Red: How To Wear the Runway’s Favorite Color

Barbie pink’s edgy older sister, Scarlet red did not just become on-trend: She never went out of style!

Pierpaolo Piccioli fashioned a viral moment, choosing to send models down the runway head-to-toe in fuschia at Valentino’s Fall/Winter 2022-2023 show.

Pink took the form of trench coats, sequined sweater and short sets, and dresses with matching tights. The color has not faded from our cultural consciousness since, and we can partially thank Greta Gerwig’s upcoming, doll-centered Blockbuster for that staying power.

While there are reports of a possible pink paint shortage thanks to the Barbiefication of our zeitgeist, Valentino and many other luxury houses have doused the autumn winter 2023/2024 runways in red.

We saw rouge tights from Gucci and MiuMiu and fiery-red pants at Prabal Gurung. There’s a good chance we’ll even see red silhouettes age like fine wine, starting in the late summer like the waistless dresses at the Sandy Liang show. Come fall, leather jackets will reflect the color of the changing and falling leaves. Case in point: the floor-length burgundy number at Gabriela Hearst and Isabel Marant.

Red’s staying power comes down to science: It is the first primary color humans perceive. It’s the color that pumps through our veins and gives us life. We can’t live without it coursing through our insides, so wearing the hue on the outside as the power color it is, only makes sense.

Here are some tips I gathered from the runways and street style, to make red work for your own wardrobe:

1. You Don’t Need Just One Conversational Piece:

Clothes are constantly in dialogue with the outside world, communicating your personality or your mood. Garments also converse with each other, and I would argue it doesn’t have to be a one-sided conversation.

This red vinyl jacket by Berlin designer, Marcell Pustul has a lot to say, but so does this black knit Diesel dress. It accentuates the onyx double-breasted zipper details on the outerwear. Meanwhile, the red and white-striped neckline echoes the cherry red of the shiny piece. Apart, the jacket and the dress are compelling personalities. Together they are a power couple, a match made in haute heaven.

2. Fancy Footwear Does Not Need to Be Formal

If models off duty like Kendall Jenner, the Hadid Sisters, and Emily Ratajkowski have taught us anything, you don’t need to be a sneaker head to make tennis shoes a staple in your street style rotation.

These, Adidas Sambas are some of the it-items of the season. And while I am not the sportiest girl on the block, I can sport sneakers with finesse. To give another touch of scarlet, I added on these red tube socks (another micro-trend trademark of the ultimate fashion girl, according to Who What Wear).

3. That Bag From High School Still Slaps

Th early 2000s are still reigning supreme in the accessories department. The Carrie Bradshaw Fendi Baguette may be the mini bag of choice, or perhaps a Dior saddle bag, but I’m making the case for my Burberry clutch. I have had this one with the brand’s signature Tartan and logo since I was a high school freshman. It’s a testament to how something of quality lasts forever and because of its longevity, it has sentimental value too. It’s been with me through adolescence, studying abroad in college, going to red carpets when I was an entertainment reporter in Los Angeles, and now taking on the California capital’s midtown and downtown scenes when I get off work from weather anchoring or reporting the news. Plus, the fact that it’s a crossbody is so convenient. In this outfit’s case, it picks up on the red in each piece, while being a pop of neutral, with its beige canvas.

4. Grab Your Mom, or Grandma’s Earrings

Throwback statement earrings have always been a staple in my closet, because my mom saved so many of her clip-on showstoppers from back in the day. You can easily find ear adornments similar to mine at your local vintage shop. These are one of the few 80s earrings I actually bought for myself instead of borrowing them from mom. They are from the Sacramento Antique Faire for five dollars!