If there's one color to add to your wardrobe this season, make it purple.
Yes, we've officially entered the era of purple's reign. And while we don't mean Prince's iconic 1984 hit, there's no doubt that the late singer would approve of the color trend.
Fashion month has come to an end, with recurring themes from cummerbunds and waist sashes to Tom Ford thongs and the bra top renaissance (even those with compact mini purses at Prada). But the one overarching trend? The return of color.
Every city from New York to Paris seemed to embrace the fun of colors, marking a potential end to the beige aesthetic of the "quiet luxury" era. Vibrant hues such as scarlet red, cobalt blue and chartreuse commanded attention on the runways this season, but it was
another color that stole the moment.
From the runways to the streets, the popularity of purple was undeniable. But not just any kind of purple: particularly vibrant violet and deep indigo shades.
Purple pops up on Paris Fashion Week runways
Historically reserved for royalty, the color made bold appearances at shows like Maison Alaïa and Kiko Kostadinov. Japanese fashion house Issey Miyake, known for its signature pleated garments, displayed a selection of royal purple draped dresses as well as sculpted tops, one in the form of a modeled breastplate.
But it was Miu Miu that took the color trend to the next level with a sleek purple runway. Show models, including Gigi Hadid and actresses Emma Corrin and Olivia Colman, flaunted the spring collection featuring several silky purple pieces accented with flouncy pussy bows as well as glossy leather blazers.
"Looking at how fashion trends have been cycling and evolving recently, it makes sense to me that purple is rapidly growing," street style photographer and fashion trend forecaster Karya Schanilec tells USA TODAY.
"Purple goes along with the reemergence of 2010s Tumblr fashion, and really has not majorly trended for about 10 years. … Color trends have been getting more saturated, doing a 180 from the pastel trends of the past few seasons like baby blue and butter yellow," Schanilec says. "Now I am seeing much more jewel tones, like cobalt, teal and, of course, purple."
NYFW, Princess Kate at 'Digger' premiere show off violet vision
In New York, pops of purple appeared in the collections of brands like Diane von Furstenberg, Collina Strada, Sergio Hudson and fan-favorite Swedish retailer COS. In Milan, Louise Trotter's Bottega Veneta delivered sharp, buttoned-up looks in the form of structured purple blazers with sculptural violet hats, and Demna's Gucci embraced the effortlessly sexy vibe with a sheer one-shoulder violet maxi dress with matching undergarments.
The sheer "naked" look is not a new trend, but the purple sheer dress was a popular style at several shows this season, making it a standout trend in itself. Sweeping sheer chiffon violet dresses were seen breezing down the runways of fashion mainstays DVF, COS and Alaïa.
The trend even made its way to the red carpet and was cosigned by royalty with Princess Kate. At the London premiere of Tom Cruise's new film "Digger" on Sept. 22, the Princess of Wales looked regal in a royal purple Jenny Packham gown, which she paired with the Queen Mother's heart-shaped amethyst sautoir necklace. The striking soft chiffon dress featured a ruched deep-V neckline, billowing sheer sleeves and a flowing train.
Princess Kate's gown was an immediate confirmation that the sheer purple sheath was the garment of the moment In fact, I got my hands on a similar style from COS: the sheer purple maxi that went down the runway at the brand's New York show (both affordable and on trend).
From COS purple sweater to Zara collab, fashion is 'betting' on purple power
High-end trends always trickle down to the masses. And right now, both luxury and fast-fashion retailers are taking inspiration from the violet-splashed runways and investing in the color's potential.
"The last few seasons have shown that color can be a real driver of sales. Butter yellow and burgundy are great examples. From ready-to-wear to accessories, those colors dominated both the runways and the best-seller lists," Divya Mathur, Revolve's CMO and fashion director, tells USA TODAY. "This season, designers from contemporary to luxury are betting that shades of purple will deliver that same success."
Even John Galliano's latest Zara collaboration embraces purple in various forms. The nearly sold-out collection features everything from a deep violet leather biker jacket and matching midi skirt to a purple maxi slip dress and bra-like silk camis.
Off the runways, the street styles of fashion month were also accented with a plethora of purple details, from sharp sweaters and handbags to trendy pencil skirts and dresses.
Tamu Mcpherson, a fashion creative and founder of popular lifestyle blog All the Pretty Birds, says purple became a "theme" in her fashion month wardrobe.
"My mother-in-law mentioned to me that she never liked the color purple in her life. But now it's her favorite color and she was my style icon for the longest time," Mcpherson explains. "Every chance I've gotten to wear purple, I've taken it – at the COS show in New York and then at Gucci in Milan. It's actually been a big theme for me."
Mathur says in styling the color, "Violet pairs beautifully with so many colors, including browns, greys, burgundies and greens. A lot of the runway styling this season focused on color blocking, and violet is a perfect anchor for that."
Photographer Schanilec adds, "I also love when purple and red are styled together."
While snapping the Paris Fashion Week streets, Schanilec says she saw the most purple and that one of her favorite looks she spotted was a bold purple coat.
It's also a perfect year-round color, which is why we've seen it come out for right now during fall as one of the top hues – a bold tone that can break up the predictability of black and gray shades – and looking ahead to spring, when it can be an energetic jolt from pastels. The styling possibilities are endless and, not to mention, fun.
So this season, don't be "quiet" with your luxury. Bring joy back to your wardrobe with some color. And make that color purple.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is purple the new black? Why the color is a must for your wardrobe
