Orange. The colour scratches my brain in the best possible way. It just appears so warm and inviting that pure joy spreads across my body. Whenever I spot the shade in public, it leaves me feeling tickled pink. And sometimes, I swear I can almost smell the zesty citrus scent and taste the tangy flavor of its namesake fruit. However, as ironic as it is, for a colour that represents energy and enthusiasm, most people I know react with complete horror at the very mention of it as if even imagining the hue gives them chills. They would raise their eyebrows dramatically at the sight of terracotta pants, narrow their eyes at the sight of apricot-colored books and, in general, purse their lips sternly like Minerva McGonagall upon seeing anything even remotely similar to orange.
But how is a colour deemed too loud and tacky by the larger audience ever a trend?Â
To answer that, you can start by closing your eyes and taking a deep breath. When your head feels clearer, imagine the response to my next question. What do you see when I say orange? There is the sunset. The Bengal tiger. Autumn. Halloween. Doritos chips. Traffic cones. Hermes. And obviously the fruit itself. But if I ask you to list items beyond this? It would take a minute for all of us to think further.Â
Like any other colour, orange was significant. In older times, it was an essential element in art, especially for Impressionist and post-Impressionist painters. And if I were to compile the top 10 orange enthusiasts list, Vincent van Gogh might as well be right above me because of the way he utilized orange in most of his paintings.
It was difficult to produce what made it exclusive, elite, and expensive. Later, when scientists were able to produce the stable dye of the colour, it flooded fashion and home décor. Once it was accessible and cheap, it slowly started to lose its brightness. In the 70s preference shifted to saturated shades like rust than the brighter palettes, and by the 80s and 90s, the trend completely shifted to minimalism and the neon aesthetics were officially branded as garnish.
Now that the world is returning to its colors, much like Zara Larssonâs career revival, you can witness orange creeping up in places you might have frequented without consciously noticing.
A significant instance is that of Apple. Its switch to the bold hue âCosmic orangeâ for its iPhone which allowed it to go viral in China and, because of its fun visual identity, sales rose. Another is of the âPortofino Orange Glitterâ aesthetic in Taylor Swiftâs album âThe Life of the Showgirlâ, which consisted of heavy maximalist display of flashy rhinestones and vibrant colour palette, ultimately ended up influencing orange cat eyes and glitter nail trends worldwide.
Orange has become a statement piece as seen from the glossy orange resin on Prada Spring/Summer 2026 runway, the PUMA x McLaren training kits collab and the wardrobe of Marty Supremeâs promotional campaigns. It is also the signature colour of some of the iconic cartoon characters. From being used to soften Garfieldâs meanness with warmth, to creating contrast in the film of Nemo against the blue sea, to conveying alertness visually through Anxiety, in Inside Out 2, the hue is incredibly versatile.
Persimmon is one of the top inspirations in Pinterestâs annual colour palette this year. Adding on to it, the WGSN predicts the colour for the next year to be Electric Orange. The appearance of the colour orange cannot be ignored. There is a clear shift towards orange in consumer markets because of pop culture movements and aggressive branding.
And while Elle Woods would certainly be flabbergasted by the turn of events, global trends remain consistently unstable. They change in the blink of an eye and before you know it, it might be pink or sleek black again. So, buy what you love. Not only will you enjoy it, odds are that it will eventually be in style anyway.