Given the dominating factor that was quiet luxury in fashion over the last few seasons, color hasn't exactly played a huge role in the trends. Black, gray, ivory, and navy blue have reigned supreme throughout the year, painting everything from outerwear and shoes to swimwear and dresses. The exceptions to this—red and burgundy—are both relatively neutral in comparison to other shades on the color wheel, allowing them to fit in easily with the quiet-luxury look, an aesthetic that, at its core, is all about elevated wearability and casual elegance. A change is on the horizon, though, and the spring/summer 2025 runway shows kicked it off in (quite colorful) style.
1. powder pink
From powder pink, which, despite its obvious softness was a very domineering presence on the runways this season, to emerald green, it was clear by the final show of Paris Fashion Week that designers were no longer prioritizing safe shades in their collections but instead prepared to take risks in the visual department. An emphasis on playfulness and personal style showed itself at Bottega Veneta, JW Anderson, and Prada in the form of vibrant shades of cerulean and orange. Meanwhile, romance was in the air at Alaïa, Khaite, and Chloé, leading to streaks of soft pastels like butter yellow and mint.
From the very beginning of the S/S 25 season at Alaïa's show at the Guggenheim in New York, powder pink was a force to be reckoned with. In the days following, both Khaite and Brandon Maxwell's shows featured the soft shade in abundance—and that was only during New York Fashion Week. From there, we saw the color come into play at Miu Miu, Carven, Jil Sander, Chanel, and Victoria Beckham's shows in Paris, and Ferragamo and Bally in Milan, setting it up to become *the* color trend of the fashion season.
2. Emerald Green
If looking expensive is your goal, don't just opt for rich-looking neutrals. Emerald green possesses all of the same wealth-enhancing qualities as a chocolate brown, camel, or navy blue, but with a bit more personality. For proof, just see how it was used at Victoria Beckham's truly awe-inspiring S/S 25 show.
3. Butter Yellow
There have been hints of a butter-yellow color moment for a while now, but the S/S 25 shows really solidified the muted shade as one of the biggest role players of the year ahead. An alternative for cream or ivory, the color has a touch more personality but still looks utterly elegant, especially when paired with black (and a dark red lip à la Toteme).
4. Cerulean
Jacquemus and Alaïa dabbled in cerulean last season so that Kallmeyer, JW Anderson, Bottega Veneta, Schiaparelli, and Miu Miu could push the electric shade of blue into a top-trending spot for spring 2025. Not only was it popular on the runways, but we've already seen cerulean on rising street style star Saoirse Ronan as well as Dua Lipa and Kaia Gerber.
5. Mint
Though less talked about among the fashion crowd this season than powder pink or butter yellow, mint was no less dominant on the spring runways, appearing in sheer, chiffon form at Fendi and Sportmax, as well as in suede at Marni. Del Core, Erdem, and 16Arlington all too utilized the refreshing yet relaxing shade of green in their collections.
6. Tangerine
Orange is often considered in fashion to be one of the most difficult colors to shop for and style, but that doesn't mean it should be feared. In fact, I take information like that as a challenge. Essentially, if you can master the color, you'll automatically be put in high regard. Fortunately, designers decided this season to make tangerine a priority, meaning that by spring, it'll be tenfold easier to incorporate this once-tricky shade into my everyday rotation (and yours too).
