As we finally reach the end of January, a month that could count as a year in itself, it’s time to crown a new trending colour of the season. Last year, runways were painted cobalt blue, with celebrity guests dripped in all-blue ensembles to match. The vibrant, striking shade was caught in various collections from Jason Wu to David Koma, then trickled down to the high street and online – and that’s as far into my version of the cerulean monologue I’ll go into.

This spring 2024 season has flipped the tables, red is making a vivacious comeback as the colour of the season. Unlike the rise of cobalt blue, this fiery takeover comes in an assortment of shades. From dark cherry to crimson and maroon, let’s go through the best ludicrously red looks on the runway and front row and how they can be restyled for your wardrobe.

Monochrome Maroon

Starting with the most in-your-face way you can sport any colour, not everyone can pull off the one colour look but with the right styling, we can make anything work. While attending the Ferragamo Spring 2024 show, Lori Harvey sports a complete red Ferragamo ensemble in her signature sleek style. This all-suede look was paired with black sunglasses, glossy red pumps and an oversized, leather, white tote under her arm. 

The key to pulling off a monochromatic look in such a vibrant shade is diversifying with texture. In this instance, Lori mixes a matte soft suede, with silver hardware and lustrous red heels. 

Similarly, Anya Taylor-Joy stepped out in New York City late last year, donning a red mini dress covered in 3d flower appliques from Magda Butrym. Over her shoulders hangs a patent leather trench coordinating perfectly with the star’s red court heels. Here, the sheerness of her red tights breaks up the red pieces.

Lastly, this subtle monochrome look was shot by Style Du Monde, it features a maroon and baby pink knitted crewneck from Channel, a checkered midi length skirt layered over mahogany tights and an almost perfectly matching pair of Bottega pumps. This stylish fashion week attendant diversified her monochrome look by mixing shades of deep red and layering textures.

Peeking ruby

For the more subtle stylers, layering the bright shade underneath and having it peek through gives a cool, thrown together effect. 

OAMC’s Spring collection perfectly demonstrates this styling with a satin, patterned bandanna under a cream collarless shirt and bomber jacket. This adds dimension to the otherwise flat outfit, bringing attention to theintricate design of the shirt without taking the spotlight.

Similarly, Japanese designers at Undercover used bright red socks in this outfit featuring chunky black leather shoes, jeans and a blouse both with leather panelling. Here the socks act as an understated pop of colour, they elevate the overall outfit without taking from the details. 

This last example could easily be classed as layering, the reddish orange suit peeks under an ivy green wool trench and matching beret. These two colours perfectly compliment eachother, neither overpowering the other, which is an important skill to perfect when exploring with shades like red.

Layered 

Continuing with examples of layering and discovering colour combinations, the first example from attendees of Copenhagen Fashion Week, show how layering with colour can make for an extremely visually pleasing outfit. Here the CFW attendees use tartan as a base pattern, a classic green and red combination, pairing the already loud pattern with a graphic t-shirt, red and black acid wash designed jeans and a red trench on top. 

The art of layering lies within the audacity of the wearer, to achieve this level of controlled chaos in an outfit you have to be ready to try things that feel wrong or go against basic laws of fashion.

If breaking rules arent for you (we still love the minimalist chics!) Layering red within your outfit, shown in The Garment’s CFW show, can transform a neutral monochromatic outfit into something more dynamic and eye-catching, whilst staying streamlines and cool.