Sick of millennial pink? Well, if you’re not partial to sky blue (Gigi Hadid’s alterna-pastel of choice), consider making lavender — aka “lilac” — your new statement shade. In addition to being all over the Fall 2017, Spring 2018 and Pre-Fall 2018 runways, the understated-yet-regal hue recently got the Rihanna seal of approval. See above.
Whether you prefer your lavender light and airy or deep, with more prominent purple tones, it’s an easy-to-pull-off neutral that still reads edgy, especially when done in fun materials like satin, chiffon or faux fur. (Side note: It also looks great with a wide range of colors — emerald green, buttery yellow, safety orange, hot pink, dark purple, silver, etc.) Plus, it’s a solid compromise for purple enthusiasts not yet ready to take on ultra-loud ultraviolet (Pantone’s 2018 Color of the Year, but you already knew that).
Erdem Spring 2018, Valentino Spring 2018, Max Mara Spring 2018; Images: Imaxtree
As mentioned, lavender showed up on a dizzying number of Spring 2018 runways, including (but not limited to) Tom Ford, Ulla Johnson, Victoria Beckham, Rosie Assoulin, Creatures of Comfort, Tibi, Baja East, The Row, Michael Kors, J.W. Anderson, Erdem, Bottega Veneta, Max Mara and Valentino. For the most part, the designers asked that we go bold: wear the pastel-adjacent shade head-to-toe in the form of suiting, floaty evening dresses or — surprise, surprise — glamleisure.
Roksanda Pre-Fall 2018, Natasha Zinko Pre-Fall 2018, Markus Lupfer Pre-Fall 2018; Images: Courtesy
The Pre-Fall 2018 collections took a similar stance. Natasha Zinko, Markus Lupfer, Co, Prabal Gurung, Roksanda and more offered up lilac knits, tailored sets and breezy midi and maxi dresses (paired with boxy button-up jackets and/or statement footwear). Again, tonal looks reigned supreme. Still, for variety’s sake, we recommend you take a page out of Lupfer’s stylebook and go beyond just lavender but stay within the purple family, ya dig?
Shop a few of our favorite lavender pieces in the slideshow below.
