Purple haze: The colour stars can’t get enough of

Share articleThere’s a new colour trend taking hold – and shrinking violets need not apply. Just this week, The Odyssey co-stars Lupita Nyong’o and Anne Hathaway have respectively jumped aboard, embracing their shared winter colour season with rich purple hues.

Nyong’o shared a carousel of Instagram photos from the Christopher Nolan blockbuster’s press tour, one of which shows her in a purple and red colour-blocked outfit. Plenty of other stars – women and men alike – have worn the shade on the red carpet.

What Happened

Design houses including Chloe, Mugler, Prabal Gurung, Issey Miyake, Chochengco, Pierre Cardin and Julie Kegel have sent models down the catwalk in Paris, New York, Berlin and Milan dressed in decadent shades of purple. The purple rain (reign?) also hit Australian Fashion.

• Purple, in particular bold shades like violet and royal purple, has been popping up everywhere throughout 2026, from red carpets and runways to street style.

• Meanwhile, Hathaway attended the 2026 Disney Legends Awards over the weekend, emerging on stage in a caped purple gown by Aflalo.

• Two breakout trends dominate the 2026 Logies red carpetClearly, a purple haze is descending.

Key Details

While there’s no denying purple is high-impact, it’s a “notoriously tricky colour to style”, as Who What Wear puts it.

• Some have paired their purple with equally bold colours for an eye-catching combination – like The White Lotus star Sarah Catherine Hook with her mint opera gloves at the 2026 Actor Awards, and Nyong’o.

• The colour has also had a starring role on the runway at 2026 Fashion Week events around the world.

• Keep scrolling to see some of the best purple looks we’ve spotted on stars this year.

Why It Matters

If you’re committed to your neutrals and the thought of wearing anything bright and saturated makes you sweat, you can always dip your toe in the trend with accessories – a pair of shoes, a bag, a headscarf.

• If you don’t mind turning heads, you could embrace a monochromatic approach, teaming purple with purple.

What Reports Say

Coverage of the story so far points to:

• Continued reporting by Nine.com.au as more details emerge