How Gen-Z purple became the new Millennial pink

The critic Terry Castle once described the artwork of abstract expressionist artist Agnes Martin as filled with “sippy cup” colors. The mint greens, the baby blues, the Laffy Taffy yellows. These are the colors that feel approachable, silken, serene; a balm to the dark days that have defined the past two immunologically downward years.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that a similarly sedate lilac purple is the hue that’s dominating the visual identity of young brands as of late. Far before Pantone whipped up Very Peri , and dubbed it the color of the year, light purple staked its claim across the internet. If you scroll through the websites of various budding direct-to-consumer brands, you are bound to find some version of a muted lavender cross your screen.

This color features prominently across the branding of undergarment and accessory lines like Pepper , the place for “bras that finally fit small chested women”; Studs , a cleaner, sleeker version of the shopping mall piercing parlor, Claire’s; as well as sustainable beauty and wellness companies like Saie , Tower28 , and Billie . You might also recognize the color from the backdrop of pop-rock singer Olivia Rodrigo’s latest album cover , the promotional graphics for Euphoria , the metallic shell of the iPhone 12 , or Phoebe Bridgers’ quicksilvery hair . Whereas cotton candy pink has become an oversaturated visual shorthand for the Millennial generation—particularly women—lilac purple is dominating the lives of Gen Z, who are bringing a new worldview and set of expectations to their color preferences. (Related: The new way web designers are embracing monochrome .)

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