Pantone Fashion Color Trend Report for NYFW Plays Up Natural Shades
Being neutral and grounded could be sound advice in all types of situations, and apparently that will apply to fashion too this spring.
While the world is increasingly digital (and volatile given political discourse), Pantone’s Fashion Color Trend Report for spring plays up the shades of the natural world. So much so, there are two variations of browns on the spring 2025 Top 10 list — Bran and the more beige Cocoon — as well as one on the seasonless shades list — the richer Rum Raisin. Eco-inspired greens are also well-represented — the pastel-type Lime Cream, the poppier White Grape and the more greyed green Kashmir. While designers are imagining spring in the air, Pantone’s forecast seems to wink at how dirt and leaves give way to flowers many of which are in brighter tones. Consider Crocus, a combination of pink and purple, or the yellow-infused Misted Marigold.
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Even Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, was struck by this season’s connection to nature especially the earthy, rooted brown tones. “It plays to the idea of seasonless. Also, this is really an interestingly balanced look at what’s going on with the fashion colors. There are the paler Limpet Shell, a variation of aqua, and the Lime Cream, and the brighter and joyful Misted Marigold and Orangeade.”
This varied palette serves up new options for spring, particularly through the uses of browns. Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris got a jump on the Bran trend, by wearing a khaki-colored Chloé pantsuit on the first night of last month’s Democratic National Convention. That choice was not lost on the Pantone forecasting team. “Of course, whenever we watch [anything major], we’re looking for what are the similarities? Who is wearing what? That definitely was a brown statement — no question,” Eiseman said.
Beyond enticing the eye, the spring color range aligns with the boom in bakeries nationwide and Millennials’ and Gen Z’s “little treat culture.” How else to explain names like Lime Crème, White Grape, Orangeade, Rum Raisin and even Bran? In some ways, they are “absolutely a nod” to the artisanal bakery boom that continues to crop up nationwide, Eiseman said. “When you add the deliciousness, it immediately attracts your taste buds, as well as your sight. There is that need for something to enjoy. ‘Enjoyment’ and ‘joy’ are two words that we’re seeing a lot of. And of course, if you can satisfy two of your senses at the same time, you’ve got a double whammy.”
Accustomed as generations of shoppers have become to having the tried-and-true navy blue as a spring staple, Pantone has jazzed up consumers’ options for base colors beyond navy and the introduction of three different shades of browns. Case in point, Déjà vu Blue is “heightened and brightened compared to the more somber navy blue,” Eiseman said.
NYFW Spring 2025 Color Palette
Bran 17-1336: A very warm, rooted, earthy kind of brown, Bran plays into the idea of seasonless, Eiseman said. While the pandemic shutdown prompted a return to nature for millions and environmental concerns, that interest continues in offshoot ways including color choices. Eiseman continued, “There is also taste involved and even the healthiness of browns. A bran muffin is good for you. It’s obviously a color that makes us think of milk chocolate and other delicious things, but now it runs the gamut. You can satisfy your sweet tooth, but it’s also good for you.”
Crocus 16-3115: Reminiscent of the flower by the same name, Crocus is a “harmony of the pink and the purple, which gives it more life and energy than a soft pink. After several years of Barbie Pink being all the rage, this pink has more vitality.”
Lime Cream 12-0312: This ultra-soft pale green can be found in the Prada Caffè’s interiors, Naomi Osaka’s Nike attire for the U.S. Open, a Reformation halter dress and even on Anne Hathaway’s kitchen cabinets. Lime Cream is one of the more nuanced of the fashion colors this season, as well as being very refreshing and light, Eiseman said. Greens, as many shoppers may not yet fully know, are “wonderful mixers that will go with everything,” she added.
Limpet Shell 13-4810: As the coolest and cleanest choice for the spring season, Limpet Shell stands out subtly, as shown by the Giorgio Armani Privé gown worn by Lupita Nyong’o on the red carpet earlier this year. Consumers’ interest in aquas has been on the rise, Eiseman said. “From a psychological standpoint, Limpet Shell can also cleanse the mind, since just the sight of it is inviting,” she added.
White Grape 14-0442: Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour hinted at this green with a yellow undertone in the spring inspiration sketch that she shared with WWD. As the name White Grape suggests, it is “a refresher tone,” Eiseman said. So is the world just hungry given the food-related names this season? “That’s an interesting point. There is that hunger that exists that you can get from a color. By looking at it and putting it on your body, you can help to satisfy that hunger. Sometimes people don’t recognize that there is a subliminal appeal to color that makes you reach for a certain color at a certain time. White Grape is a great example of that.”
Déjà vu Blue 19-4041: More jewel-like than a deeper blue, it still brings some contrast when paired with other colors, Eiseman said. However familiar, it offers more liveliness than a deep navy. Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and other mass brands have embraced it, as well as Tilda Swinton, who recently donned a custom Delpozo ensemble to the Venice Film Festival. And Dua Lipa wore a Déjà vu Blue suede dress for Jacquemus’ runway show in Capri.
Kashmir 17-6319: Although this color is a little more sober than the others, it delivers some elegance and speaks to the natural world, Eiseman said. “This great green is simple but also associated with sustainability,” she said. Monse’s Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia appear to be feeling green too, having submitted a sketch of a tulip-type sandal as their spring inspiration. Acknowledging how mention of the “Kashmir” can conjure up images of “cashmere,” Eiseman said that wordplay evokes tactility, and automatically triggers another sense.
Misted Marigold 14-0747: More akin to a strident dandelion shade, Misted Marigold is a “convivial and friendly yellow filled with intrinsic energy,” according to Eiseman. “It also has the pleasant association that comes with being named after a flower,” she said. Carolina Herrera’s creative director Wes Gordon needs no convincing. Ahead of NYFW, he singled out the house’s original fragrance’s yellow packaging with black-and-white polka dots as a source of inspiration for spring. Dakota Johnson created a winning summer look by pairing a sheer Misted Marigold skirt with a barely pink top.
Orangeade 17-1461: While the word alone can signal deliciousness or conjure up an exclamation point, “it’s a tempered orange that is not shocking,” Eiseman said. Refreshing as Orangeade sounds as a libation, it has an inherent warmth, according to Eiseman.
Cocoon 14-1025: Nicole Kidman seemed to have been tipped off to this key color, having just worn a daring Schiaparelli gown on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. The fact this is a favorite hue on designer runways as of late, and a shade that many indicated they will use again, helped to propel Cocoon to the Top 10 list, according to Eiseman. The fact that it bookends Bran at the top of the list helped too.
NYFW Spring 2025 Seasonless Shades
Eclipse 19-3810: This shadowed blue meets a practical need and offers an updated seasonless substitute for navy that works beautifully with all of the other Top 10 colors, according to Eiseman. Former First Lady Michelle Obama got a jump on the trend, wearing an Eclipse-colored Monse ensemble for her speech at the Democratic National Convention last month. (The midnight navy look is now prominently flagged on Monse’s homepage.) And Harris also went with Eclipse for her acceptance speech at the DNC, donning a Chloé pantsuit.
Antique White 11-0105: Like Eclipse, Antique White is a classic in fashion that doesn’t go away, Eiseman said. Just ask Angelina Jolie, who played up the old school glamour in an Antique Lace gown at the Venice Film Festival. (Her highlights hinted at the hue too.) Appearing familiar while simultaneously conveying minimalism, Antique White “explores an elevated simplicity,” Eiseman said.
Rum Raisin 19-1321: A richer take on brown, Rum Raisin’s trend report status is another reminder that clothes in brown tones can be worn in the spring and summer too, Harris said. Teaming it up with Crocus, Limpet Shell or Misted Marigold offers great options, according to Eiseman.
Moonbeam 13-0000: An undeniable classic, this reliable, pale gray is easy and effortless, Eiseman said. “There is no question that Moonbeam and Blue Granite speak to consumers’ interest in space travel,” including SpaceX mission for its Starlink launch and the public’s concern for the two stranded astronauts in the Starliner capsule. “A lot is being written about space travel and people are paying attention to it,” Eiseman said. “Those two colors absolutely reflect that space-type feeling.”
Blue Granite 18-3933: This gray blue can be indistinguishable and subsequently more versatile and wearable, according to Eiseman. Cooling and soothing, Blue Granite is the marriage between blue and gray. Emporio Armai, Dusan Paunovic, The Row, Kylie Jenner’s Khy and Friends With Frank have all worked the shade into their lines. And even the recently reunited band Oasis will be offering Blue Granite-colored T-shirts through a collaboration with the British men’s fashion label Represent. Blue Granite “has longevity. If you have it in your closet, you will have it forever,” Eiseman said.
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