Vibrant hues dominated at AAFW 2023
Barbiecore enters greener pastures as Afterpay Australian Fashion Week continues.
Two of the colours du-jour have officially had their contracts renewed for the Resort ‘24 season, and they’re joining forces to return more vibrant than ever.
Bottega Green has been around (or rather, firmly etched into fashion vernacular) for a number of seasons. This tried-and-true tone’s reign is now expanding, with pistachios, bold chartreuse, and more acid-injected lime tones showing up to play in recent collections.
Pair this with equally effervescent sightings of pink and it’s clear that this combination is ready to hold court. Raspberry, hot and powdery pale pinks, plus the magenta stamp of the ‘Barbiecore’ trend have had a stronghold on many of the Resort ‘24 collections.
While we noted the duotone in earlier musings of street style, it was solidified in Aje’s anticipated collection: Element, which opened on the second day of AAFW. The collection opened with crisp neutrals in the likes of white linens and cottons, black, and even double denim moments before colourful territories.
Here, we saw a short burst of sun-soaked colours, before revving up the saturation to greens and pinks. Pink had a pearlescent spin in the form of a two-piece tailored look, before being revved up into magenta straight-silhouetted long-sleeve dresses, complete with pink sequins as well as an origami picker fabric reminiscent of yesterday’s popcorn tops. To say it was delectable is an understatement: these pieces effortlessly married in interesting textures with deliciously juicy colours.
Khaki dresses starred the introduction of leafy hues. These quickly saw an electric spin: a singlet-sleeved, body-hugging dress as well as its skirt and bandeau sister look introduced chartreuse to the last few looks. What really stole the show, was a minidress made of the same tone — this time completely sequinned with a candy pink gradient.
This bright baton was carried (actually run with) by Gary Bigeni in his 20-year anniversary show. Titled, ‘Modern Love,’ the collection represented his evolution over the decades.
Opening the show was a green polka-dotted dress: a motif repeated in different sizes and hues throughout the show in a variety of fabrics and dresses, against nude and white — sometimes transparent — backgrounds. To see dots take up real estate in the collection and the garments itself was nothing short of refreshing. It certainly gave its fellow patterned counterparts, the humble stripe, a well-deserved run for its money.
Perhaps what’s most exciting about this colour trend is where exactly we’re seeing it crop up. Gone are the days of pinks and greens being reserved for accessories or ‘going out clothes’. Suit pants, shirts, and singlets are sidestep their usual navy, black, and nude anchors in favour of the unapologetically bright duo. After all, who said a colourful staple isn’t versatile, to begin with?
It’s clear that labels are able to weave these tandem tones into their designs while honouring their brand DNA. In turn, it’s giving us the inspiration to turn a more colourful leaf in our own styles.
Pink and green’s place as the it-couple is fun, optimistic, and certainly something we all need going into the year — and in our wardrobes, the moment Resort ‘24 hits boutiques.
Images by Getty Images