'Apricot Crush' Is the New Color of the Year

Step aside, Barbiecore pink.

While #Barbiecore pink and other similarly vibrant hues seem to be the latest colorways taking over our wardrobes, there's apparently a new shade in town that experts predict to be dominating soon. On Wednesday, consumer and design trend-forecasting agency WGSN and Coloro, WGSN's so-called "global authority on the future of color," officially crowned "Apricot Crush" as the new Color of the Year for 2024.

Each season, WGSN and Coloro team up to predict the tones that are set to become the newest trend, forecasting directly from Coloro’s extensive library of more than 3,500 contemporary colors.

Previously dubbed a key color for Fall 2023, Apricot Crush (Coloro 024-65-27) acts as a restorative and energizing hue. Unlike its tangier tangerine counterpart seen throughout New York Fashion Week most recently, the fruit-inspired hue is slightly more muted. When it comes to fashion, its soft glow offers versatility, as it pairs well with neutrals, also being deemed gender-inclusive. Apricot Crush won't only be found in your closet, but it's also predicted to be seen throughout upcoming beauty and skin-care products, fragrance launches and hair color.

Clare Smith, a Color Strategist at WGSN, tells Fashionista that the Apricot Crush colorway has been spotted at previous runway shows over the last couple of years, including Stine Goya's Fall 2022 show, Valentino's Fall couture collection and most recently at JW Anderson's Spring 2023 presentation.

"Invigorating, mood-enhancing and vitamin-balancing hues align with self-care rituals, which have become ingrained in people’s lives," Clare Smith, color strategist for WGSN, said in an official statement. "There is a focus on restorative colors that are mindful and help to bring balance into the everyday. Apricot Crush, our Color of the Year for 2024, signifies the importance of nourishing the mind and body. It is the perfect hue for a world seeking calm and optimism, bringing a necessary pick-me-up as consumers continue to grapple with a range of emotions and uncertainty about the future."

Sansan Chen, managing director of Coloro, also added: "It's exciting to see orange, with its gender-inclusive and transseasonal flexibility, gaining — and maintaining — momentum as a key color. At Coloro, we are seeing brands take ever more care in choosing palettes with lasting appeal to minimize environmental impact. Apricot Crush is a highly achievable color that can also deliver an emotional lift to consumers in uncertain times."

This story has been updated throughout to include exclusive quotes from WGSN representatives.

Want the latest fashion industry news first? Sign up for our daily newsletter.