WGSN and Coloro present their Key Colours for A/W 25/26, which are aligned with influences that will drive consumers, including a focus on wellbeing, creativity, the environment and technology.
Acceleration is the overarching theme driving our A/W 25/26 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.
The Key Colours for A/W 25/26 are Celestial Yellow, Cherry Lacquer, Retro Blue, Neon Flare and Future Dusk.
Celestial Yellow- 048-90-17
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- 159-23-15
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 - 100-64-14
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 - 014-68-51
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.
Colour of the Year - Future Dusk - 129-35-18
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.
Discover more by downloading our sample report.
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WGSN x Coloro - The partnership that delivers Colour of the Year predictions unites WGSN’s trend forecasting expertise with Coloro, a global colour system that offers physical and digital solutions to ensure colour accuracy. Each season, WGSN experts choose tones for the company’s forecasts directly from Coloro’s extensive library of 3,500+ contemporary colours. Health checks are run, utilising Coloro’s feasibility data to ensure the chosen colours are achievable across substrates and meet acceptable fastness and testing results. Anticipating achievability upfront ensures wastage is minimised in the production process.