Fashion Digitization is Changing Color Forecasting

A recent trend in the fashion industry is the rapid digitization of fashion brands and this is being adopted by designers across the world. Digitization is the new way of connecting with customers and its influence is also having an impact on the other areas of the industry. Creative companies are adopting to ever-growing online atmosphere. WGSN and Coloro are long-time collaborators and they are launching their new colour trend report, ‘A Window to the Future of Color’ digitally.

This report is an interactive online digital experience. Five colours selected in the report consist of hues that drew on current consumer shifts and colliding of the natural and online world. Visitors can swipe through the report online to see each individual colour in its entirety, with clickable features and movable imagery that allows them to interact with the colour.

In a conversation with Fashion United, Clare Coulson, a WGSN colour strategist, said the push for this digital element was fundamental in keeping up with the dramatic shift to digitalization. This report is the first digitally-centred report from WGSN and Coloro.

Radiant Red

Figure 1 Radiant Red, WGSN x Coloro: A Window to the Future of Color

‘Radiant Red’ connects closely to the care economy, a key society shift identified by WGSN.

Elemental Blue

Figure 2 Elemental Blue, WGSN x Coloro: A Window to the Future of Color

‘Elemental Blue’ is a nod to the customer's desire for a slowed-down lifestyle that collides with their increased sensory awareness, forming a restrained industrial appearance that becomes experiential within a metaverse environment.

Fondant Pink

Figure 3 Fondant Pink, WGSN x Coloro: A Window to the Future of Color

‘Fondant Pink’, a pigmented pastel, aims to mirror consumers’ increasing interest in delight, which Coloro said is an antidote to anxiety and ultimately enhances well-being.

Cyber Lime

Figure 4 Cyber Lime, WGSN x Coloro: A Window to the Future of Color

‘Cyber Lime’ is the report's most digitally-forward colour. Its neon green signifies the connection between nature and technology. The bio-based colours online experience is seen through organic forms with hopes to energize consumers.

Nutshell

Figure 5 Nutshell, WGSN x Coloro: A Window to the Future of Color

The final Color, ‘Nutshell’, a spicy brown, ties in with the growing resale and thrift culture, linking with the need to prioritize sustainability over newness and aligning with consumer shifts towards nostalgic trends.

Over the past year, the digitization of fashion has grown rapidly. Not only has fashion adapted to these rapid shifts, but colour analysis experts have also had to consider the new dynamics of digitization and what it means for the future of colour. Colour has so much opportunity to delight the senses and create other-worldly effects. It is really interesting to see how the colour space evolves in the digitization age.