Whether you call it periwinkle or violet, lilac or lavender, the recognisable shade of purple is undoubtedly having a moment. Is Taylor Swift leading the colour zeitgeist with her track Lavender Haze, its music video an homage to the hue.
Amid the pandemic in 2021, trend forecasters WGSN and colour experts Coloro announced that Digital Lavender would be the colour of the year in 2023. The report claimed that Digital Lavender is “full of hope and positivity, that poses that much-needed optimism and escapism.” Three years down the line and the serene shade has crept its way into our palettes, bringing a much-needed softness to our lives just in time for spring.
The colour has been adopted on the runway with iterations such as Brandon Maxwell’s oversized blazers, Susan Fang’s ruffled mini skirts and Prabal Gurung’s sheer looks (with hair to match). While Bottega Veneta’s classic, cropped glossy trench, and LOEWE’s purple cat-eye sunglasses are both an elegant ode to the shade you can shop.
It's not unheard of for designers to saturate their collection with one hue, as in 2021 Bottega popularised Kelly green under the helm of Daniel Lee, while Valentino initiated last year's lust for PP Pink (a shade of Barbie pink coined by the brand’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and officially established by the Pantone Color Institute); and this season Maximilian Davis's first collection for Ferragamo featured a compelling use of Ferrari red. But pastel purple has had somewhat of a bad rep until now.
A shade you might associate with your grandmother, the royals or dare we say it- even death (light purple symbolised mourning in the Victorian era), lavender hasn’t always had an easy time. Historically known for its distinct aroma, lavender has long been trusted for its medicinal properties, thought to help you sleep and ease stress. Perhaps, in a world of hyperactivity, a healing shade with sensory appeal and soothing blue undertones is the perfect offset for overwhelmingly online culture.
From Sportmax’s asymmetrical shirt dresses with rippling ruffles, and Coperini’s cutout draped mini dress, to Lazoschmidl’s leather overalls and sportswear, both the 2023 men’s and women’s autumn/winter and spring/summer collections have been infused with a heavy dose of lavender. Whether styled with sparkles, sequins, shadows of sage or short suit sets, the possibilities of the purple tone are neverending, which is why we have picked our favourites to help you shop the trend...
Shop the Rosantica Tutù gathered faux pearl-embellished tulle tote at net-a-porter.com
Shop the Loewe Purple cat-eye sunglasses at ssense.com
Shop the Coperni Cutout minidress at mytheresa.com
Shop the Prada Logo-jacquard metallic-knit cropped cardigan at matchesfashion.com
Shop the Kika Vargas purple gina minidress at ssense.com
Shop the Bottega Veneta belted leather trench coat at matchesfashion.com
Shop the Sportmax shirt dress with ruffles at world.sportmax.com
