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Future Strategies

China Colour Forecast A/W


23/24
Explore the five must-have colours for A/W 23/24 in China,
where colours with traditional cultural associations will be
balanced by tones that align with contemporary values

Jenny Clark & 姚 清曌 (Lupi Yao)


12.21.21 · 6 minutes

ECADI
Digital Lavender
China Key Colour A/W 23/24

Coloro / Pantone

134-67-16 15-3716 TCX

Digital Lavender, our Colour of the Year for 2023, will remain an important
colour for the China region. In Asia, purple is traditionally perceived as a
mystical colour with a close association to emperors, saints and immortals. It
was also used by poets to describe natural beauty or royal residencies in
literary works. Today, cultural connections are fused with modern values,
most notably in fashion. Sweetpotato Chiu infused traditional symbolic
elements into its S/S 22 collection and used pastel tones, including purple, to
link the past, present and future.

WGSN original image

Colour evolution

Purist Lilac Lavender Silk Digital Violet Digital Lavender


A/W 21/22 S/S 22 A/W 22/23 S/S 23 and A/W 23/24

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Digital Lavender: usage
Invest in Digital Lavender for fashion,
beauty, interior and consumer tech
products.

This versatile, gender-inclusive purple will


have a broad appeal across all fashion
categories, so follow premium brands and
apply to women’s, men’s and kids' collections.
Focus on activewear, streetwear and
occasionwear, and use lustre and iridescence
to add digital appeal. Use as a wellness tone
@judydoll_official Tmall
for beauty packaging and colour cosmetics,
with a focus on eyes, cheeks and nails. Digital
Lavender can give a virtual and futuristic
feeling within the home when applied to
lighting, smart fitness and small appliances. Its
soothing nature also makes it perfect for
bedding, sleepwear and soft furnishings.

Lalumiere Baxter SWEETPOTATO CHIU

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Galactic Cobalt
China Key Colour A/W 23/24

Coloro / Pantone

120-28-32 19-3952 TCX

Cobalt blue will remain important for the China market, and the younger
generation will connect with bright, vivid levels of this colour. The deep jewel
tone of Lazuli Blue remains in our forecast from previous seasons, and it is
paired with the key colour of Galactic Cobalt for A/W 23/24. This dynamic hue
is directly connected to digital creativity and the metaverse. Lin Kunhao, also
known as Dabeiyuzhou, uses artificial intelligence to create digital artworks
of butterflies. The artist's algorithm has created more than one million unique
designs in vibrant hyper-brights, some of which have been transformed into
3D footwear renders.

WGSN original image

Colour evolution

Satin Sky Galactic Cobalt


S/S 23 A/W 23/24

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Galactic Cobalt: usage
Continue with cobalt blue, but shift to a
bright, digitally appealing level.

This vibrant colour is already being embraced


by premium, youth-led streetwear and
performance brands. For A/W 23/24, focus on
the men’s and kids’ market, as well as active,
ski, outdoor, footwear and accessories
categories. Use Galactic Cobalt as a directional,
eye-catching colour for cosmetics, hair and
beauty packaging. Embrace this colour's
@jefferyshen Mario Tsai Studio
intensity for home interiors, retail and
hospitality, applying to walls, ceilings and
flooring. Galactic Cobalt's digital quality also
makes it relevant for gaming, smartphones,
hearables, wearables and smart fitness
products.

Extra One @dabeiyuzhou Chen Peng x Moncler

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Intense Rust
China Key Colour A/W 23/24

Coloro / Pantone

015-33-25 18-1442 TCX

Red will remain relevant and develop into a broader range of tones by A/W
23/24. The saturated colour of Luscious Red remains in our forecast, and the
authentic, earthy tone of Intense Rust will step up to be a key colour for
China. Reminiscent of the soil and earth, this colour has a warming and
grounding quality. Shanghai-based photographer Leslie Zhang(张家诚)
photographed models against a background of Intense Rust in his recent
Romantic China series. The colour gave the garments by Shushu/Tong a
sophisticated, powerful and whimsical quality.

CCD

Colour evolution

Burnished Sunset Intense Rust


A/W 21/22 A/W 23/24

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Intense Rust: usage
Broaden your palette of red with this
authentic, earthy shade.

Tap into the rich, earthy quality of this red for a


broad range of fashion categories, from
casualwear to occasionwear. Use mineral
pigments or botanical dyes to achieve this
colour on GOTS-certified cotton, BCI and Fair
Trade cotton, natural peace silk, and bast
fibres such as linen and hemp. Use as a
directional colour for beauty packaging and
Muid LilyMilly
colour cosmetics. Evoke a warm and
welcoming feeling in the home by applying
Intense Rust to furniture, textiles, paints and
decorative accessories.

UNISKIN Shushu Tong Peng Tai

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Pineapple
China Key Colour A/W 23/24

Coloro / Pantone

035-81-23 13-0941 TCX

Over several seasons, we have forecast the rise of yellow for the China
market, and this is set to continue. As we move from S/S 23 into A/W 23/24, this
joyful hue will shift from chromatic Yellow Freesia to mellow Pineapple. This
saturated pastel is called 嫩鹅黄 in China, which means a light, soft and
warming yellow. Traditionally, this colour is associated with a goose beak – a
connection found in classic Chinese literature. More recently, this colour has
emerged in fashion and homewares collections by BVM Teams, Letifly and
Icicle, used to create a warming and healing effect on the body and mind.

Letifly

Colour evolution

Butter Honeycomb Yellow Freesia Pineapple


S/S 22 A/W 22/23 S/S 23 A/W 23/24

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Pineapple: usage
Soften chromatic yellows to a lighter pastel
level.

Use this warming yellow as a new winter


pastel for womenswear, menswear and
kidswear. Tap into this colour's traditional
associations for occasionwear, or opt for a
casual contemporary feel by using it with
knitted and jersey fabrics. Pair with neutrals,
undyed off-whites or apply as a monochrome
colour. Use Pineapple to colour beauty
@skin__essential SoftServe
ingredients, with a focus on skin nourishing
gels, balms and soaps. Embrace the relaxed
and cheerful feeling this yellow evokes and
use it for bedding, soft furnishing, carpets,
furniture and small home accessories.

Luisle Home Icicle Samuel Guì Yang

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Bay Leaf
China Key Colour A/W 23/24

Coloro / Pantone

051-62-15 16-0430 TCX

Bright, digital friendly greens such as Apple Mint will recede as tender,
natural greens come forward. Bay Leaf is a gentle olive green with a fresh and
contemporary quality. For Chinese consumers, travel decisions are driven by
a desire to enhance wellbeing and reconnect with nature, as reported in our
China: Travel Strategies 2021 report. Increasingly, consumers are seeking
respite from the growing pressures of everyday life, and people are
prioritising leisure time outdoors. Although bright chromatic greens will
remain relevant, natural mid-level tones such as Bay Leaf will appeal to those
seeking mental and physical balance.

Estée Lauder

Colour evolution

Algae Green Bay Leaf


A/W 22/23 S/S 23 and A/W 23/24

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Bay Leaf: usage
Pivot to this therapeutic and nature-driven
mid-tone green.

This light olive green is already being used by


premium brands, and we expect its use to
broaden across multiple fashion categories by
A/W 23/24. Apply to collection essentials,
restorative activewear, outerwear, gender-
neutral kidswear and sleepwear. Pair Bay Leaf
with botanical dark greens to create a rich,
wintry colour story. Incorporate into your
@jefferyshen JNBY Home
colour cosmetic palette or use as a directional
hue for skincare and bath products. Bring the
outdoors in by applying this fresh green to
furniture, home textiles, bedroom and bath
products.

ZaoZuo Angel Chen x Canada Goose @ecrivain_studio

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Action points

Build in transseasonality Health-check your palette Take steps to minimise impact Acknowledge the gender
spectrum

Choose colour with longevity in mind. Ensure your palette is feasible and Minimise your environmental impact by As inclusion becomes more important
Through careful planning and data check which colours work on each using low-impact chemicals, dyes and to consumers, make colour choices with
analysis, make responsible choices and substrate and product type, before pigments, combined with energy- gender fluidity in mind. Break down
define the lifecycle of the hues in your sharing with your supply chains. If you efficient processes. Seek certified preconceived colour associations and
palette would like your Coloro palette health- sources of synthetic and natural choose hues that allow people to
checked, or if you would like feasibility colours, and work with suppliers that explore their gender identity
data for our 50 Coloro A/W 23/24 follow a regenerative strategy. Share
colours, click here for further the responsible steps you are taking
information with your consumers

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051-62-15 153-19-00
049-86-36 037-93-00
034-56-24 034-84-05
036-74-35 103-45-01
035-81-23 000-64-00
028-59-26 031-77-03
017-23-07 143-36-17
019-27-14 147-55-21
030-41-18 134-42-26
031-63-17 134-67-16
030-69-10 120-22-18
026-58-35 122-25-24
024-65-27 120-28-32
* This is a reference guide only. Colours on computer screens vary. Find out more about Coloro here
022-40-26 114-57-24
020-54-37 112-75-11
017-43-20 098-26-13
022-62-16 095-32-22
015-33-25 088-76-13
010-42-20 078-33-24
008-23-14 072-45-06
008-26-26 071-65-06
Colour Reference A/W 23/24

010-38-36 060-71-33
010-46-36 062-71-14
154-51-37 056-26-07
Coloro 014-73-08 050-40-14

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16-0430 TCX 19-4203 TCX
13-0650 TCX 11-4800 TCX
16-0950 TCX 12-0304 TCX
15-0956 TCX 18-4214 TCX
13-0941 TCX 17-5104 TCX
16-1148 TCX 14-4501 TCX
19-1016 TCX 19-3424 TCX
19-1220 TCX 17-3014 TCX
18-0933 TCX 18-3737 TCX
16-0928 TCX 15-3716 TCX
14-1208 TCX 19-3932 TCX
16-1164 TCX 19-3953 TCX
15-1247 TCX 19-3952 TCX
* This is a reference guide only. Colours on computer screens vary. Find out more about Pantone here
18-1250 TCX 17-4139 TCX
17-1464 TCX 14-4123 TCX
18-1441 TCX 19-4326 TCX
16-1422 TCX 19-4540 TCX
18-1442 TCX 13-5309 TCX
17-1537 TCX 19-5421 TCX
19-1528 TCX 18-5611 TCX
19-1934 TCX 16-5808 TCX
Colour Reference A/W 23/24

18-1657 TCX 15-0545 TCX


17-1663 TCX 15-6317 TCX
Pantone TCX

18-2436 TCX 19-0417 TCX


14-1309 TCX 18-0529 TCX

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5777 C 426 C
388 C 7541 C
7563 C 7527 C
7549 C 431 C
134 C Cool Gray 8 C
7570 C Warm Gray 2 C
Black 5 C 525 C
7595 C 681 C
7575 C 2665 C
7508 C 2645 C
4685 C 2767 C
716 C 288 C
1565 C 287 C
* This is a reference guide only. Colours on computer screens vary. Find out more about Pantone here
7585 C 284 C
Orange 021 C 1 543 C
7600 C 309 C
7514 C 7470 C
181 C 628 C
7419 C 3298 C
188 C 5487 C
7428 C 5635 C
Colour Reference A/W 23/24

200 C 368 C
Pantone Coated 

Red 032 C 558 C


213 C 5605 C
503 C 7750 C

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Colour methodology
WGSN's A/W 23/24 Colour Forecasts are developed and To reflect the needs of multiple industries, our Global Coloro
peer-reviewed by our international team of forecasting Colour palette is organised into three sections – Coloro is the primary colour system for WGSN when
experts, who combine research, insight, analysis and Seasonal, Annual and Long-Term – which define the
forecasting colour. Each tone in the Global Colour
critical debate throughout a two-month process. Our longevity of each colour. Over 40% of the tones in the
Forecast is selected directly from the Coloro library of
contributors come from the Americas, Asia, Europe and A/W 23/24 Global Colour palette are carried forward 3,500 contemporary hues. Each colour is then rigorously
Africa for a truly global view of the forces shaping from a previous season. The Key Colours are forecast
tested by Coloro experts to ensure achievability across
colour trends. We assess WGSN's proprietary retail, e- to play a significant role for all industries and define the
substrates and acceptable fastness, so you can trust
commerce and social media data to track the path of the mood of the season. All colour names are unique to
that they are feasible before lab dipping.
colours and inform our decision-making process. WGSN and are evaluated by our Equality Vision Team.
Coloro is a beautifully designed system backed by a
technically sound approach. It offers physical and
digital products, an extensive colour library, and expert
advisory services. Find out more here.

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WGSN’s forecasts are created by our global team of experts
Colour forecas ting team Yvonne Kostiak, Senior Strategist, Active Contr ibutors
Jenny Clark, Head of Colour Gemma Riberti, Head of Interiors Europ e
Helen Palmer, Head of Materials and Textiles  Clare Varga, Head of Beauty Arantxa Ravettino, Trend Specialist
Sara Maggioni, Head of Womenswear Annie Johnstone, Analyst, Beauty Amer icas
Erin Rechner, Head of Kidswear Reiko Morrison, Head of CMF, Consumer Tech Sofia Martellini, Strategist, Youth and Womenswear
Jane Collins, Senior Strategist, Footwear and Martina Rocca, Strategist, Insight APAC
Accessories Joanne Thomas, Head of Content, Coloro Alison Ho, Consumer Researcher
Nick Paget, Senior Strategist, Menswear
 

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Related Reports

LATAM Colour Forecast North America Colour Europe Colour Forecast Global Colour Forecast Colour Evolution A/W
A/W 23/24 Forecast A/W 23/24 A/W 23/24 A/W 23/24 23/24

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