Fresh Take: Spring-Summer 2020 Color Forecast

Unlike the hazy, laid-back hues of warm seasons past, the color palette for Spring-Summer 2020 demands our full physical participation. In art and society, theorizing and brainstorming have been moved aside in favor of mindfulness and conscious action, taking form in everything from personal wellness to activism and outreach. So too on the runways: Where in Spring-Summer 2019, the focus was on the ethereal and heavenly — think pearly, textured whites; high heaven blues and violets; and the lo-fi optimism of millennial pink — the upcoming summer season brings our sensibility back to earth, with vibrant, well-rounded organic-inspired shades that are both grounding and galvanizing. In the year of perfect vision, these four succulent shades will be the ones to sink your teeth into.

Green On Me

According to the team of forecasters at WGSN, neo-green — a hybrid of rain-fresh spring green and cool, airy mint—is set to be THE premier color of spring/summer 2020 and beyond. No longer the macaron-esque confectionary mint immortalized in Essie’s cult-favorite Mint Candy Apple nail color, nor the aggressive green of the save-the-earth movement, this neo-green updates the chloro-filled signature shade of nature with an ultramodern bio-chic polish. Forecasted to become as ubiquitous and well-loved as millennial pink, neo-green is future-focused, nature-based technology without the scary side, moving us toward an optimistic future colored by mindful, human-focused living and the scientific advances to facilitate it. 

Ripe Cantaloupe

A far cry from the high-octane oranges that have tended to dominate the summer runways, this sun-soaked, milky ripe cantaloupe is equal parts juicy, refreshing, and deeply organic, reminding us that the sweetest fruit often comes from the roughest casing. Evoking lazy days spent at the park or the beach, this playful but subdued shade will be a wearable and welcoming staple for summer fashion devotees of all generations. 

Sunshine Yellow

Evocative of sunflowers, turmeric, and clover honey in the light, this deep yellow sunshine shade marries the brightness of clear-sky summer days with the grounded depth of sunbaked soil. A grassroots departure from the highlighter yellows of summers past and the shy, sweet buttercups of spring, this bright but grounded, sunlit but serious shade is equal parts earth mother and Mother Earth: half peace, half intensity, all radical acceptance. 

Plum Flesh

Marrying the mystical feel of purple with the feel-good vibes of pink, this mouth-watering shade of plum manages to be enticing and decadent while still being light, fresh, and uncontrived. Paired with everything from gauzy, windswept fabrics to structured totes, this sophisticated, organic purple is equal parts royal and down-to-earth, highlighting the divinity present in humanity and our inherent lust for life.