Make a statement with shocking pink

Fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli is often remembered for two things: her famous rivalry with Coco Chanel and her signature colour ‘Schiaparelli pink’, more illustriously known as ‘shocking pink’.

This iconic colour first appeared in 1936 on the packaging for her first fragrance, Shocking, before it was showcased on the catwalk in her 1937 autumn collection.

Ever since 1937, ‘shocking pink’ has been the go-to term to describe the deliciously daring pink hue that sits between fuchsia and magenta, a colour Schiaparelli once described as “all the light and the birds and the fish in the world put together”.

This hot hue works wonderfully as an accent colour, especially when paired with contrast colours such as emerald, cobalt and tangerine.

For those who would like to make a more subtle splash, try adding pink accessories to a neutral space, such as fuchsia cushions on a charcoal sofa or a magenta rug atop a timber floor.

If in doubt, follow Schiaparelli’s lead by trusting your instincts – if you love it, it’s right!