It has been difficult to imagine pink being cool. Sure, we've been wearing it on our lips, in the fabric of our undergarments, in bright neons and hot pinks as shots of colour in an otherwise neutral palette, but no one could have predicted the meteoric rise of the shade of pink that Simone Rocha sent down her autumn-winter catwalk.
The new pink is a more grown-up version. It has shades of childish bubblegum, yes, but it has been toned down to a dusky, blush pink. Moreover, the difference isn’t just in shade but in silhouette. This pink is not manifesting itself in prom dresses and taffeta, but in tailored trousers, oversized cocoon coats and hard-edged fabrics such as leather and, on the high street, polyurethane.
Rocha’s pink ladies formed a part of a collection the designer said was inspired by her grandmother. The grown-up aesthetic of older generations was in evidence in tailored dresses, prim twinsets and smart coats. But this was not granny chic in the Helena Bonham Carter sense: Rocha’s grannies wore brogues and messy updos.
At Mulberry the soft blush-pink of an androgynously tailored Crombie was like an afterthought; pink sat alongside a variety of shades and textures as just another choice for the autumn-winter shopper – as if we’d been wearing pink coats and trousers all along.
Roksanda Ilincic’s pink, in patent leather, was a colour that meant business. Within the lines of Ilincic’s signature formal dresses and feminine shapes, it was both bold and meek. The fabric shouted while the colour whispered, in the kind of juxtaposition that fashion adores.
Through the high-fashion filter and on to the high street, the choices are myriad: we can take baby steps (perhaps not financially speaking) with Simone Rocha’s Perspex-heeled brogues, exclusive to Net-a-Porter, or make a big statement with Jaeger’s metallic pencil skirt.
If you’re after just small additions to your existing wardrobe, try a €25 crew-neck jumper from Dunnes, or a pair of cropped pink trousers from French website, La Redoute (laredoute.co.uk): perfect for the office, though an unlikely colour choice.
As a bonus, the soft blush-pink tones of the season are more than forgiving on Irish skintones, and look best when make-up is pared back to a clean, dewy complexion, rosy cheeks and full, natural brows. Low-maintenance and lovely.
