The shades chosen bring a sense of both optimism and a slight forboding as influences from the natural world tie in with global challenges and technology advances to influence the colours we use day to day.
They are expected to infuse our lives via a wide range of mediums from design, home, interiors, branding, fashion and beauty products.
The Key Colours for A/W 25/26 are named Celestial Yellow, Cherry Lacquer, Future Dusk, Neon Flare and Retro Blue.
In a statement the two companies explained that acceleration is the overarching theme driving the new Global Colour Forecast.
‘As the climate crisis brings chaos and strange omens of decline (orange skies, green oceans), we will see an acceleration of change, both good and bad. Urgency, repair and reassurance will be necessities in this new reality, as is reflected in our A/W 25/26 colours.’
“Light and luminous hues such as Celestial Yellow, as well as meditative and sensual darks of Future Dusk and Cherry Lacquer speak of the search for restoration, whether it be looking out to cosmos for guidance, or turning our gaze inwards for solace,” says Urangoo Samba, Head of Colour for WGSN.
“Dependable and familiar colours such as Retro Blue echo the enduring appeal of nostalgia and the need to connect with people and things that are comforting and recognisable in a world that feels perilous and uncertain. Intense and bright tones such as Neon Flare mirror the beauty and strangeness of nature, and the urgency and activism required to bring it back to a place of balance.”
Further details explore the essence of each colour according to the brands:
- Celestial Yellow is a glowing, luminous, multi-sensorial colour that feels both restorative and surreally off-kilter. It is reminiscent of the moon, the stars and the sun, and connects with the search for reassurance and guidance as people look to spirituality, astrology and astronomy in times of uncertainty.
- Cherry Lacquer is a subversive dark with a luxurious appeal. In the age of rage and uncertainty, Cherry Lacquer feeds into themes of resistance and rebellion. It also has a seductive quality that taps into our deepest desires, taboos and pleasures as a form of radical escapism and self-empowerment.
- Retro Blue is an offbeat, analogue colour with a warm and sentimental quality. It has an undercurrent of soft joy and innocence brought on by memories, aligning with the rise of kidults and nostalgic sentiments reimagined among Gen Z.
- Neon Flare is a transient neon with a kinetic and synthetic quality. As the planet faces code red and climate anxiety becomes more pervasive, this AI-inspired colour has an igniting and stimulating effect, fuelling a sense of collective urgency as we strive to unlock solutions to ‘wicked problems’ (those with interdependent factors, which seem impossible to solve). Its charged character speaks to the need to come together and restore our spirits in a burst of communal effort and energy.
- Future Dusk has also been also chosen as the Colour of the Year for 2025. This will be a year of strategic imagination, when individual and collective creativity will be harnessed to generate new economic and ecological solutions. Future Dusk aligns with this theme, sitting between blue and purple, and bringing a sense of mystery and escapism through its dark and moody qualities. This surreal and otherworldly shade also has a celestial and futuristic character inspired by the emergence of the second space age. It aligns with themes of moving from darkness to light, dusk to dawn, preparing us for new horizons.
Sansan Chen, Managing Director of Coloro, says that before each seasonal palette is confirmed, all forecasted colours are run through Coloro’s Feasibility Intelligence solution to ensure they are broadly achievable on most materials. This is because they are expected to have a broad range of applications. There is one exception to the rule this time, however.
“We typically choose colours that can be achieved on all materials, however, based on strong trend evidence provided by WGSN, this year we decided to overlook this criteria for the colour Neon Flare and it was added as a Key Colour for A/W 25/26,” Chen says.
“The colour is not achievable on cotton and has limited lightfastness on nylon but Coloro provides brands with the knowledge of how they can appropriate and achieve ways to introduce that important pop of neon colour while avoiding all the frustrations of misapplications. This showcases the importance of a balanced approach that I’m sure is mirrored in our clients’ businesses and how creativity and technical expertise are always working together for the win.”
While these colours are expected to be adopted over a longer time period, thinking of the year ahead, it’s time to ponder WGSN and Coloro’s official colour of the year for 2024, Apricot Crush, announced back in 2022.
Apricot Crush is said to bring a warming luminosity to the home, both indoors and outside.
‘Its soft, sun-bleached quality will pair easily with neutrals and will be suitable for textiles, glass, bath and bedroom products’, the companies shared at the time.
‘Its playful side will connect with joyful beauty products, fragrance, skincare and hair colour. Apricot Crush is versatile and gender-inclusive, and will be great for occasionwear, loungewear, activewear and outerwear. Its restorative attributes will be relevant for health- and wellness-led consumer tech products.’
