What color is sure to always make a statement? Red. From our earliest Alice in Vermillion that got us hooked on how the color pops on denim to one of our new fall favorites Amalia in Vermillion, we think that the brilliant red orange color vermillion denim is the perfect combination of statement and class. In its naturally occurring form, vermilion is actually mercuric sulfide, a toxic compound also known as “cinnabar,” luckily for us the dyes and paints of today are non-toxic. Take a look back and read about the origins of the eye catching color.

As our design team continued to experiment with and discover new shades of red, it resulted in one of our summer favorites Almas Hi Rise Skinny in Acid Red and this fall’s stunning Alice Skinny in Devil Red. We continue to create and come up with new combinations of red denim; ever wonder where our design team finds inspiration for all of these different shades of red? Take a look at our Pinterest page for an in-depth look at our design team’s “Color Inspiration: Red” board.

As you know, we’re loving pink right now. You never know, a tone like this may just show up in the line!

A major conclusion coming out of the most recent fashion week was that “It’s all about prints” for Fall/Winter 2012 – a preponderance of prints you might call it.  We saw all types of patterns, inspirations, colors, and techniques, from basic giant flowers by Christopher Kane to playful trompe l’oeil looks from Mary Katrantzou to natural abstracts from Helmut Lang.

We love this trend for denim too: in case you missed it, we’re super excited to debut our own signature print in three colors this fall.

Aside from a very condensed version of design process on Project Runway, most people aren’t familiar with all of the steps that go into creating a finished look – especially a finished denim look. As part of our series of Explained posts on The Habit, we’re going into the details of the denim design process. From wash development, to perfecting the fit, to creating a sample and finally hitting retail, there are many steps in creating a pair of jeans. But before any design can begin to take shape, a designer has to be inspired.

Gathering inspiration is a constant practice, and it can come from anywhere – great photographs, the texture of fabrics, a stylish person, artwork, music, architecture, nature – really anything that we see or feel in the world around us. Designers are required to be sponges, soaking up as much of this inspiration as possible.

When the beginning of a calendar season comes around, the design team is tasked with putting together a “collection”, a cohesive group of pieces that represents our vision for the line, yet also carries market appeal. At that point, usually more than a year in advance, we have to focus in on our favorite bits of collected inspiration to draw out major trends in fabrics, silhouettes, washes, and colors for the given season.  We check our tastes against macro trends in society, and look at what’s on the runway, what is chosen for magazine shoots, and what trend services are saying. We can then pull a series of images that support the product and design direction we’d like to go in for the line. Out of habit, we gather these images into an inspiration board, which serves as a constant reference as we start to create specific looks.

Even after we have a sense of what the product will look like for the season, inspiration continues to play a key role throughout the entire process. We are constantly looking at blogs, magazines, tumblr accounts, trend services, and the world around us to reconfirm that our inspirations for the current line are hitting the mark. When all is said and done, the goal is for the product to hit stores right as the trends are starting and never too late.

Here is a sneak peak of the Harrison Ultra Hi Rise Bell Bottom in Iris, a  new style from the HABITUAL Spring 2012 line, which picks up on both the 70’s and high waisted trends. We’re excited because Spring 2012 marks the first full HABITUAL collection for our Design Director, Jennifer Wojinski. We’ve also selected the Harrison, and this particular shot, to serve as the opener for our Spring 2012 look book, which just went off to the printers.

While Vogue attributes this spring’s python trend to the Egyptian Cobra that recently escaped from the Bronx Zoo (In case you missed it, a parody Twitter account @BronxZoosCobra was the talk of the town, gaining over 240,000 followers and receiving offers for a stay at the Plaza Hotel and an endorsement deal with SKYY Vodka, among other things), this is actually the most recent iteration of a larger, ongoing animal leather and exotic skin trend. Python has found home this season on everything from YSL platforms to bags, and you can even get a python pedicure treatment.

Our own take on snake is the Audrey legging in the wash Black Mamba. This is a black treatment with plenty of shine and a leathery snakeskin detail. The name comes from an African snake called the Black Mamba, the fastest snake in the world and also one of the most venomous. We like to pair it with a simple black or white top and clean shoes to contrast the energy of the legging. Choose a bright polish on your next manicure to add a bit of color.

If you live in the LA area, you can find it exclusively at Nordstrom South Coast Plaza, Mission Viejo, Brea, or Thousand Oaks, or at Code C in West Hollywood. The style will ship to additional stores later this year.