THE ENDURING POWER OF PINK
- BY KRISTOPHER FRASER
- 16 SEPTEMBER 2025
- 6 Min
In summer 2023, Barbie became the first film directed by a woman to hit a billion dollars at the box office. The marketing behind the film was so effective that it has been studied in business schools, and what became known as “Barbiecore summer” made pink the color of 2023. While pink has never waned in popularity, New York Fashion Week reminded us that pink was back, bold, and here to stay.
It’s no surprise pink is still trending. If 2023 was the year of Barbie pink, Wicked helped make 2024 the fall of pink and green. With Wicked: For Good on the way, as the film was split into two parts, pink and green will continue trending—and some fashion designers got ahead of the curve at New York Fashion Week this season.
Photo: Courtesy of Rachel Comey
Pink appeared on the runways of various designers and brands, including LoveShackFancy, Kate Barton, and Rachel Comey. This season, there was a particularly strong spotlight on Rachel Comey, as she has stepped into the role of creative director of Proenza Schouler, succeeding founding designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The opening look of Comey’s runway show featured a pink balloon-sleeve relaxed-fit T-shirt, and that was just a taste of pink to come. From shirts to skirts and dresses, pink was central to Comey’s palette—and if her latest eponymous collection is any indicator, there is more pink to come when she unveils her debut collection for Proenza Schouler in February 2026.
Photo: Courtesy of Launchmetrics
If Barbiecore has no fans, Kate Barton must be dead, as she regularly features pink in her collections—and this one was no exception, with several pink tops and dresses. Meanwhile, LoveShackFancy, whose entire collection looked as though it could have been used for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour with its ruffles and ephemeral cottagecore-inspired gowns, debuted pink ruffle skirts, maxi dresses, and gowns.
Photo: Courtesy of LoveShackFancy
With the Spring 2026 collections not even due to arrive at retail until February, following Wicked’s release and its influence on green and pink trends, consumers are in for a plethora of pink at least through summer 2026. Pantone is far from naming its color of the year, but it would be no surprise if they opted for a variation of pink. The last time Pantone chose a shade of pink was 2016, when they named rose quartz alongside serenity, a bluish gray. One could argue that coral, which was named the color of the year in 2019, falls under the pink category, but that still makes it six years since a pink hue has been chosen. Perhaps, with all this obvious love for pink, 2026 will finally be the time.