WGSN color trends 2023 explained for fashion palettes
What WGSN color trends 2023 actually refers to
Searches for wgsn color trends 2023 usually refer to WGSN and Coloro’s forecast work for the 2023 fashion seasons, rather than one runway recap or a single color list. The main 2023 anchor was Digital Lavender, named Color of the Year 2023. For S/S 23, it was supported by Luscious Red, Sundial, Tranquil Blue and Verdigris. For A/W 23/24, the story moved into Digital Lavender, Astro Dust, Galactic Cobalt, Sage Leaf and Apricot Crush. For fashion teams, the value is not just copying swatches. It is understanding how these colors translated post-pandemic emotions into product direction: calm, digital optimism, nature, craft, energy and transseasonal use.
Color forecasting works on a longer timeline than social media trend cycles. Coloro explains that its Key Colors campaign with WGSN forecasts the Color of the Year and accompanying key colors two years in advance, using WGSN’s qualitative and quantitative trend data together with Coloro’s color system. That timing matters because the 2023 palette was shaped in 2021, when brands were planning ranges that would reach the market later. (coloro.com)
In 2026, these colors should be read as a historical fashion reference rather than a current-season forecast. They are still useful for trend analysis, archive content, merchandising retrospectives and understanding why lavender, red, teal-blue and earthy yellow appeared across fashion, beauty and lifestyle stories around 2023. For more seasonal fashion coverage, visit our Seasonal Trends section.
The S/S 23 palette at a glance
WGSN and Coloro’s S/S 23 announcement was distributed on June 21, 2021. It presented Digital Lavender as the 2023 Color of the Year and named five S/S 23 key colors with Coloro codes. The announcement linked the palette to a changed world after COVID-era uncertainty, with consumers seeking optimism, hope, stability and emotional balance. It also described two broad visual forces: saturated digital brights influenced by virtual worlds, and more organic tones connected to nature, craft and sustainability narratives. (newswire.co.kr)
| Color | Coloro code | Fashion reading | Practical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Lavender | 134-67-16 | A soft purple associated by WGSN and Coloro with wellbeing, stability and digital optimism. | Soft tailoring, knits, lingerie, athleisure, beauty-led styling and gender-inclusive basics. |
| Luscious Red | 010-46-36 | A vivid red positioned as part of the return of stimulating, digital brights. | Statement dresses, jersey tops, occasionwear, accessories, lipstick-led styling and accent trims. |
| Sundial | 028-59-26 | An earthy ochre yellow tied to craft, slower living and natural color stories. | Linen, cotton sets, summer casualwear, bags, sandals and warm neutral pairings. |
| Tranquil Blue | 114-57-24 | A clear mid-tone blue associated with calm, air and water references. | Shirting, resortwear, denim-adjacent styling, swimwear and premium womenswear accents. |
| Verdigris | 092-38-21 | A saturated green-blue shade named after oxidized copper, with retro sport and digital energy. | Streetwear, outerwear, activewear, sneakers, graphics and social-first color blocking. |
Why Digital Lavender became the key story
Digital Lavender became the defining WGSN color trends 2023 reference because it carried several ideas at once. It was not simply a pastel purple. WGSN and Coloro framed it as a sensorial color connected to holistic wellbeing and digital optimism, reflecting a more hopeful view of the future. Their later Color of the Year page says the shade had been called out in 2021 and named Color of the Year 2023. The same page reports that Digital Lavender made up 61% of purple shades on S/S 23 catwalks, up from 57.2% the previous year. (wgsn.com)
For fashion, its strength was versatility. A bright purple can feel novelty-led, while a greyed lavender can feel quiet or nostalgic. Digital Lavender sat between those poles. It could look soft and restorative in knitwear, intimates and loungewear, but it also worked in digital-first fashion imagery, metallic finishes and beauty packaging. That made it useful for both comfort-driven categories and more futuristic styling stories.
It also arrived as gendered color coding was loosening in many fashion conversations. Lavender can move across womenswear, menswear and youth categories without carrying the same fixed signals as baby pink or traditional navy. This gave buyers and stylists room to use it in tonal looks, pair it with greys and off-whites, or sharpen it with red, cobalt and green-blue accents.
How the supporting colors changed the palette
Luscious Red and Verdigris brought digital energy
Luscious Red and Verdigris kept the S/S 23 palette from becoming too quiet. Luscious Red was positioned as an emotionally powerful, high-impact shade. In fashion terms, it suited products designed to be noticed: body-skimming dresses, partywear, active capsules, beauty-led accessories and small but high-visibility details such as piping, buckles or bags.
Verdigris served a different role. Sitting between green and blue, it could read as aquatic, retro, sporty or digital depending on finish and styling. Matte cotton gave it an everyday streetwear feel; shine, nylon or coated surfaces pushed it toward active and futuristic references. It also paired well with black, optic white, silver, washed denim and pale lavender, making it one of the more flexible accent colors in the group.
Sundial and Tranquil Blue added grounded calm
Sundial and Tranquil Blue created balance. Sundial was not a highlighter yellow; it carried ochre warmth and an earthy mood. That made it easier for apparel than many saturated yellows because it could sit beside ecru, tan, brown, olive and denim. It was especially relevant for natural-fiber stories such as linen separates, summer dresses, market totes and craft-inspired accessories.
Tranquil Blue, by contrast, offered clarity. It worked as a cleaner update to classic blue stories, especially in shirting, resortwear, soft tailoring and swim. It could look serene with pale neutrals, more commercial with denim, or sharper when placed next to Digital Lavender and Verdigris. Together, Sundial and Tranquil Blue made the palette feel wearable rather than purely conceptual.
A/W 23/24 moved the story into deeper tones
The A/W 23/24 WGSN and Coloro palette was announced on October 28, 2021. The key colors were Digital Lavender, Astro Dust, Galactic Cobalt, Sage Leaf and Apricot Crush. WGSN’s announcement described these colors as reflecting consumer motivations such as healing, discovery, transformation, simplicity and pleasure, and noted that the tones had transseasonal characteristics expected to extend into 2024. (wgsn.com)
The shift from S/S 23 to A/W 23/24 is important for fashion planning. Digital Lavender continued, but it was no longer surrounded by the same summer mix of Sundial, Tranquil Blue, Verdigris and Luscious Red. Astro Dust brought a dustier, space-influenced red-brown direction. Galactic Cobalt delivered a deeper blue statement. Sage Leaf softened the palette with muted green, while Apricot Crush added a warm, optimistic orange tone that would later become more visible in WGSN and Coloro’s 2024 color story.
For apparel, this meant the 2023 color narrative could travel across seasons. A brand could use Digital Lavender in spring knits and summer dresses, then reinterpret it in autumn through brushed knitwear, padded outerwear, satin evening pieces or accessories. The broader lesson is that a trend color gains commercial value when it can be adjusted by fabric, finish, weight and adjacent colors rather than treated as a single flat swatch. See also: Fashion Trends.
WGSN 2023 versus Pantone Viva Magenta
Many readers compare WGSN color trends 2023 with Pantone’s Color of the Year 2023. They are related cultural signals, but they serve different purposes. Pantone identified PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta as its 2023 Color of the Year, a vivid red family shade widely used across design media and consumer-facing color stories. (pantone.com)
WGSN and Coloro’s approach is more seasonal and product-planning oriented. Rather than presenting one public-facing symbol, they forecast palettes for specific seasons and industries. Digital Lavender was the anchor, but the surrounding colors changed how it could be interpreted. With Luscious Red, it became more sensual and energetic. With Tranquil Blue, it became calmer. With Sundial, it entered a natural and crafted story. With Verdigris, it moved toward youth, sport and digital expression.
Viva Magenta and Luscious Red also show why red was important in 2023. Both sat within a broader appetite for emotional, high-energy color after several years of uncertainty. Digital Lavender’s prominence, however, showed an equally strong desire for softness and restoration. The 2023 fashion color mood was therefore not simply bright or calm; it was a tension between reassurance and intensity.
Practical takeaways for fashion palettes
The most useful way to apply the 2023 WGSN and Coloro story today is as a palette-building lesson. These colors worked because each had a role. Digital Lavender acted as the emotional anchor. Luscious Red created urgency. Sundial grounded the palette. Tranquil Blue gave clarity. Verdigris added a digital-retro edge. For fashion content, visual merchandising or collection analysis, the mix is more valuable than any single color in isolation.
- Use Digital Lavender as a softened statement. It works best when the garment shape is clean: ribbed knits, relaxed tailoring, slip dresses, sweats, soft bags or tonal sets.
- Keep Luscious Red controlled when commerciality matters. A full red look is powerful, but trims, accessories, makeup styling and graphics can make the color easier for everyday wardrobes.
- Pair Sundial with tactile materials. Linen, cotton twill, suede, raffia, canvas and matte leather help this earthy yellow feel intentional rather than decorative.
- Treat Tranquil Blue as a bridge color. It can connect pastels, denim, white, navy, green-blue and lavender without making the palette feel chaotic.
- Use Verdigris for momentum. It is especially effective where fashion meets sport, streetwear, swim, sneakers and social-media-led styling.
For editors, the content angle is also clear. A strong article on this topic should not present the colors as if they are new in 2026. It should explain the dates, the original forecast context and what the palette reveals about fashion’s 2023 mood. That is where the evergreen search value sits.
Frequently asked questions
What was WGSN’s Color of the Year 2023?
WGSN and Coloro named Digital Lavender as the Color of the Year 2023. It was presented as a soft purple connected to wellbeing, stability, balance and digital optimism.
What were the WGSN and Coloro S/S 23 key colors?
The S/S 23 key colors were Digital Lavender, Luscious Red, Sundial, Tranquil Blue and Verdigris. Their Coloro codes were 134-67-16, 010-46-36, 028-59-26, 114-57-24 and 092-38-21 respectively.
Was Digital Lavender only a womenswear color?
No. One reason Digital Lavender became influential was its flexibility across categories. It could appear in womenswear, menswear, youth fashion, activewear, intimates, accessories, beauty and digital-first styling.
Is Digital Lavender still relevant in 2026?
It is no longer a new forecast color for 2026, but it remains relevant as a fashion reference. It is useful for archive analysis, trend retrospectives, color education and styling stories connected to wellness, softness and digital culture.
How is WGSN different from Pantone for color trends?
Pantone’s Color of the Year is a broad cultural color signal. WGSN and Coloro focus more on forward-looking seasonal palettes for product design, fashion, beauty and lifestyle markets. Both can influence fashion discussion, but they are not the same type of forecast.
