Trending Fall Color Palettes: Top Color Trends from Fall/Winter Fashion Week 2023

Want to know what colors will be trending next season? From New York and London to Paris and Milan, here are the top fashion-inspired fall color palettes and tips for working them into your designs.

Fall Color Palettes: Trending Fashion Week Color Palettes for Autumn/Winter 2023
Portrait for Kelsie RimmerBy Kelsie Rimmer  |  Updated April 28, 2023

The Fall/Winter Fashion Week 2023 shows are in full swing around the globe, with designers unveiling their collections for the season ahead. The catwalks have featured trending color palettes, which will inevitably inspire advertisingbranding, and graphic design as much as they influence our wardrobes. So what are the hottest color trends on the runway this season? Fresh out of New York, London, Milan, and Paris Fashion Week, we’re tracking the top trending color palettes straight off the runway. 

What Are the Colors for Fall/Winter 2023?

Want to know the hottest color trends for Fall/Winter 2023? Here are the top fashion-inspired fall color palettes trending this season and tips on working them into your designs and creative projects.

1. New York Fashion Week Color Palettes

At New York Fashion Week, the Big Apple’s most prominent designers showcased various design styles and color palettes, from elegant and affluent to experimental and downright strange. Some weird and wonderful creations on display included ethereal ballgowns and flowing ensembles, hessian sacks, and models crawling down the catwalk wearing animal prosthetics. 

With the color palettes described as decadent, weird, gothic, and even “grotesque,” – the color trends emerging from New York Fashion Week were as varied as they were distinctive.

New Decadence

NYFW Fall Color Palettes - "New Decadence"

Renowned designers Tory Burch, Michael Kors, and Carolina Herrera opted for an air of affluence and elegance in their shows, featuring rich reds, coppers, deep purples, and ever-chic beiges. 

The Times’s chief fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, explained, “The story the clothes told this fashion week was one of redefinition: a change in the hierarchy of aspiration and wealth, the sartorial codes that signpost power and success.” 

A rich red ball gown from Carolina Herrera complete with flowing train.

From Michael Kors’ 1970s coming-of-age collection (referencing Yoko Ono, Tina Turner, Cher, Lena Horne, Jane Fonda, Ali McGraw, and Aretha Franklin) to the Carolina Herrera collection inspired by Sisi – the 19th-century Empress of Austria – the first color palette out of New York put a new twist on decadence.

Grotesque 

NYFW Fall Color Palettes - "Grotesque"

Meanwhile, eco-friendly fashion designer Collina Strada unveiled an unconventional collection titled “Please Don’t Don’t Eat My Friends,” which paired naturally occurring colors like brown and pink with artificial tones like neon greens and metallic blues. Instead of your usual parade of conventional beauties, anamorphic models flaunted elongated earpieces, teal beaks, reptilian masks, and pig snouts dressed in mossy green, earthy shades of browns, Y2K-inspired blue, and “underbelly” pink – which baffled and surprised onlookers. 

models from Collina Strada's 'please don't eat my friends' fashion show, dressed in elongated earpieces, teal beaks, reptilian masks, and pig snouts .

While some critics have described the undeniably divisive show as “weird” and “nightmarish,” others admired the edgy designer for her unique vision, which provided commentary on the fashion industry and the shift away from animal cruelty.

“It’s about community and all the buzzwords, be vegetarian, eat your broccoli, you know, all that stuff,” the show’s creative director, Hillary Taymour, told Vogue.

By styling the models’ skin-pink snouts and lank rosy hair with pink-and-green totes and pink mesh frocks, Collina Strada confidently contrasted the imperfect grotesqueness of nature with the polished, picturesque nature of fashion – and effectively unsettled her audience in the process. 

Cosmic Neutral 

NYFW Fall Color Palettes - "Cosmic Neutral"

Cosmic Neutral is all about combining down-to-earth tones with out-of-this-world concepts. For example, Thom Browne’s show saw models parading past a life-size plane crash in a clock-shaped desert wearing elaborately crafted knit sets in muted red and steel gray.

Meanwhile, Rodarte’s collection paired a sense of heightened drama with an organic color palette, featuring neutral “cobwebby” knits and black “Morticia Addams gowns.” Additionally, the show was held inside an abandoned bank filled with shimmering silver dining tables, chairs, and candelabras, contrasting warm, age-old earth tones with futuristic, cool-toned chrome. 

Models from Thom Browne’s show walling past a life-size biplane crash landed in a clock-shaped desert wearing bizarre red and grey knits.

This season, New York Fashion Week can ultimately be defined by its expressive, experimental color combinations opening space for more accessible, inclusive, and imaginative color palettes. 

“The colors for Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 NYFW reach out beyond what we think is possible to catapult us into this new era, taking us to a place where boundaries of time, place, and identity are no longer fixed,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.

From decadence to grotesque, integrate the experimental, expressive color palettes from New York fashion week into your next project with Envato Elements.

2. London Fashion Week Color Palettes

The London Fashion Week schedule featured shows from both emerging and established brands, all oozing with individuality and creativity. From soft punk to theatrical, the LFW designers showcased a free-spirited assemblage of color palettes and unorthodox color pairings. 

“Reflecting a focus on unique personalization and our desire to break free, this season’s colors rejoice in individuality and creativity, blending our need for vibrant, joyful color that actively vies for attention with essential yet refined subtle, timeless tones,” said a representative from the Pantone Institute

Here are the most cutting-edge color palettes from London Fashion Week 2023.

Bright Punk

London Fashion Week Color Palettes - Bright Punk

Throughout London Fashion Week, many designers paid homage to the work of the late Vivienne Westwood – an iconic designer who was nicknamed the “priestess of punk.”

Matty Bovan's show at LFW

Matty Bovan, a North-England-based talent known for his experimental silhouettes, clashing patterns, and deadstock material, is often compared with Westwood and said her influence was immeasurable. With his first collection for Burberry, Creative Director Daniel Lee delivered a cozy, punk-inspired aesthetic this season that also gave a nod to Westwood’s legacy and influence.

Burberry show at LFW - Bright Punk

Featuring bright colors such as yellow, purple, green, orange, pink, and blue, paired with dark red, sleek blacks, greys, and leather, the Bright Punk color palette gives creativity a rebellious edge, making it the alternative color palette for the coming year.

Warm Drama

London Fashion Week Color Palettes - Warm Drama

Many London Fashion Week designers opted for a theatrical approach this season. 

Emerging Greek label Di Petsa staged its first – and suitably dramatic – catwalk show while  Chinese newcomer Buerlangma’s first London show closed the schedule with “villainous horned masks and sinister elongated finger gloves.”

Emerging Greek label Di Petsa's show at LFW - Warm Drama

Dilara Findikoglu’s show featured dresses embellished with vintage silver knives molded perfectly to the body, and at KWK by Kay Kwok, giant metallic shields doubled as dystopian body jewelry.

Buerlangma's show at LFW - Warm Drama

These shows were all worlds apart, but what connected them was a wild sense of drama, utilizing deep reds, pinks, and purples paired with neutrals and metallics to create evocative, theatrical palettes. 

Muted Creativity

London Fashion Week Palettes - Muted Creativity

This London Fashion Week, three Ukrainian designers – Ksenia Schnaider, Frolov, and Paskal – presented their Fall-Winter collections that were created during the conflict. Had it not been for the ongoing war in Ukraine, these designers would have shown in Kyiv. Instead, London hosted a special Ukrainian Fashion Week as part of the London Fashion Week schedule to celebrate the country’s artistry. 

Ukrainian designer Ksenia Schnaider's show at London Fashion Week

“Today, more than ever, we need creativity for life,” read the press release for the event.

While creativity was an underlying theme for many designers throughout London Fashion Week, some brands took their individuality to the next level. For example, Harri KS — the label responsible for Sam Smith’s viral Brit Awards look — featured wild, ballooning inflatable trousers offset by simple neckties. 

“This was me letting go,” founder and designer Hari Pillai told CNN. “I want people to think as big as possible.”

While all of these designers showed an exciting level of individuality and imagination, this muted color trend showed that creativity doesn’t have to mean bright and bold. Featuring neutrals like beige, white, grey, and brown combined with muted blues, greens, and yellows, the Muted Creativity palette harnesses stripped-back colors with a unique and impactful result. 

Harri KS's show at London Fashion Week

The color palettes featured at London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 removed restrictions and redefined how we use color to express creativity. Integrate the creative color palettes from London fashion week into your next project with items from Envato Elements.

3. Milan Fashion Week Color Palettes

Milan Fashion Week showed over 50 Fall 23 collections from some of the biggest names in the business, including Prada, Gucci, Fendi, and Diesel. And, as usual, the Italian fashion capital did not disappoint.

Y2K Glamour

Milan Fashion Week Color Palettes - Y2K Glamour

This season, many designers combined classic Italian glamour with the iconic early 2000s style, pairing rich, earthy tones with kitschy sparkles, patterns, textures, and blue-hued embellishments.

Roberto Cavalli's show at Milan Fashion Week

Roberto Cavalli showed patchwork leather and extravagant faux fur coats paired with “Coyote Ugly-inspired” designs, featuring brown velvet and leather trousers, tassels, animal print, and turquoise accents.

Fendi's show at Milan Fashion Week

Fendi presented neutral satin coats and trousers layered with pleated skirts – a massive noughties throwback. They combined muted tones with ice-blue hues, as well as jackets with glimmering sequin linings.

Diesel's show at Milan Fashion Week

Diesel also embodied the early 2000s vibe with its collection of metallic skirts and dresses, distressed slouchy jeans and denim puffer coats, and acid-wash pinstriped suits.

New Gothic

Milan Fashion Week Color Palettes - New Gothic

The dark, edgy aesthetic was all the rage in Milan this season. Plenty of collections were draped in black and dark neutrals with pops of gunmetal, khaki, and blood red, creating an air of sinister sensuality. 

Blumarine’s show was nothing if not dramatic. Models walked around a flaming “B” in the dirt runway’s center wearing ruffled blouses, furry vests, and gothic fringed gowns in brown, grey, khaki, and black. The AW24 collection from Jil Sander also featured an edgier aesthetic, merging precise neutral pieces with a sense of unpredictability through pops of red, yellow, and gunmetal. 

Jill Sander's Show at Milan Fashion Week

Prada’s presentation embodied industrial chic, showing traditionally tailored uniforms and elegant evening wear in an exclusively neutral color palette with a heavy emphasis on black.

Bally's Show at Milan Fashion Week

Finally, Bally embraced a new-found confidence and attitude with their red, floor-length, faux snake-skin coats paired with red boots and handbags.

Lush Blush

Milan Fashion Week Color Palettes - Lush Blush

The final color trend to come out of Milan fashion week embodied an extensive pink palette executed in luxurious fabrics like satin and velvet.

Sunnei’s looks featured bright pinks, purples, and greens in velvet and fringe, combining the fun, adventurous colors of 90s rave culture with heavy, luxe fabrics. 

Sunnei's show at Milan Fashion Week

Closing out Milan fashion week, Giorgio Armani’s show was a whirlwind of color and satin. In a timeless chic fashion, the house presented a shimmering pink palette ranging from demure pastel, melon, and copper tones, to green, purple, and dark neutrals. It also paid homage to the Art Deco movement with silky wraps, fringed flapper caps, abstract flowers, and velvet dresses.

Giorgio Armani's show at Milan Fashion Week

The color palettes featured at Milan Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 reimagined eras gone by – from the gothic period to Y2K. Milan’s color palettes blurred the boundaries of trends old and new, combining luxury and glamour with a kitschy edge. Try these luxurious palettes in your next design with the featured items from Envato Elements.

4. Paris Fashion Week Color Palettes

Paris Fashion Week 2023 was the final stop on this season’s circuit, bringing Fall/Winter Fashion Week 2023/24 to a close. Home to some of the world’s most prolific designers – such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Dior – the Parisian color palettes were as elegant and chic as ever. 

From earthy glamour to classique, here are the most popular palettes presented at Paris Fashion Week.

Earthy Chic

Paris Fashion Week Color Palettes - Earthy Chic

This first color trend – Earthy Chic – saw designers bring their collections back down to earth with a classic combination of rich, warm neutral colors. 

Miu Miu's show at Paris Fashion Week

Miu Miu perfected the imperfect earthy chic palette, presenting models with messy hair, sequined underwear and tights, and coats over gym leggings in neutral shades of brown, beige, and khaki. Accessorized with back-to-front bags and dangling door keys, Miu Miu was praised for their relatability and accessibility, reinforcing the brand as a trailblazer for hot trends. 

Lanvin's show at Paris Fashion Week

Lanvin also stuck to a mostly neutral palette dominated by warm browns and mustard yellows. Inspired by a wide range of eras – from the 1940s to 1980s, the 18th century, the renaissance, and the medieval period – the collection combined old-timey gloves and hoods, embellished evening wear, and elegant calla lily motifs which peppered the neutral dresses, coats, and jackets.

Classique

Paris Fashion Week Color Palettes - Classique

Posing the question, “What is French style?” a slew of designers – including Loewe, Givenchy, Courrèges, Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy, and Chanel – opted to reimagine this classic Parisian palette made up of creamy beiges, whites, greys, and crisp royal blue. 

Vivienne Westwood's Paris show - Classique

Louis Vuitton’s collection embodied “classicism with a twist,” showing structured, neutral dresses, steel-colored coats, and ornately patterned jewel-toned fabrics. The designer combined these looks with tricolor accessories and futuristic light-up eye masks to give them a modern edge. 

Similarly, the late Vivienne Westwood’s Paris show paid tribute to many of her greatest hits – including pirate boots, towering platforms, and corsets in shades of blue, white, red, and tartan.

Loewe, Victoria Beckham, and Valentino showed feather-embellished tops, pants, coats, and gowns in cream, white, black, blue, and red.

Many brands – such as Loewe, Victoria Beckham, and Valentino – also showed feather-embellished tops, pants, coats, and gowns in cream, white, black, blue, and red. Svitlana Bevza, the founder of the Ukrainian label Bevza, showed a dress covered entirely in silk feathers, saying, “In our world of oppression, pressure, and anxiety, we need freedom, lightness, and the ability to fly.”

Parisian Pastel

Paris Fashion Week Color Palettes - Parisian Pastel

The final palette popularized by Paris Fashion Week combined classic Parisian neutrals with pretty pops of pastels.

Dries Van Noten‘s collection featured delicate vintage fabrics in soft pinks, purples, and neutrals, pairing faded floral shades with gold foil overcoats.

Dries Van Noten's collection at Paris Fashion Week featured delicate vintage fabrics in soft pinks, purples, and neutrals

Nina Ricci‘s collection was all about the “Insta moment,” featuring feathers, volume, and soft color – two of her key pieces even included a cute pastel pink and blue artwork by Jeanine Britoon.

Nina Ricci's collection at Paris Fashion Week

Finally, Chloé’s designs oozed elegance, demonstrating a range of creamy neutrals paired with aesthetically pleasing pops of color. Inspired by 17th-century baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, the collection comprised renaissance-inspired silhouettes, baroque pearls, and hand-blown glass droplets – a direct reference to Gentileschi’s artworks.

Chloe's collection at Paris Fashion Week

All in all, Paris Fashion Week’s color palettes showed a return to its classic roots. This season’s designs redefined Parisian chic with a fun, modern twist, pairing creamy neutrals with bright bursts of color. Add a chic, classic look to your next project with the featured items from Envato Elements.

And that’s a wrap on the top color palettes from Winter/Fall Fashion Week 2023! For more trending content, check out our Spring/Summer Color Trends and Graphic Design Trends for 2023

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