By: Shira Karney
It’s the first rule of fashion; the trends you see reflect the times. Skip a history class, and watch a runway show (kidding)! We can understand a lot about movements by analyzing style trends. Dame Vivienne Westwood’s punk style of the 70s and 80s grew in popularity as it reflected rebellious feelings against social and cultural conditions, raising a middle finger to the UK government for the situations of the people. Coco Chanel’s timeless Little Black Dress gained popularity as something elegant yet affordable, representing the movement to maintain elegance, grace, and style during a financial struggle and uncertainty in the 1930s. The current trend of healing from the COVID-19 Pandemic brings forth a fashion focus on well-being: creating more comfort-based and empowering trends coming forward.
Over the past year, we have seen a growth in discussion and actions surrounding development, community, and well-being. Purples reflect wellness and power, being the colour of 2023.
Pantone announces their colour of the year as Viva Magenta (magenta is part of the purple family. Some call it pink-purple, some call it red-purple. Therefore, it’s more purple than not). Viva magenta represents fierceness, grace, confidence, and humanity.
Trend forecasting group WGSN and their sister company Coloro, celebrate Digital Lavender as the colour of 2023. WGSN Colour Strategist Claire Smith refers to this colour as full of ‘hope and positivity’. The transeasonal, gender-neutral, soft yet uplifting shade of purple reflects the powerful current movement focusing on finding calmness and building confidence.
After the effects of being safe at home for years, people started paying attention to their mental well-being. Over the past few years, cutting back on drinking, minimalizing scream time, and maintaining health goals have been major lifestyle trends. Digital Lavender is known for having a powerful sense with meditation, and mindful practice, a colour deeply linked to spirituality and our crown chakra – the balance.
As labels embrace a versatile approach to their brand messaging and demographic, they work with Digital Lavender as a gender-neutral, transitional and transitional colour, translating harmonious colour schemes through fashion and design.
Claire Smith noticed Digital Lavender strongly featured during the Autumn/Winter 22/23 runway show and saw a rise of 62.1% in Spring/Summer ‘23 runway shows.
We saw it at New York Fashion Week S/S ‘23 with bands like Brandon Maxwell utilizing Digital Lavender for garments for springtime mini skirts and suits. Where H&M included the lavender puffer jacket in its F/W ‘22 line.
We see this reflected in stores with brands like Artizia, showcasing Digital Lavender throughout their business and casual looks, such as their trans-seasonal Effortless Pants, and sheer summery Daydreamer Mini Dress.
Digital Lavender is here for the year; from winter to spring, from business to casual, you’ll be seeing a lot of this calming, positive, upbeat colour. The trans-seasonal and gender-neutral characteristics of Digital Lavender reflect the movement of striving for equality amongst communities. And the healing aspects of it reflect the wellness movement; caring for our bodies, and peace of mind.
Be cognizant of these soft and calming yet empowering colour hues being a heavily evident factor for fashion collections, runways, and fads.
