Millennial Pink is Over. What’s Next?
The Millennials are Growing Up
Millennial pink has dominated our feeds, flat lays, feature walls, interiors and branding for years now. But it seems the time has finally come for new trends to take over the design world.
The millennial aesthetic isn’t just about pastel pink. It’s about creating “cool-girl” vibes, softness and satisfying harmony.
Think of interiors where the dark green of devil’s ivy complements the texture of peach terrazzo.
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Millennial pink has dominated everything from packaging design.
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To phone cases, with oversized typography also being a popular design trend in recent years.
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Boobs on things seemed to be a recurring motif, on everything from t-shirts to pots. Perhaps as a way of sticking it to Instagram’s no (female) nipple policy.
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Earlier this year, The Cut did an exposé on the millennial aesthetic and the “tyranny of terrazzo”. While the aesthetic has stuck around for an unusually long time, we don’t lament its reign.
Because if you haven’t invested in at least one monstera in a hand-painted pot that has slowly died over the last five years — how do you know if you’ve lived your best life?
Millennial pink has done a lot for us — it soothed when the world needed softness.
Trends are cyclical and we’re sure millennial pink will cycle back in another decade or two. But it’s time to move on. And we might finally be able to let go.
Predicting the Next Aesthetic
How do we predict the next big thing in branding and design?
By keeping our ear to the ground and diagnosing the patterns that form. It’s our job to stay in-tune with the design world and we love being able to share this insight with our clients.
By looking to designers — whether graphic, interior, fashion, the list goes on — we can get an idea of where we’ll be going next.
The Pantone colour of the year is always a good indicator of trends. For context, the 2016 colour was rose quartz (aka millennial pink) and it has hung around since then!
This year it’s classic blue — reassuring, reaffirming and recognisable (just what we need right now).
We’re seeing it cropping up in cool new places, like the branding for Melbourne’s next artist’s festival Rising (think Dark Mofo meets White Night).
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Bold colours in fashion are emerging. Wearing dramatic colours can help us feel uplifted and happy, which feels exactly like what we need right now.
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Even in furniture, bright colours are in. This is a big step away from the minimalist Scandi trends that have dominated this space for years.
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In addition to bold colours, we’re also predicting a trend towards certain pastels. Not the cooler colours of lilac, pastel blue and millennial pink. Think warmer hues like taupe, terracotta and tan. Or a muted yellow like this packaging.
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In the graphic design world, mixed media and removing negative space is our prediction for how to stay hip and cool.
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What This Means for Branding
So what should you do with these predictions?
Trends come and go often, but that doesn’t mean every time a new trend rolls in you need to rebrand your entire brand identity to fit with the current fashion.
That said, it’s easy to see how brands can quickly date. That’s why it’s important to build a brand that will last and to rebrand when the timing feels right.
Designers are aware of trends, but also what makes designs timeless. They’re able to create something that is not just a copycat of popular styles, but something that embodies who you are, and fits in with the modern world.
