At long last, it seems that butter yellow is officially on the outs, joining the likes of brat green and Barbie pink in the castoff color pile.
In recent months, we’ve been noticing a shift toward cobalt blue. Our first inkling came over a year ago, when Balenciaga, Chloé, Valentino, and Schiaparelli all endorsed the vibrant shade on the spring 2025 runways. The past few seasons have seen a further uptick in cobalt, with spring 2026 a delight of the daring shade: Victoria Beckham, Gucci, Luar, Tom Ford, and Valentino all included it in their offerings.
The fall 2026 season proved that cobalt isn’t going anywhere anytime soon: Chanel, Givenchy, Mugler, Chloé, Stella McCartney, and Valentino all presented options ranging from full looks to punchy details.
It’s not just a runway-only trend, though; celebrities are beginning to endorse cobalt with aplomb. Earlier this month, Chase Infiniti wore a voluminous Louis Vuitton gown to the Series Mania Festival in Lille, France.
Unsurprisingly, awards season was also fertile ground for the trendy color. For some nominees, it proved a good luck charm: Jessie Buckley and Wunmi Mosaku both took home BAFTAs in the vibrant hue, Buckley in a blue velvet Chanel dress (similar to one shown in the 2026 Métiers d’art collectsion), Mosaku in a fringed Ahluwalia inspired by the spring 2026 show.
Dua Lipa also got in on the action at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s annual Academy Awards viewing party. The singer tapped Demna to fashion her a custom Gucci dress, the vibrant shade adding some extra oomph to a super sexy silhouette.
But cobalt was on a roll well before awards season; celebrities have been testing the waters on the bold shade for a few months now. In January, Bella Hadid celebrated the premiere of Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty in a full Saint Laurent resort 2026 look: a color-blocked windbreaker in cobalt and gray and a coated cotton black paper bag skirt. Her fellow model—and The Beauty co-star—Amelia Gray also got the memo, opting for a sumptuous Gucci faux fur.
In September, Dakota Johnson attended the Zurich Film Festival in a drop-waist Gucci dress complete with a turtleneck and a ball skirt. As if the striking color wasn’t attention-grabbings enough, the sheer lace bodice certainly didn’t hurt. (Incorporating one endlessly enduring trend—naked dressing—into the new shade du jour is sure one way to keep it going.)
The very same week that Johnson went electric, Greta Lee promoted Tron: Ares in a slim-fitting, fresh-off-the-runway Luar suit. Alexander Skarsgård, also in the throes of press for his film Pillion, tapped Alessandro Michele to create a custom Valentino suit with a silk button-up.
Street style stars have also taken the hue for a spin. Last winter, Jennifer Lawrence traded in her beloved pop of red styling hack for a cobalt sweater from The Row. Kendall Jenner used it as an accent piece, pairing a statement scarf with straight-legged jeans and a black jacket, cloche, and flats.
So, whether it’s on the runway, the red carpet, or in the streets, we’re expecting to see plenty of cobalt blue in our future.
