Goodbye Beige: Designers Are Falling in Love with Muddy, Dusty Colors
Photos below via © Chloé
For years, fashion has been obsessed with clean, neutral tones: beige, camel, ivory, and the like. These colors have represented sophistication, minimalism, and timeless elegance. But recently, a new trend has emerged: designers are moving away from these predictable shades and instead embracing muddy, unnamed colors that resist easy categorization. From earthy greens to weathered browns and faded purples, these tones are far from the expected.
The Appeal of Unnamed Colors
The trend toward muddy, unnamed colors signals a shift away from the pristine perfection of minimalism. These colors, like dirt after rain, stormy skies, or the fading remnants of a forgotten landscape, bring a sense of rawness, depth, and complexity to fashion. They are not about simplicity; they are about texture, emotion, and imperfection.
These colors, often derived from nature, evoke feelings of nostalgia, introspection, and authenticity. They are earthy, weathered, and carry with them the story of the world around us. Rather than hiding imperfections, they embrace them.
Designers Using These Complex Hues
Haider Ackermann – Known for his use of rich, dark tones and unexpected color pairings, Ackermann’s work often features muddy shades of green, gray, and rust that convey an air of sophistication with a touch of grit.
Loewe (Jonathan Anderson) – Anderson’s collections often embrace earthy, muted tones that feel both grounded and otherworldly. These colors bring an emotional depth to his minimalist designs.
Chloé – Chloé has long been associated with soft, earthy palettes, and their recent collections feature rich, dusty shades of olive and brown, lending a warm and lived-in feel to their designs.
Rag & Bone – With their street-inspired, utilitarian approach, Rag & Bone's use of faded, weathered tones gives their collections a worn, authentic quality.
The Emotional Power of Unnamed Colors
These muddy, undefined shades carry emotional weight. They evoke memories of the earth, of time passing, of nature’s cycles. They remind us that beauty is often found in the imperfect and the fleeting. Rather than conveying an idealized version of reality, these colors invite us to embrace complexity, depth, and the rawness of life itself.
Closing Thought
Muddy, unnamed colors are reshaping how we view fashion. These tones are not about simplicity, they are about storytelling, emotion, and connection to the world around us. As designers embrace these nuanced hues, fashion becomes less about the surface and more about the layers beneath. It looks like designers are choosing feeling over formula, texture over trend.
Photos below via © Chloé
