Why the future's pink

Historically, pink has been designated as ‘feminine’, but that is no longer the case. The colour is being embraced across all genders and demographics. 

“Our obsession with pink will continue to build and we don’t see it going anywhere just yet,” Clare Smith, Colour Strategist at WGSN, tells Hollywood Reporter. This is supported by catwalk data: pinks are up 138% YoY for A/W 22/23.

Pink, in general, is on the rise. WGSN’s Global Colour Forecast S/S 24 features four shades of pink, from Pink Flash and Pink Cyclamen (bright pinks), to Fondant Pink (a pigmented pastel) and Pink Diamond (the softest shade).

Bold and bright

Hyper-bright shades of the colour are trending now, with vivid pink having a strong appeal in such challenging times, inciting optimism, positivity and energy. 

Valentino made a bold statement by using just one hue throughout its show, which translated into an optimistic and empowering feeling. At retail, the shade appears in United Colors of Benetton’s Corso Vittorio Emanuele store in Milan and Paul Smith’s LA vibrant pink exterior, which has now been ‘unwrapped’ to reveal its signature stripe. This shade is also being embraced across social media and on the red carpet, from the Met Gala to the Oscars.

Social media ready

Millennial pink was pushed into the limelight by Paul Smith’s pink wall in LA and India Mahdavi’s interior at Sketch restaurant London. It was adopted across all industries, gaining mass commercial appeal.

Millennial pink defined this era and pushed boundaries to become a gender-inclusive colour that feels empowering, youthful and wearable. Millennials loved it for its Instagrammability and openness that nods to gender diversity.

Radical power

Hot pink and hyper-pink have long been linked to counterculture and political action. Punk bands such as the Ramones and The Clash used the colour and the pink triangle became a symbol of solidarity in the face of the AIDS crisis. The colour is also associated with activism and equality, especially around women’s rights and redefining gender norms.

Want to know the must-have colours for S/S 24? WGSN breaks them down according to regions in our LATAM Colour Forecast, China Colour Forecast, Europe Colour Forecast and North America Colour Forecast.

Not a subscriber yet? Check out our blogs on the appeal of purple to consumers and the applications of purple in product design.