Is Green the Colour of 2024?
Breaking free from convention, green's multifarious shades disrupt runways as the new face of avant-garde luxury.
Green has emerged as an unexpected disruptor on the runways this year. Traditionally viewed as a harmless, sentimental shade tied to nature and springtime, green has taken on a vaguely anarchic role - gently disrupting the monochrome symphonies of neutrals while providing a refreshing alternative to the ubiquitous grays, beiges, blues and blacks that anchor many palettes.
From the rich Veronese greens adorning Emporio Armani's blouses and velvets, to the pine green leather trenches at JW Anderson and Blumarine, shades of green have infiltrated seemingly disparate looks. MM6 Maison Margiela incorporated the hue into turtlenecks, while Egonlab opted for a darker yet equally striking green ensembles.
The iconic houses too embraced green's rebellious spirit. Saint Laurent, Brioni, Zegna and Fendi sent cascades of green down the runway, some using it as a singular acidic accent against more toned-down looks. Prada embodied the avant-garde, contrasting a vibrant green with punchy pinks and blues for an utterly modern flair.
For a more understated approach, extremely pale sage greens graced the collections of Rick Owens, Marco Rambaldi, sacai and Simone Rocha. The summary doesn't end there - classic military and camouflage green hues, from pistachio to forest shades, appeared at Bottega Veneta, Bally, Burberry, Ferragamo, Hermès and Lemaire, among others.
Yet green remained a complementary tint throughout, playing second fiddle to the season's chromatic protagonists - brown and red. Except, that is, at Gucci, where Sabato De Sarno gave the colour ample real estate, particularly in the statement cloth coats that anchored his collection.
Across the spectrum, green transcended its conventional associations, no longer just representing nature or spring. In pale shades, it provided an unusual yet wearable alternative to starker neutrals at Valentino and Bottega. While far from the "green fever" monolithic dominance of Daniel Lee's tenure, this nuanced resurgence feels more intentional, varied and approachable. Green emerges as the shade of "post-quiet luxury" - the sartorial antidote to the streetwear maximalism of years past and the formal neoclassicism that followed. It's a refreshingly practical yet impactful hue, as sellable as it is genderless and adaptable across endless shades.
As spring beckons, we beg our rakish readers to embrace green's renaissance. Incorporate unexpected verdant accents or build looks around richer, tonal green separates. Welcome the hue's understated unorthodoxy and symbolic rebirth of nuanced, avant-garde luxury. You can thank us later.
