Timothée Chalamet is bringing orange back – and he’s doing it one red carpet at a time.
At the New York City premiere of his new film Marty Supreme, the 29-year-old actor arrived in head‑to‑toe orange alongside his mother, Nicole Flender, who matched the exact shade. Days earlier, he’d also stepped out with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner in coordinated orange looks.
The color choice isn’t random. In Marty Supreme, Chalamet’s character, American table tennis star Marty Reisman, insists on swapping traditional white ping‑pong balls for bright orange ones for greater visibility.
But what began as a clever marketing nod may now be slipping into something bigger: a fashion trend in its own right.
Gwyneth Paltrow, another cast member, has also embraced the color, sporting an all-orange tracksuit to promote the movie on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Then, Ariana Grande wore a Bob Mackie orange gown for her SNL promo this week.
Orange shades were a standout feature at this fall’s Milan Fashion Week and fashion bible Marie Claire has already named it “winter citrus,” while designers are pairing neon and saturated shades with darker winter colors to make them pop.
All of this stands in stark contrast to Pantone’s official prediction for 2026: Cloud Dancer, a muted shade of white. After years of the “clean girl” aesthetic—quiet neutrals and tidy palettes, —Pantone’s pick makes sense, but culture doesn’t always follow the forecast.
Historically celebrity influence has often propelled color trends into mainstream. Fashion historian Robert Ossant told Newsweek that back in the 1800s, Queen Victoria popularized the white wedding dress when she wore a white satin gown on her wedding to Prince Albert.
“She also made black the color of mourning,” he added, when she wore black to her beloved husband’s funeral.
Ossant argues that Cloud Dancer represents a top‑down prediction—experts scanning culture from above and making a call. But orange? Orange is bottom‑up.
“It’s something that begins as a lived-in street-style colour, that has made its way in high fashion and celebrity style. It’s about youth, optimism and the desire to be seen. Historically, the colour orange is about deliberate rebellion and an expression of energy. In this moment, it’s a protest against the restraint offered by high street retailers.”
He also notes that bold colors tend to surge when times feel uncertain. “Colours are often inversely related to the level of optimism or financial security of shoppers. When times seems tough – we are more inclined to buy the bright colour, the sparkly outfit, the playful silhouette.
“They can grant a level of comfort and delight that a grey mohair sweater can’t quite achieve. It’s a way of projecting a level of confidence that in reality might be missing.”
In that sense, Marty Supreme orange isn’t just a color—it’s a coping mechanism.
Color analyst Joanna Heyman, however, sees Pantone’s predicted color of the year, Cloud Dancer, differently. To her, white is a canvas, a way to let other colors shine. She predicts warm neutrals will continue to dominate, but with bold accents—fuchsia, amber, teal—popping against the quiet backdrop.
Chalamet’s orange, she argues, is more about branding than forecasting. “[He] is experimenting with his own ‘Barbie pink’ —but I don’t see it taking over as a major color for 2026” she told Newsweek.
Wardrobe stylist Jasmene Bowdry takes a middle path. Celebrity influence won’t override Pantone, she says, but she thinks it can indeed elevate orange as a complementary shade.
“We’ve seen this before. Burgundy wasn’t ‘officially’ named a color of the year for fall, yet it still dominated wardrobes, runways, and retail because it resonated emotionally and visually with the moment. The same could happen with orange.
“Timothée’s repeated appearances in bright orange, amplified by other celebrities, can push the color into more visibility. If this happens and orange gains momentum into 2026, it would likely function as a counterbalance rather than a replacement.”
Streetwear Studios founder Christopher Lindell frames it as emotional meteorology. “Color of the year is basically a cultural weather report—it tells you what people are craving emotionally,” he told Newsweek.
In his view, 2026 won’t see an “everyone wears orange head-to-toe” moment, however, he can “totally see [the color] catching on.”
“What would make orange really stick for 2026: If a bunch of brands across price points start using it at the same time (luxury + streetwear + high street). If it shows up in easy-to-buy items (sneakers, puffers, caps, bags). If it pairs well with the neutral base most people already wear (black/grey/cream), so it feels wearable.
“Culturally, if orange becomes ‘the’ shade, it feels like a move away from the super clean, calm ‘put together’ vibe and more into something louder and more alive — like optimism, energy, confidence, even a little rebellious.”