From Prada to Zara, This “Ugly” Colour Trend is About to Be Spring’s Favourite Shade

Fashion has always had a weakness for an “ugly” trend. From the once-mocked Maison Margiela Tabis, to last summer’s toe-separating flats, the pipeline from ridiculed to revered is well established. It extends far beyond shoes, too. Awkward proportions, off-kilter draping and deliberately jarring details have all found favour on the runways in recent seasons. Still, none of this prepared me for the return of one particular trend—specifically, a colour I was convinced we wouldn’t be revisiting anytime soon.

Deep, highly saturated and reminiscent of the lurid tones found in supermarket sweet aisles, royal purple is preparing to become a key shade for 2026. Long dismissed by the style crowd—perhaps thanks to collective memories of school uniforms and overzealous branding—this is not a colour many of us were prepared to welcome back.

To be clear, this isn’t about soft lilacs or washed-out lavenders, which reliably resurface each spring alongside pastels. This season, it’s purple’s louder, richer sister that has found new life on the spring/summer 2026 runways.

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Spotted across collections at Balenciaga, Valentino, Prada and Celine, designers opted for full saturation, cloaking models head-to-toe in the contentious colour.

Whilst the royal shade might have you recalling the late Queen Elizabeth, whose penchant for the punchy hue is well documented, this season's iterations saw the tone take to more playful silhouettes. At Celine, sparkly purple minis were styled with practical flats and party-ready bags, tempering the colour’s boldness. Valentino took a sharper approach, pairing knee-length pencil skirts with mustard blouses—a clash that made the traditionally formal silhouette feel modern and slightly offbeat.

The colour may be culturally familiar, but for many of us it also carries a distinctly childhood association. If you grew up with a sister, chances are one of you was assigned pink while the other was handed purple. That lingering association with youth gives the shade a naturally energetic quality that lends itself to particularly peppy energy.

If going all in feels like a stretch, royal purple works just as well in smaller doses. A pair of purple tights can lift a black or grey look, whilst a thick scarf in the shade adds depth to an otherwise minimal palette without tipping into novelty.