Pre-fall 18 trend-to-go: Think pink

Ultra-Violet may be 2018’s colour of the year but pink still rules the mainstream and it’s more than the soft Millennial Pink that has been popular for a while now.

It starts at the paler-than-pale palest end of the spectrum. Think of those white-with-hint-of paint pots and then reduce the pink quota down even further. It’s a trace element, a barely-there statement that, when up against stronger pinks, doesn’t even look like pink at all. You need to put it next white to really see what’s happening.

It moves from there through icy, dusty and rosy tones, stoping off for an infusion of apricot, bubblegum or blush on the way. And then it starts to get much more intense; rosy brights, Schiaparelli-style fuchsias, saturated darks and the depth of almost-raspberries. No neons though - this trend is more about the purity of the colour, the inert of the contrasts and textural effects than the eye-searing bad girl of the pink family.

Whichever pink is used, it makes an impact as an allover but is also a conversation starter as part of a colour team. Combine light and dark pinks in a single look. Mix it with blues, reds, blacks, white and greens in statement colour blocks. Or work it into one of pre-season’s madcap print mixes or its power checks and stripes.