The WGSN trend forecasting platform, together with the world color benchmark Coloro, unveiled the key colors for the Fall/Winter 23/24 season earlier this year. The duo’s selection was intended to reflect how people are adapting their different lifestyles to focus on building a vision of the future, with hues that will also appeal to the motivating forces that drive consumers.
“Our key colors capture changing consumer behaviors and are sensitive to their changing emotional states and lifestyles,” Jenny Clark, WGSN’s head of color, said of the selection in a statement. “These versatile colors have transseasonal characteristics that reflect the importance of choosing colors responsibly, and we hope they will transcend to 2024.” To give us an idea of how these colors could be used in design, FashionUnited has compiled images of each of the shades seen on the SS23 runway shows.
Digital Lavender
Named Color of the Year 2023, Digital Lavender is closely linked to the rise of wellness and digital bypass, through consumer search for immersive digital experiences focused on health and mindfulness. The color itself is described by the duo as “calming”, with balancing properties that connect with this movement. The use of it has been seen in all kinds of garments, from light lace dresses, like those worn by Yuhan Wang in his shows, to floor-length fur coats, a style that Marni adopted.
Astro Dust
This tone, described as “captivating” by WGSN, is accompanied by the commercialization of space travel, with the “deep mineral” tone evoking a “dusty, desolate landscape” and a desire to explore remote terrain. The two organizations suggested using Astro Dust for materials such as leather, as seen in Y/Project menswear, or textured outerwear, an element explored by Rick Owens in voluminous layering.
Galactic Cobalt
Like Astro Dust, the Galactic Cobalt shade also draws inspiration from the new space age, as well as digital transformation and the metaverse. This “intense and dynamic” blue, according to the report, will connect with consumers seeking escape and an extended reality. As WGSN suggests, this hue can be elevated through transformative finishes, like the metallic hues seen in the LaQuan Smith and Jennifer Blom collections. For its part, Off/White used this color in practically all of its line, driven by a sense of tactility, also noted by the forecaster.
Sage Leaf
According to WGSN, the Sage Leaf hue is also closely related to a state of well-being, since the “calm and relaxing” green seeks to instill a feeling of contemplation, rest and reflection. The report adds that this shade is ideal for a reflective and reducing design, as consumers begin to think about how to combat overstimulation and stress. Reflecting the duo’s suggestions to use color to elevate the military, the hue could be seen in looks of this caliber on Craig Green’s runway. Instead, as seen in the Coperni and Loewe collections, green could also be used for soft-textured materials, such as velvets.
Apricot Crush
Named WGSN Color of the Year 2024, Apricot Crush possesses “restorative” qualities that help “balance lifestyles and nourish mind and body.” A departure from soft pastels, this invigorating orange seems to bring a shot of energy to the season’s palette. While WGSN suggested that the color worked well for a range of beauty products, it also said that this gender-inclusive shade could be successfully applied to outerwear, as seen on the Dawei runway, and to knitwear, where it was applied. Hermes.