The Style Files: An Ode to Oxblood

Oxblood conjures up an image of a haemoglobin-rich animal fluid and sounds like it could be a sort of biblical plague but, no, it is simply a fall trend and my favourite shade of red! Oxblood, because the it’s the colour of oxygenated blood. A mainstay (thankfully) of fashion's cyclical nature it always makes an appearance in AW collections. Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman calls oxblood, popular in the 1930s and 1940s and one of the oldest hues in the Pantone pantheon, a classic. The name is visceral, she says, but “it’s not a straight dark color; it has complexity.” It's not just red, it's the new, cool, grown up and sophisticated red.

Courtesy MANGO

Oxblood is such a major trend mainly because it is universally flattering. It complements all skin tones and works for any style more so perhaps than other shades of red like ruby, maroon, auburn, crimson, vermillion, scarlet, or the other 50. Oxblood is the color of the moment featured in the Gucci, Nina Ricci fall collections.

I personally have a very contradictory relationship with red. On one hand, I love red especially (deep) red lipstick, red nails and Louboutin red on the other  hand I hardly ever wear it and when I do it’s through accessories and not the main focus. Red is such a powerful color and can create a multitude of emotions ranging anywhere from happiness to anger and, of course, love. Oxblood is just one of many versions of red that might inspire an array of emotions.

This particular shade of red works beautifully with grey, teal and black or even do it head to toe. Oxblood lends itself to being much more versatile than a traditional red; its brown undertones make it much easier to complement a variety of skin tones whilst also adding a touch of Regal-ness as opposed to the brash sexiness of racing-car red. Just remember how ever you wear it, to paint the town red!