If you’re a chronically online TikTok addict who probably spends too much time scrolling (totally not speaking from experience!), chances are you had a neutral phase. Everything (and I mean everything) from the T–shirt you wore to bed to the art you decorated your walls with had to fit within the color schemes of beige, grey, white, and black. Color was so distasteful, so old–fashioned, so cheugy!
In the last few years, the online world has developed an aversion to color. Think Kim Kardashian’s mega–beige mansion or the popularity of the neutral time–capsule wardrobe all the influencers are convincing us to build. With the recent rise of the quiet luxury trend on TikTok, this obsession with neutrals has only been exacerbated in mainstream media. Quiet luxury encapsulates neutral, tailored clothing that screams wealth. Color has automatically taken the backseat; the world is fifty shades of beige. This infatuation with muted colors has even spread to parents, with the "sad beige" parenting trend taking all the colorful fun out of childhood nurseries and bedrooms.
On the other side of this revulsion to color, however, there are also numerous people celebrating it. Color has been a central part of fashion in many cultures worldwide. From the vibrant red lehengas adorned by South Asian brides to the bright prints on African Ankara fabric, it is clear that non–Western cultures have always adored color—and this love for color has also gradually been spreading to parts of the Western world. In Denmark, for instance, fashion brands have been introducing color to the local palettes. The rise of the GANNI girl is the perfect example of the growing color movement becoming integrated into mainstream fashion.
GANNI is a Danish fashion brand originally founded in 2000 by Frans Truelson but taken over by husband and wife Nicolaj and Ditte Reffstrup in 2009. GANNI’s collections are full of colorful and whimsical designs that appreciate vibrancy and fun prints. It celebrates contrast by mixing feminine pieces with more laid–back ones and does not shy away from bright patterns and loud silhouettes. GANNI has brought the neutral–obsessed clean girlies out of their hypnosis and reintroduced the magic of color. GANNI girls are taking the world by storm.
The GANNI girl is not afraid of colors. She is an expert in mixing and matching contrasting pieces, creating looks that are unique to her. She might match a bright and delicate sweater vest with a masculine corduroy skirt and dark sneakers like the quintessential GANNI girl, Poppy Almond, does. Or she might wear an exaggerated puff–sleeve blouse with colorful pants like influencer Emily Zembo. GANNI girls embrace freedom in how they dress; they forget fashion rules, take inspiration from the world around them, and claim every look as their own. To them, fashion has no rules.
Courtesy of GANNI
GANNI’s SS24 collection at Copenhagen Fashion Week was the definition of unrestricted playfulness. One of the looks, for instance, features a tailored black top with baggy, metallic pink trousers, bug–eyed, holographic sunglasses, and edgy black ballet flats. The outfit is unexpected and novel, which makes it memorable: it doesn’t follow the typical rules of flowing together thematically. Another iconic outfit from the show consisted of a long, buttoned white dress with hundreds of tiny pink flowers—the girly sweetness of this dress was contrasted by undoing all but one of its buttons and having black underwear peek out to match with mesh black socks and leather clogs. My favorite look from the collection showcased a denim dress with exaggerated sleeves worn with bright yellow dad sneakers. Even though the outfit is vibrant and eye–catching, it still looks put together through the continuous inclusion of black in the sunglasses, bag, and socks. Overall, GANNI was successful in creating an unforgettable and vivid collection that radiates fun and excitement.
The GANNI girl might not have started this revolution of color, but she is very much proof of a new era in fashion, especially Scandinavian fashion, which has historically been the epitome of "chic minimalism," according to Vogue UK. And this era is beyond exhilarating and extremely inspiring, with an infinite number of adventurous outfit ideas waiting to be sashayed into the world.
