Prince, the pope and autumn 2026: why purple is the season’s standout
Purple takes the catwalk
Purple has appeared in autumn/winter collections from Balenciaga, Celine and Valentino, with each showing all-purple designs. Jennifer Lawrence and Zoë Kravitz have also worn the colour, while Naomi Ackie and Nicola Peltz chose it for the red carpet.
A vivid seasonal shade
Purple carries associations with royalty, the Catholic church, Prince, Gordon Brown’s ties and Barney the dinosaur. Autumn 2026 now joins that list.
Red adds contrast
Fashion insiders are often pairing purple with red, building on the season’s brighter palette. Vogue recently called the combination autumn’s “coolest colour clash.” The pairing gives the vivid shade an even more expressive presence, as designers and shoppers move beyond more restrained colours.
Forecast points to change
In 2024, trend forecasting agency WGSN predicted that a shade it called “fresh purple” would be fashionable this autumn. Sara Maggioni, WGSN’s head of womenswear, said the trend reflects rising demand for brighter, more expressive shades. Maggioni said consumers are gradually moving away from quiet luxury and becoming more confident about using colour to express personal style.
Key points
- Balenciaga, Celine and Valentino showed all-purple designs for autumn/winter.
- The season’s vivid “royal purple” differs from plum and muted lilac.
- Purple is appearing in high-street shops and on celebrity red carpets.
- WGSN predicted purple’s autumn popularity in 2024 and linked it to appetite for expressive colour.