23 / JULY / 2019

The Colour Manifesto

Colour has been used as a tool for self-expression and a way to communicate with the world for hundreds of years.

Now we are seeing a shift in the importance it has in our lives, with even a greater focus put on it. Social media has made people wary of aesthetics and it has ingrained a sense of search for beauty. Visuals are the main source of information today and colour is the key to decoding what is happening.

For SS19, there are two directions that showcase the polarization of society. On one hand, bold colours will be used to make statements and reflect the strong emotions that are shaping the future, whilst subtle tones will be a breath of fresh air and will accentuate the importance of well-being and mindfulness.

Contrasts are key this season, with colours being used as a symbol for a cause, becoming a tool for activism, just as vibrant fuchsia pink is used at the forefront during International Women’s Day, but at the same time being used as a soothing stimulus that connects the dots in this fragmented world and awakens the senses.

Maximalism is taking the place of the long-loved minimalism and it brings with it a splash of nostalgia, playful colours, patterns and textures that will reign supreme. It takes inspiration from the 1980s and comes as a reaction to the clean, perfection-seeking trends. People are liberating themselves of the pressures of society and this joy translates on how the world will be visually expressing itself with a lot of attention brought down to the individual.

As individualism is celebrated and people are becoming more empowered by being themselves, colour is transforming in a more inclusive concept that doesn’t respect established social structures and outdated stereotypes. There will be no more pink for girls, blue for boys, dark colours for mature women, bright colours for young women, but the colour palette will be built around emotions and beliefs.

The colour manifesto that is the zeitgeist of the moment has at its core a blast of energy, fun, excitement and creative expression, all components of this year’s #BohemianBlast. The bohemian spirit is long-lasting. And now we are living in the culture of NEW BOHEMIA. A culture of creative thinkers, free-spirited with unconventional lifestyles.

For all of them, colour is a celebration of freedom and individuality and it will be the key to the #AWAKE3 experience: versatile, very visual and ludic, both contemporary and aspirational, connecting arts and displaying various poised cultures and subcultures. All this painted in the brightest colours and the most diverse shades of originality.

Photo credits: WGSN, Tumblr, Pinterest.