When you think about revamping your look for the warm-weather season, start by picturing the color trends we saw on the spring and summer 2023 Fashion Week runways. Not only are the blooming flowers, longer days, and sunny skies enough to inspire a more vibrant wardrobe, but this season specifically brings with it a bevy of shades that will truly turn heads. Some of the hues of the season center around bright, bold tones like kelly green, classic cobalt, and fiery red. And others speak to a slightly more muted pastel-based palette: think butter yellow, powder blue, and electric lilac. But regardless of where it falls on the color wheel, all these tones signal a cheerful, playful approach to shopping come spring and summer.
With weather slowly beginning to mellow, warm days peppered throughout the otherwise cold season, and vacations on the horizon, draw inspiration from the color choices of the spring/summer runways. Designers like Valentino traded Barbie pink for the fashion house’s iconic bright-red hues; Victoria Beckham went for a soft, powder-blue hue; and designers like Jason Wu and Carolina Herrera opted for a soft butter yellow that can act as a neutral or a pop of color, depending on how you style it. The list goes on.
It’s time to look back to the spring and summer runways for everyday wardrobe inspiration. Ahead, take a deep dive into the delicious tones of the season: fiery red, butter yellow, kelly green, classic cobalt, powder blue, and electric lilac.
Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Fiery Red
Barbie pink is stepping aside for its deeper-toned sister, bringing the power tone of red to the forefront. With Alexander McQueen designing power jumpsuits in the bold hue and Akris opting for flowing dresses in the same, red is more stylish than ever.
Michael Kors, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Fiery Red
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Fiery Red
Image Source: Courtesy of Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Fiery Red
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Fiery Red
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Butter Yellow
Butter yellow is bringing a slightly deeper tone to all of your neutrals, from the likes of Carolina Herrera, Jason Wu, and more. The silhouettes are both bold (see: Altuzarra) as well as ladylike (á la Lela Rose). Yet they all offer the same tone that effortlessly acts as both a neutral and a pop of bright color, depending on how you style it.
Jonathan Simkhai, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Butter Yellow
Jason Wu, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Butter Yellow
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Butter Yellow
Carolina Herrera, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Butter Yellow
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Going Green
Green is a tricky color to style, so designers have taken the “choose your own adventure” approach when it comes to this hue for spring. While Johanna Ortiz and Lela Rose opted for classic Kelly green, Rejina Pyo went for a subtle mint tone and Victoria Beckham added a slightly more acidic hue to the mix.
Lela Rose, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Going Green
Victoria Beckham, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Going Green
Image Source: Courtesy of Johanna Ortiz
Johanna Ortiz, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Going Green
Rejina Pyo, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Electric Lilac
Designers like Cecilie Bahnsen and Christian Wijnants have taken the polarizing color and made it accessible to all. The pastel color is no doubt softer than deeper, richer tones of purple. Still, there’s an electricity to the lilac hue of Spring 2023, with a vibrancy and deep saturation that still feels powerful.
Cecilie Bahnsen, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Electric Lilac
Christian Wijnants, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Electric Lilac
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Electric Lilac
Prabal Gurung, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Classic Cobalt
Designers are taking it back to the basics with their cobalt array for spring, creating looks in one of the three primary colors on the wheel. Though bright and bold, blue hues are a safe toe-dip for those more averse to sunnier hues in their wardrobe.
Akris, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Classic Cobalt
Carolina Herrera, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Classic Cobalt
Rokh, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Classic Cobalt
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Powder Blue
In keeping with the pastel colors of the season, Spring runways were rife with powder blue, a tone that acts as both a neutral and a pop of color. Deveaux added a bit more saturation to the tone, styling looks with head-to-toe color, while Victoria Beckham offered just the right amount of pigment for a more colorful alternative to springtime whites. No matter what your personal style, powder blue is a must have this season.
Deveaux, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Powder Blue
Victoria Beckham, Spring 2023
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Powder Blue
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Spring/Summer Colors 2023: Powder Blue
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