English Version | And it was all yellow

It will never be the new black, for sure, but if it is anything, it will be impactful - and unforgettable. Yellow doesn't like half terms or what ifs. And that is precisely why we like it so much. 

Between the day I started writing this text and the day I finally finished it, a time span so significant that it indisputably marks the longest procrastination moment of my adult life, the presence of yellow garments in my daily life has more than tripled. And no, this was not an effect of the Reticular Activating System (RAS), that little part of our brain that is responsible for filtering the information we process. It really happened. If not in physical terms - even though I may, or may not, have bought some canary-colored pants from The Frankie Shop - at least in virtual terms. Anne Hathaway appeared at a Bulgari event in Paris in a stunning (yellow) Valentino ensemble, fresh from the Rendez-Vous collection, presented a few months earlier. Tracee Ellis Ross chose a magnificent (yellow) Proenza Schouler dress for a viewing of the new episodes of Black-ish, in Los Angeles. In May, Sydney Sweeney had already gone on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with a breathtaking (yellow) Mugler. A few days later, Harry Styles (we don't need to explain why he's such an icon, right?) was photographed during the recording of a music video as he was being thrown out of a circus cannon. The outfit chosen? Nothing less than a jumpsuit (yellow) covered with jewelry and feather wings (yellow). And what about that coordinated (yellow) Alessandra Rich outfit that stylist Tara Swennen chose for Kristen Stewart in March, or the recent (yellow) gown that Dua Lipa paraded at Balenciaga's Haute Couture, the latter signed by Demna? It was all yellow.

It has been widely believed, for at least five years, that yellow is going to be the new pink. Put another way, it was around this time that talk began of Gen Z Yellow, the replacement for Millennial Pink. According to an article published by Business Insider in January, "Gen Z Yellow emerged around 2017, reflecting that generation's desire for a new economy in the Trump era and later as it entered a pandemic and recession." In the same text, which recalls the fact that yellow was considered Color of the Year in 2021, it reads, "While Millennial Pink represented gender neutrality, Gen Z Yellow represents a need for change. [...] It is a light for generation Z, which fears repeating Millennials' money problems as they enter a job market ruined by the pandemic recession." When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, the saying goes. "That's what Generation Z is doing," concludes Business Insider. You may not be aware of this impact, but if there is anyone who contributes (and a lot) to yellow being more than just the color of American cabs and those sneakers they made us wear as kids, it's the Queen of England.

One loses count of the number of times Elizabeth II, a self-confessed (though never confessed) lover of vitamin colors, has worn yellow. In March, during a surprise visit to Paddington station in London, the monarch wore a (yellow) coat and a (yellow) hat. It was around this time that, during an official visit to Jamaica, that the Duchess of Cambridge chose the Brigitte dress, a crepe and silk model signed by Roksanda, a London-based Serbian designer, for one of her appearances. Shortly after the first images of the Duchess' arrival in the country were released, the dress (which cost €1,340) sold out - something normal when it comes to Kate Middleton, one of the most photographed women in the world. What makes this piece worth mentioning now, so many months (and so many looks) later? The color. Middleton's Roksanda dress was not black, nor beige, nor dark blue, nor gray, nor white, nor red - perhaps the riskiest shade we associate with the princess. It was yellow, a bright, almost addictive yellow, in everything similar to the flag of Jamaica (what she presumably understood as a tribute many saw as an offense). The feedback from the Palace must have been positive, as at one of the Platinum Jubilee celebration events Kate chose yellow again, this time pale yellow - her Emilia Wickstead dress is the piece any woman would want to have in her closet "lest a wedding invitation pop up overnight."

The yellow revolution, however fleeting it may be, is a fact. Look at all the ways of saying - or thinking - "yellow": daffodil, honey, butter, corn, gold, marigold. Yellow can be that monochromatic, almost discreet look, formally known as Pantone Popcorn, which looks like something between cheesecake and coconut candy (Max Mara was one of the brands that bet on this creamier variant, like Jonathan Simkhai, Acne Studios, Alexander McQueen, Victoria Beckham and Isabel Marant, responsible for the most coveted jumpusit of the season), as the touch of light caused by a canary-yellow outfit (which was a hit on the catwalks of AZ Factory, Blumarine, Emilio Pucci). Or, again, the energy boost caused by pieces in Spectra Yellow, aka mustard (pre-hits by Dior, Paul & Joe, Proenza Schouler), and the acidity of lime, seen in some more unexpected outfits (cases of Roksanda, Richard Quinn, or that Chanel suit). We cannot forget, of course, the return of Courrèges and some of its most iconic pieces. Nicolas Di Felice, creative director of the French maison since 2020, went to the archives and brought back hits from the past like the jacket, the miniskirt and the vinyl trench coat (before you roll your eyes: none of these items have a season, because they are timeless) in a series of colors, including three wonderful yellows ("jaune", "jaune clair" and "ocre"). Nor Versace, which never refuses yellow, especially in summer, and especially in its golden version, the apogee of yellow. But to list brands and designers that this season have surrendered to the power of yellow is an almost impossible task: at the end of May, Farfetch had 80 pages whose results pointed to this color. About 4000 products, more or less.

 And then there are the moments that go down in history because they were painted yellow. Rihanna in Guo Pei at the Met Gala 2015, Beyoncé in Roberto Cavalli by Peter Dundas (fall/winter 2016) in the music video for Hold Up, one of the hits of the glorious Lemonade, Kate Hudson (or Andie Anderson) in a satin dress that is impossible to hate in the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2013), Michelle Williams in a saffron yellow Vera Wang at the 2006 Oscars (a risky choice that turned out to be one of the most accurate looks ever), Emma Watson in Versace at the premiere of Spider Man (2014) - the color inspired Mary Zophres two years later when she had to design the dress the actress wears on the poster for the movie La La Land. And of course, there is no one who sees Kill Bill (2003) and remains indifferent to The Bride's (Uma Thurman) jumpsuit, inspiration for the illustration by Nuno da Costa that inspires this text. We may not even paint all the walls yellow (although it looks great), but there is no escaping a touch of this color. Let's start with the accessories. Next thing you know... it will be all yellow.

Translated from the original on The Sunny Vibes Issue, from Vogue Portugal, published July 2022.Full stories and credits on the print issue.