This collection of the fall/winter 2022-2023 color trends may not be flooded with the expected colors of the colder seasons. Sure, there are some of the common fall and winter hues, but this upcoming season’s star colors are truly nothing ordinary. Looking to the future, designers seemed to crave bright, vibrant, and heavily saturated tones for their collections – and consumers reacted, clutching at this list of colors in particular and forcing them into the ‘it color’ status.
There is nothing quite like color. I’ll say it until the last breath leaves my body. Brilliant and sparkling hues (whether highly saturated or not) are the perfect way to represent yourself, and this is why I couldn’t help but add a bit of color psychology to this color trend report. From fall 2022 Pantone colors to popular street style tones, you’ll find every color trend that’s about to hit the streets this fall and winter.
As previously mentioned in other articles we’ve written on this topic, highly saturated colors are becoming more and more popular for the fall and winter of 2022-2023. With the Pantone colors for both London and New York primarily in a pastel category or intense warm hues, these ‘exuberant’ (the term used by Leatrice Eiseman, the director of the Pantone Institute) colors breathed new life into this fall’s collections.
Rich jewel tones have also become increasingly popular based off of street style looks. This could be seen with London front row fashion icon Alexa Chung and Balenciaga babe Kim Kardashian, who embraced highly saturated, deep colors. The lovely thing about deep colors is that there is no skin tone that they don’t look good on. So, if you’re contemplating the best fall/winter 2022-2023 colors to wear – opting for a jewel-toned hue can never be wrong. Especially this season!
Ruddy Reds
A classic fall color, red tones transcended fashion capitals and became a mainstay on all the runways. Red is a color that symbolizes passion, sexuality, and courage. This often highly saturated hue is perfect for fall when your life begins to enter a mundane routine once more.
#1. Molten Lava
A vibrant and intense red, Molten Lava is a hue that was highly popular at London Fashion Week. From David Koma to Vivienne Westwood, the sensual color provided plenty of inspiration across the pond. In Milan, Raf Simons also embraced the warm tone to show our fiery passion for this flaming red.
#2. Lava Falls
A bright and stunning hue, this orangey-red became the ultimate statement color of the season, with Carolina Herrera, Christian Cowan, Derek Lam, and David Koma all using the color to create shocking and sensual dresses. Considering the intensity level of this shade, try pairing a more staid color with it when going out. Or just completely shock the world – we’ll support you either way!
#3. Cherry Red
Cherry red tones found comfort this season as well, with brilliant tones of fiery reds. At Moschino, Jeremy Scott reached for the crimson tinted color for velvet puffed sleeves on a flowing strapless dress. Other Italian designers that fell hard for this color were Blumarine and Dolce & Gabbana, who found comfort in the rich cherry tone.
Tangerine Tones
Prominent mainly in Paris, bright oranges and tangerine tones have become the sophisticated colors of the Parisian fashion set. And if there’s anything the French can make us do, it’s run to the store with our credit cards at the ready. Of course, they might be onto something, given that orange is a bright and energizing color. So, if there’s any tone that you should wear when you feel tired this winter, feel free to follow the French lead and wear this enthusiastic color!
#4. Dragon Fire
A few designers in New York also embraced orange in the form of the Pantone color ‘Dragon Fire.’ As fierce and fiery as its name, this color found its way into sets at Maisie Wilen and a leather coat at Proenza Schouler. While a bit on the duller side, this color is perfect to pair with any other warm colors.
#5. Orange Tiger
One of the orange color trends that came from London and New York, Orange Tiger proved to have just what it took to become a cross-continental color star. At both Victor Glemaud and Michael Kors, the color was carefully worked into different parts of the collections and will certainly brighten the mood for fall and winter.
#6. Peach Caramel
The color of rich caramel with the faintest hint of pink, Peach Caramel is a soft and warm tone that grasped at the hearts of London designers, from Vivienne Westwood to Edward Crutchley. Given the pinkish tint, the color can surely be paired well with the many pastel pinks of this upcoming season’s color trends.
Mellow Yellows
Bright yellows in every tone quickly took over Milan Fashion Week, with designers from Max Mara to Jil Sander and Dolce & Gabbana embracing the sunshine hue. After so many years in figurative semi-darkness, the positive shine of yellow clearly makes sense. Particularly with Italy being hit hard by both climate change and Covid!
#7. Spicy Mustard
Perhaps further from the mellow side than one might wish, this exotic yellow is reminiscent of turmeric and other delicious spices. Given London’s deep history – both right and wrong – this hue was particularly prominent at London Fashion Week, with Victoria Beckham, Emilia Wickstead, and Connor Ives all falling head over heels for the color. Considering the brilliant intensity of this shade, think of pairing it with a duller tone, or tones as Conner Ives lovingly did by pairing blues and reds with his coat in this shade.
#8. Samoan Sun
The highly intense and illuminating color of Samoan Sun was painted heavy-handedly across the runways in New York this season. Used to create a certain shock appeal, the bright yellow seduced designers such as Jason Wu and Proenza Schouler to embrace the hue with open arms.
#9. Chartreuse
Chartreuse is a color that isn’t usually exceedingly popular given its somewhat yellowish-green tint that can seem almost sickly. However, this season, it became a breakout color trend for fall on the streets of various fashion capitals. Often used in various richer textiles, this shade found its way onto the runway for Versace, Kappe, and Del Core.
Gregarious Greens
Green will always be a color symbolic of abundance, growth, and renewal. Promoting a sense of rest and security, it makes perfect sense that many designers in London gravitated towards various green shades. So as the list of exact greens is given below, if you need any help in figuring out how to style the simplistic hue looking to Vivienne Westwood, Puppets & Puppets, or any street style photos is a great bet.
#10. Abundant Green
Playful and rejuvenating, Abundant Green became a cult popular Pantone option in London and Milan. Clearly a cousin of the always loved Kelly Green, this abundant hue was added in to create small pops of color throughout Vivienne Westwood’s neutral collection and Temperley London’s Wild West-inspired runway.
#11. Amazon
A lush and easy to accentuate green, Amazon was a color that was chosen as the backbone of many prints this year at New York Fashion Week. While it was combined more subtly at Tanya Taylor, Zimmermann and Jason Wu launched a full offensive to show off the brilliant color.
#12. Cardamom Seed
A lemon tinted green, Cardamon Seed provided a bit of citrusy flair to the London runways. Both Emilia Wickstead and Yuhan Wang carefully played with the color in their fall collections, but I can’t help but wonder if this tone might just transcend seasons and become popular in the spring as well! So, if you’re trying to talk yourself out of purchasing something in this vibrant yellow-green, think again.
#13. Martini Olive
Bottom’s up, my little fashion lovers! It appears that even if martinis aren’t your drink of choice, you’ll still be haunted by the cool liquid and the sinking green olive. Using the garnish as inspiration for a green color trend, designers at Derek Lam, Tanya Taylor, and Proenza Schouler all embraced the earthy green.
#14. Loden Frost
A classic and sophisticated hue, Loden Frost was another earth-bound green that was heavily used on the runways this year. From Puppets & Puppets to Tanya Taylor, this gray-green was used in everything, from color-blocked outfits to heavily patterned pieces. If you’re thinking about wearing this color in the fall but are concerned with its lack of brightness, follow the inspiration set out by those that went all out for the fashion week and pair pops of blue or green with this color to liven up your outfit.
Bringing on the Blue
Giving a sense of calmness and serenity, shades of blue found their way into multiple collections in all four fashion capitals. Often paired with soft pinks or greens, the color gave off feelings of reliability and security.
#15. Blueberry
A mysterious mix of blue and purple, this shade opened up many designers and creative directors to find comfort in fall’s more common color trends. Being listed as a color trend at Pantone, this duller and more mystical hue was embraced at David Koma, Erdem, and Temperley London.
#16. Polar Night
If there was ever a color that deserved to be called a ‘blavy’ (a word I invented to describe the combination of blues and blacks), Polar Night would be this color. The rich tone of the night sky, Polar Night has a deep and mysterious tone to it that allowed both Puppets & Puppets and Zimmermann to fall hard and fast for the hue.
#17. Midnight
If midnight is the most interesting time to be awake, then why not take some of the mystique with you throughout the day? Perhaps Leatrice Eiseman asked herself this question when compiling the list of the fall 2022 color trends because the hue of Midnight provides nothing but an air of mystery. If you’re interested to see how the beautiful, deep blue was placed onto clothes, then look no further than Christian Siriano and Batsheva.
#18. Lichen Blue
Used in small and subtle details throughout London Fashion Week, Lichen Blue is a pale blue-gray that instantly transports one to views of hazy winter mountain tops. The simple falling thread in Bav Tailor’s collection, for instance, was in this hue. But other designers in New York seemed to gravitate wholeheartedly to this color by using it in stunning gowns. This can be seen at Carolina Herrera, Bora Aksu, and Palmer Harding.
#19. Waterspout
From Staud to Batsheva and Roksanda, Waterspout made its rounds to become a heavily influential fall 2022 color trend. A deeply saturated blue-green that could easily be used in anything from eyeliner to interior design, this color is most likely going to stick around for a while for the simple reason that it’s just so transitional. If you’re struggling to think of other trending colors to pair with it, my immediate response would be to try one of the vibrant orange options. See you on the pages of a street-style magazine!
Pouty Purples
Purple hasn’t been a huge color trend for fall and winter, but it still made its appearance in New York and London. A color of luxury that can represent darker romantic energies or sadness, purple will certainly release your inner moody poet.
#20. Meadow Violet
The only purple trending for the upcoming season, Meadow Violet was used mainly in London. Both Raf Simons and Edward Crutchley used the enchanting color in their collections in the form of delicate dresses. In New York, the color was also used in Carolina Herrera’s collection for a stunning ball gown that we’re sure to see when the gala season rolls around.
Blink, and It’s Pink
Starting in New York and then quickly spreading in Milan (have you seen the recent Valentino collection?!), pinks of all tints and shades are certain to become popular this coming fall and winter. Based on color psychology, pink hues are symbolic of hope, kindness, and femininity – given the past few years, the gravitation to a hopeful color certainly makes sense.
#21. Bubblegum Pink
Considering the Internet meltdown that occurred when Valentino released their head-to-toe pink collection, the fact that bubblegum pink has seemingly entered the chat as a fall and winter color trend probably isn’t that shocking. Still, it wasn’t only Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli who felt the need to ‘think pink’ (if you understand this old Hollywood reference, I love you) because other Italian designers also embraced the feminine color. With Blumarine entering the cult-classic Y2K girl looks, Barbie’s dream of bubblegum pinks emerged in full force.
#22. Rose Violet
New York and London Fashion Weeks fell hard for this pastel that could easily be used in any spring collection. A vibrant pink, this fuchsia tone was favored by Richard Quinn, Christian Cowan, Jason Wu, and Carolina Herrera to add a bit of extra excitement to their runways. Often used in different details, such as a feather shawl at the Christian Cowan show, this color will add a bit of flair to any of your outfits this coming winter.
#23. Nosegay
A pale, pastel pink Nosegay is an incredibly floral pink that, like Cardamom Seed, can surely flit in and out of seasons. While it was most popular in New York with dresses in the shade coming from Carolina Herrera, PatBo, and LaPointe, Emila Wickstead also found a bit of joy in the timeless hue across the pond.
#24. Strawberry Cream
A light, creamy pink that brought in a cohesive aspect to London collections, Strawberry Cream was a highly transportive color. Used softly throughout collections from Harris Reed, Carolina Herrera, Temperley London, and Richard Quinn, this pink opened up the possibility of a dreamy princess aesthetic. Often used in lush and highly textured fabrics, this only heightened the appeal of the color.
Boring Brown? Never!
Earthy and dependable, brown is a solid color that exemplifies resilience and security. A color that is usually used during the colder months, it appears that this will be no different for fall and winter. While I wouldn’t advise solely wearing brown because it can create an almost lifeless emotional paradox, adding a touch to some of your outfits this coming season will give you an ultimate cool-girl look.
#25. Caramel Hues
Coffee tones may have captured the hearts of Pantone executives, but caramel hues were adored by influencers and fashion favorites alike. Mainly spotted on Milan runways, designers such as Genny, Alberta Ferretti, and Prada revamped lighter browns by using them in coats and other neutral-based outfits. The only designer that dared for the full brown look was Alexandra Moura. So, if you’re in a bold mood, it can be done.
#26. Chicory Coffee
Selected one of the Pantone Institute’s fall 2022 color trends, designers led not with a highly caffeinated step but rather with an herbal version. As someone that drinks far too much coffee, I wouldn’t consider this even near to an alternative, but given the beautiful color, I do understand why designers from Jason Wu to Michael Kors fell hard for the aromatic brown. Often paired with whites or used as a stand-alone color, Chicory Coffee was quick to become a fan favorite among designers and creative directors.
#27. Caramel Café
This upcoming winter, swap a rich mocha for a sweet and vibrant caramel coffee. A delicate lighter brown, this color is lighter than the other trending browns of the season – but with just the right undertones that allow it to mix with any of the other colors. Used in the Zimmermann and Zero + Maria Cornejo collections, this sweet caramel hue will surely satisfy your sweet tooth.
#28. Iced Coffee
Summer might bring iced coffees in the physical sense, but in the figurative sense, it seems that designers are embracing the color of Iced Coffee for fall. And before you get up in arms about everyone’s version of iced coffee coming in different shades, just take a moment to study the use of this color in Edward Crutchley’s and Temperley London’s collections as a simple and seductive base.
Wintery Whites
A shock to no one, white was used in many of the collections to provide its natural sense of stability. Often symbolizing purity and innocence along with a bit of practicality, cream and white hues added the perfect balance to the highly saturated colors that many designers and creative directors reached for the 2022-2023 season.
#29. Autumn Blonde
A deliciously creamy beige, Autumn Blonde is another Pantone color that many creative directors embraced for their houses’ fall and winter collections. From Ulla Johnson to Victor Glemaud, this soft and seductive hue was chosen by many London designers.
#30. Tapioca
Coming from the name of the root of the cassava plant, this Pantone color is a warm white. Particularly popular in London with Vivienne Westwood, Bav Tailor and Burberry also embraced the color to break up the bright tones otherwise used in their collections.
#31. Arctic Wolf
Given the multitude of intense colors coming from fall and winter runways, a cool white is a great option when you want to make your outfit a bit cooler. Both Staud and Zero + Maria Cornejo prominently featured Arctic Wolf on their runways. Other brands that seemed to embrace the cooler tone were Jason Wu, Brandon Maxwell, and Emelia Wickstead, who all used the color mainly in outerwear.
The Dark Neutrals
While black gives off the assumption of mystery, power, and elegance, gray tones stand in for neutrality and balance, given the fact that the color is created from black and white. Often used to symbolize darker days, sadness, and loss, these hues are more popular during the fall and winter. Considering that they are also neutrals, no one fashion capital used them over all other colors.
#32. Quiet Shade
Sitting somewhere between Chiseled Stone and Polar Night, this solid gray was included in both Pantone’s London and New York color trends. Lending a bit of cool elegance to any outfit, this gray was used in velvet suits and warm coats alike for both Temperley London and Bav Tailor.
#33. Chiseled Stone
Sometimes a strong and steady color is just what the doctor ordered. Coming in as a stable gray tone, Chiseled Stone was created to ‘display a silent strength,’ as the Pantone Institute so eloquently put it. Given the perpetually hectic lives of New Yorkers, designers from this fashion capital leaned fully into using the color in their collections. If you’re unsure of how to work the simplistic color trend into your outfits, look to Ulla Johnson and PatBo for a bit of inspiration.
Photos via Vogue
