In Bloom: Pink Returns as This Season’s Most Unlikely Neutral
Think pink, but forget sweet. This is not your childhood pastel. It is attitude in color form. From bubblegum brights to muted blush, this season proves the hue carries both range and power
Pink is the color for Fall/Winter 2025
Pink, long typecast as frivolous or overtly feminine, has taken an unlikely turn this season. On the Fall/Winter 2025 runways, the shade appeared not as bubblegum or neon but as muted sakura blush, dusty rose, and tones that looked restrained. It is pink, but pink stripped back, reimagined as neutral.
The change was most visible on fashion’s biggest stages. Louis Vuitton’s collection leaned into delicate blush fabrics that evoked cherry blossoms at the edge of winter. Dior presented coats lined in a dusk-toned rose that suggested warmth. Gucci, often unafraid of excess, softened its theatrical vocabulary with powder-pink tailoring, inserting a note of restraint. The presence of pink in these collections, during a season that usually favors black, oxblood, and heavy wool, reads as a rupture.
What stands out is its transformation. Gone is the bubblegum optimism of Barbiecore, when bright pink dominated social media and fast-fashion cycles. In its place emerges something more complex, a color marked by subtlety, even nostalgia.
From runways to the streets
The shift is not confined to the runway. On the streets, pink is already being worn with an ease that suggests it has moved from trend to staple. A rose trench paired with denim, a blush hoodie under a charcoal overcoat, or a slip dress in pale pink balanced with stark black leather accessories all highlight its new versatility.
Styling plays a critical role in this reinterpretation. Tailored pieces in dusty rose or slouchy blazers in muted pink give the shade a sense of weight. Layering with neutrals prevents it from slipping into sentimentality. A mohair sweater in pale blush, paired with charcoal wool, suggests control over the shade. Even in casual contexts, pink now operates with the precision of a uniform.
The rise of pink points to a broader mood shift in fashion. After years of irony-driven aesthetics and maximalist gestures, sincerity is back in focus. Softness is no longer seen as weakness but as another form of strength. Designers seem to suggest that pink, once dismissed as unserious, can serve as armor in uncertain times.
A color repositioned
It is this contradiction that makes the trend striking. By softening the season’s palette without tipping into sweetness, pink repositions itself as both surprising and logical. It serves as a reminder that color can evolve, shed old associations, and return with unexpected purpose.
This season, pink has stepped into that role with confidence. No longer spectacle or parody, the shade emerges as a statement of balance between romance, restraint, memory, and modernity.
And in a landscape still dominated by shadows, it is perhaps the most strategic shade of all.
As seen in the pages of VMAN SEA 04, available in print and by e-subscription.
Photography Rojan Maguyon
Art direction Mike Miguel
Fashion Corven Uy
Grooming Jean Alorro of Nix Institute of Beauty
Photography assistant Odan Juan
Model Ronto Katsura (Farah Models)
