fashion industry getting a little too carried away by an insatiable need for its creative expression of art?

We all love art, but how much of it do we really want to wear? In a climate where most of us like to stay in with a hot cup of coffee, do we look into our closets trying to find the perfect abstract crop top, or do we look for our most comfortable woolen sweater?

The usefulness of what we see on the runway is a highly debatable topic, but the fact remains that many people follow trends religiously, whether or not their purchases are practical. I find myself in this situation more often than not.

That being said, some of the most wearable trends straight from the runway that are both beautiful and useful in this climate include pretty pastel colored shirts and boxer bomber jackets, athletic striped trousers, equestrian boots and hats, fringes and a tasteful compilation of sportswear meets business, to name a few.

There is a lot in store for 2014, and this is a season of a perfect equilibrium of colors. Give your blacks and grays a rest, and throw on that orange sweater.

Street trends for this season allow us to brighten even the coldest of days by adding more color to our look every day — fun colors are no longer only for the summer.

The fashion industry is growing at an alarming rate, and designers are constantly looking for new and refreshing ways to bring back the old.

Modern and abstract art is soon going to be the most prominent base for every seasonal trend, and color schemes will be explored in new and exotic ways. The world of fashion is effectively morphing into a world with no barriers, and 2014 is just the start.