Pantone, the fashion color company, interviewed several designers about their inspirations for fall and their must-have items. Pantone came up with this hot list. Here are some of my favorites. You can take this to the beach and start your fall shopping list!

Carmen Marc Valvo —

Inspiration: cornucopia of color and texture — chocolates, nutmeg and persimmons. Sounds delicious, doesn't it?

Prominent colors: nude with black undertones highlighted with persimmon.

Signature color: persimmon — a beautiful fall orange that is both opulent and optimistic.

Must-have item: something simple in sable.

Check out Carmen's collections at www.carmenmarcvalvo.com.

Tracy Reese —

Inspiration: metals and textures in fabrics and bright colors combined with black, dark brown, gray and neutrals.

Prominent colors: jade, peony, rich curry, amber, brick and bittersweet brown with graphite heather.

Signature color: rust, which we're calling rich curry, as it's the perfect color to create a cozy yet fresh palette for fall.

Must-Have item: a printed, pin-tucked maxi dress in amber smudged ombre with shades of rich curry, amber, caramel, ripe cantaloupe and black.

Check out Tracy's collections at www.tracyreese.com.

Adrienne Vittadini —

Inspiration: the unexpected color combinations found in Barnett Newman's paintings — the feeling is chic, modern and graphic.

Prominent colors: neo-neutrals — blush pink mixed with silver grays, tannin with shots of lipstick red; neo-navy works back to a range of melange grays and sea glass green.

Signature color: sea glass — a diffused green hue that complements the rich charcoal and neo-navy in our core palette.

Must-have item: a charcoal boucle sweater vest with a sea glass georgette shirt.

See more at www.adriennevittadini.com.

Lela Rose —

Inspiration: At the Chicago Art Institute last October, I saw a show that had several Gerhard Richter paintings ranging from "Woman Descending a Staircase" to his many pieces of "Two Candles." I was inspired by the obscured imagery and hazy aura of his work.

Prominent colors: a hazy shade of bronze, smoke, verdigris, sea green, tanager and burnt clay.

Signature color: sea green — it brings together the bronze and smoke tones.

Must-have item: a strict sheath made in a cotton canvas material using a "Richter" print I designed with copper, flint, smoke, white and jonquil.

Check out Lela's collection at www.LelaRose.com.

Tommy Hilfiger —

Inspiration: global prep.

Prominent colors: For fall 2011, we're offsetting plaids and Pendleton stripes with burgundy, air force blue and bottle green.

Signature color: Our heritage is red, white and blue — for fall, the new red is burgundy; the new blue is air force blue.

Must-have item: the toggle coat in flannel gray or camel with a Pendleton stripe.

See Tommy's newest trends at www.tommy.com.

Betsey Johnson —

Inspiration: flowers and romance, flower gardens in the fall and flower gardens in the snow.

Prominent colors: softs and hards, lights and darks, pales and brights — black.

Signature color: pinky lilac from pastel to punchy. I love the way purples go with all other colors — mustard golds, wine reds, lizard limes, teal-like blues.

Must-have item: stretch-net leopard long johns in lime leopard, lavender leopard, natural leopard and red lipstick leopard.

Check out Betsey's fall collection at www.betseyjohnson.com.

Kenneth Cole —

Inspiration: my recent travels through Ireland, specifically being inside an old Irish castle and sitting in front of a huge warm fire.

Prominent colors: layers of spicy colors including terracotta, red apple, fire orange and saffron.

Signature color: saffron yellow — it is our standout color of the season.

Must-have item: the trench in many colors and forms.

Image: Designer Carmen Marc Valvo's signature color for fall is persimmon — a rich fall orange that he calls both "opulent and optimistic." The dress is from his fall runway collection. Photo courtesy of www.carmenmarcvalvo.com.