WGSN’s fall/winter 2028-29 color forecast asks brands to plan beyond a single season.
The trend forecaster and color system provider Coloro have selected Bloodstone, Liminal Yellow, Elemental Verdigris, Healing Turmeric and Smoky Amethyst as their five key colors for the period. Intended to inform fashion, beauty, interiors and other consumer industries, the palette emphasizes shades that can change character through different combinations and materials.
WGSN expects consumers heading into 2029 to evaluate purchases on longevity, sincerity and what it calls “emotional ROI.” Its advice to brands is to balance dependable colors with unexpected pairings, giving texture and material choice a larger role in product development.
“Duality, versatility and trans-seasonality lead the colors, allowing them to adapt across contrasting pairings to take on shifting personalities,” said Gemma Riberti, WGSN’s director of Color, Material and Finish (CMF) in a statement.
Longevity is also part of the company’s broader forecasting process. WGSN divides its palettes into seasonal, annual and long-term colors and says it carries more than 40 percent of colors forward each season.
Bloodstone is a deep iron-oxide red that WGSN expects brands to keep using through 2029. Russet, from its fall/winter 2027-28 forecast, and Radiant Earth, its 2028 Color of the Year, helped set the direction. For the new shade, the report recommends brushed wool and plush velvet, along with dusty finishes or polished metals.
Liminal Yellow can read as warm or slightly unsettling, WGSN says, depending on how it is styled. In the report’s “Sour Candy” combination, pinks draw out the hazy yellow-green’s acidic edge, while black frames the palette. Glossy leather and accessories bring out the contrast. “The name speaks for itself: it is defined by being ‘in-between’ two shades and two states, it is able to convey both familiar warmth and a slightly unsettling, subversive quality,” Riberti said.
WGSN connects the shade to younger generations’ interest in internet aesthetics and their sense of digital fatigue. The report recommends textured, dusty finishes as well as premium applications that can take the color beyond a single season.
Elemental Verdigris brings a faded blue-green to the palette. To emphasize its weathered look, WGSN recommends dyeing and finishing methods that let the shade vary from piece to piece, on both fabrics and hard surfaces.
Healing Turmeric brings a luminous yellow-orange to the group. The company identifies it as an accent for kidswear, lifestyle products and holiday collections, with applications ranging from textured fabrics to translucent materials.
WGSN suggests Smoky Amethyst for brands looking beyond black and brown. It recommends using the dusky purple as an accent in luxury collections first, then bringing it to a wider market by 2029.
The report’s Smoky Amethyst combinations also illustrate the role of finish. Matte fabrics give a palette of jewel tones and contrasting reds a cozy, plush appearance, while glossy surfaces make the same combination feel more futuristic.
The forecast combines expert research with proprietary retail, e-commerce and social media data. WGSN’s color specialists also select more than 1,000 reference images across consumer industries, which its Vision AI system analyzes for patterns in color, contrast and other visual traits.
The five key shades were selected from Coloro’s library of more than 3,500 hues. After selection, Coloro uses its Feasibility Intelligence tool to assess how the colors are likely to perform across different materials and flag considerations for their application.