My Favorite Color Palettes: Red & Blue
Ahhh, the magical art of dressing with color! If you know me, you know color-paletting. It’s a term I created years ago for that wonderful moment when a great color combination comes together. Sometimes, these happen intentionally, and other times they seem to appear purely by the universe's whim. But you recognize a good pairing when you see one, and for me, blue and red are among the best. The inspiration for color-paletting doesn’t need to come from the runway; the above combination of garnet red and icy blue, for example, was inspired by the bottle of my favorite spirit, Campari.
Why it works (Science)
Red and Blue are both primary colors— two of the three colors from which all others are mixed. This means they are both equally bold and that together they create a strong, powerful contrast. While not exactly complementary, red and blue still form a powerful contrast between warm and cool.
The fiery red and icy blue create a striking combination, as seen in both Phoebe Philo's incredible Spring 2017 Celine RTW and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Valentino Spring 2018 Couture.
The truth is that when first building a wardrobe, you might still be experimenting with color and unsure of which ones speak to you. Over time, you’ll notice specific colors and color combinations that you continually gravitate towards. Eventually, you’ll have enough pieces to start mixing and matching them. After years of following your instincts about color, you’ll be able to create hundreds of combinations. That’s when the fun really starts.
