The Strange Beauty of Ugly Green

“There it is again,” I whispered to my seatmate at a Fall/Winter 2026 runway show in February. “That rancid shade of green is everywhere.” Not to brag, but this statement would prove prophetic. As Fashion Month unfolded, a deranged color story emerged across every fashion capital. Amidst the stately jewel tones, tasteful neutrals, and powder-y pastels that have proven popular this season, off-putting hues popped up again and again on catwalks in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. From shocking chartreuse shorts to gowns in the exact shade of the nausea emoji, ugly green is back in style, whether you like it or not.

In New York, Ulla Johnson’s boho queens walked the runway in radioactive yellowish green, embellished with black lace. Daniella Kallmeyer showed a puke-colored sweater—très lesbian chic, no? Across the pond, Simone Rocha showed a drop-waist evening gown in a shiny pea soup taffeta. At Prada, pops of color came via shades of decomposing moss. Meanwhile, Miu Miu styled an icky green cardigan with embellished clogs. Balmain, Dries Van Noten, and Alaïa got in on the action, too, taking elegant draping, plaid outerwear, and sophisticated knitwear to a place of yuck. Dior’s Jonathan Anderson answered the question, “Is pond scum fashionable now?” with the week’s most viral pair of heels.

Even the runways themselves couldn’t resist the trend. Dying grass acted as the backdrop for Miu Miu’s fall show in Paris. Valentino went the astroturf route (perhaps a meta-commentary on fashion’s astroturfing of public opinion via planted influencer content?), and Dior opted for green scaffolding at the Jardins des Tuileries.

If you’re easily grossed out, this season might trigger your gag reflex. But if, like me, you ascribe to the Diana Vreeland “a little bad taste is like paprika” theory of styling, the nauseating green trend is, actually, endlessly appealing. After all, a shade dangerously near toxic waste is bound to provoke attention…and who doesn’t love attention? It’s certainly not easy to justify a $1,500 sweater the color of moldy cheese, but the several pairs of Salomon sneakers sitting in my closet (not to mention the brand’s placement in last month’s ShopMy Top 10) prove that the urge to ugly dress is powerful indeed.

It’s exciting to see a color on the runway that people have feelings about. Strong reactions are always better (apathy is worse than hate, they say)—and a musty or slimy green is bound to elicit one. The other color trends of this year, like Pantone’s very meh cloud dancer, pale in comparison. It’s psychologically proven that greens provoke a response: Researchers developed Pantone 448 C, a drab brown-green, specifically to discourage smoking in Australia. Also called “opaque couché,” the shade now graces the sides of cigarette packs worldwide for its “ew” factor. Imagine what it could do for your dating life!

Most of all, the ugly green trend stands out in a sea of “good” taste. When beige and black have taken over department store floors, influencers are trying (and failing) to dress like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and designers continue to favor restraint, an offensive shade of green might just be what’s missing from your capsule wardrobe. Not only does the color play well with your elevated basics, but it also signals that you are fluent in Miuccia, a woman who believes in unpleasant green for all seasons

Of course, we’ve seen this all before. Ugly trends have a habit of taking off for their sheer divisiveness. Green is just the color equivalent of the clunky dad shoes sitting in your mudroom or the Labubu hanging off your bag. It feels good to break the fashion “rules” sometimes, and ugly trends help us get there. So, embrace the color of decomposing vegetation, pea soup, and green ogres this fall.