‘Red fashion’ is set to be autumn’s hottest shade, literally

A rainbow of bright colours have been front and centre of the fashion world in recent seasons. Turquoise, lilac, lime… but for autumn 2023 the red fashion trend proves classic colours are back in style. This follows spring’s crowning of cobalt blue as the colour of the season and it’s clear that clean, true primary colours (the sort that don’t leave you wondering, is that blue or green?) are fashion’s current favourites.  

This switch is in contrast to the recent surge of quirky colours, all worn together, which was like a joyful ‘jog on’ to the grey days of lockdown. Mixing cornflower and lemon or hot pink and mint was a brilliantly bright way to get a little dopamine fix from your wardrobe. And it’s not over, we’ve still spotted an array of secondary and tertiary colours on the catwalk for the upcoming autumn / winter 2023 season, it’s just that in London, red ruled.

Here’s a little science for you: Red is the colour that reaches deepest into our eyes. When you see the colour red, it gets to your brain faster than any other colours in the rainbow (yellow comes a close second.) That’s ideal for stop lights and danger signs that you need to react to quickly. It’s also pretty cool if you want to make an entrance or make a statement with your outfit.

At Christopher Kane’s runway show, bold red came on glossy latex for double the impact. It was sexy and strong, despite the layers of ruffles at the peplum, and seemed like the ideal silhouette for a devastating red dress. Although it seems that whatever you wear red on for autumn winter 2023, wearing red head-to-toe is key to the new season update. Bora Aksu created his signature feminine frills in the scarlet shade, layering chiffon and lace in tomato and crimson tones to clever effect. The dresses could have looked girlish in pink, or pastel, but looked purposeful in a red palette.

Dilara Findikoglu and Nensi Dojaka both pushed the cause of the long red dress as a statement red carpet idea. Covered up, with cut-outs, or sheer, it seems that red dresses are likely to become celebrity favourites as we head into the second part of the year…

At David Koma, the designer deconstructed the idea of fabric and made his version of the Little Red Dress from a series of high-shine flowers joined together with chains. Red knee-high boots, red gloves and a flower choker completed the look. Over at Di Petsa, the goddess-like draped chiffon two-piece proved that the red fashion trend is for absolutely every body. And that’s definitely a trend we can get on board with.    

Read more from Glamour UK Fashion Director at large Alex Fullerton here or follow her on Instagram @alexandrafullerton