If You Wore Aqua and Purple in Summer, You’re Going to Adore This Y2K Colour Trend for Autumn

I must begin by being honest: I am not about to declare gold a new colour trend. Whether sported as a pair of sizeable hoops or party heels that refuse to submit to background noise, in previous years, anything dipped in gold was considered a flex of status. But—and here's the thing—gold isn’t one note; there's a whole spectrum. On one side, you have the glossy, high-shine version embodied by the likes of Jennifer Lopez, and on the other, you have a softer, slightly tarnished tone. After years of attention-seeking shine, it's the matte gold trend that I’m dissecting now.

Think unapologetically loud, golden looks that captured the hearts of the fashion set and the full attention of the paparazzi back in the noughties, and lest we forget the holy trifecta of 2000s R&B: Beyoncé, Rihanna and Mariah Carey, who cycled through matte-gold ensembles like a uniform of dominance. This particular tone of gold is slightly trashy (in all the best ways); its brash, delicious excessiveness drew the eye and commanded the room, and in 2026, it's loudly making itself known once again.

Whether reimagined as the hottest pick of Fendi’s re-released Baguette or on the autumn/winter 2026 runways of Maison Margiela, Akris and Givenchy, the shade carries a tongue-in-cheek, "Stars Are Blind" energy (you know what I'm talking about). It's nostalgic but not overdone, brimming with the "problem child", pop-culture-crazed essence of the 2000s, all in one statement colour. After a summer filled with vibrant, zesty shades of aqua, red and purple, matte gold's slightly faded-glamour, rock-and-roll feel is exactly what Gen Z’s coolest dressers are looking for.

Whether worked into the silhouette of the season (a sweeping velvet duster) or dialled back into a pair of strappy sandals, the message is the same: matte gold has re-contextualised itself, and in 2026, it might just be one of the hottest colours to wear.

Shop the Matte-Gold Colour Trend: