Whether you call in peach, salmon or candied rose, the official Pantone Colour of the Year 2019 – labelled by the colour maestros as Living Coral – certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted.

But that doesn’t mean fashion pundits should shy away. Quite the contrary. Feminine but flirty, elegant buy modern, the hue is universally flattering to all skin and hair tones (yes, even the copper-tressed, despite common beliefs about never mixing pink and red).

Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway at a Marina del Ray photocall for their new movie Serenity. (Credit: Getty Images)

Described by Pantone “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energises and enlivens with a softer edge”, it’s ideal as a pop of resort-vibe colour, but more of a statement if you splash out head-to-toe.

Case in point Anne Hathaway, who donned a two-piece suit and silk blouse by Ukraine-born designer Petar Petrov, for a photocall promoting her new film Serenity with Matthew McConaughey in Marina del Ray, California.

Petrov, who studied fashion at the University of Applied Arts Vienna while Raf Simons was a professor there in the early naughties, is well known for his love of fluid shapes, impeccable tailoring, and jewel-toned fabrications. It’s easy to see then how the delicious peachy coral with Pantone’s fell into his Resort 2019 collection.

An image from the Petar Petrov Resort 2019 collection lookbook


Petar Petrov, tie-neck silk-crepe blouse, $1069.
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Side note: for anyone who’s interested, the suit’s now sold out in this colour but still available in others like blue and cream on Net-a-Porter for $2900 when bought as a set. The sweet blouse? Still up for grabs.

What shoes would work best with a head-to-toe coral look? Dark green suede stilettos, like Hathaway’s Casadei pump, of course.

Touché to her fabulous stylist Law Roach, who rarely (if ever) puts a foot wrong with his celebrity clients. Let’s all take a leaf out of the fashion guru’s styling book for 2019 and start Living (for) Coral too.

10 HOT CORAL pieces TO SHOP NOW



C/MEO collective, Heart of me gown, $290.
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Acne Studies, Musubi leather bag, $1350.
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Sies Marjan, Paloma ruched crepe dress, $1781 (from $2969) at Net-a-Porter. 
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Le Specs, Nero Sunglasses, $119. SHOP NOW


Tibi, Stella Pleated pants with belt, $177 (from $591) at Shopbop. 
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Mansur Gavriel, Rounded leather top handle bag, $995. 
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S/W/F, Cicely Dress, now $87 (from $289) at The Iconic.
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Mulberry, Retro viscose silk jacquard scarf in French rose, $320. 
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Band of Gypsies, Stripe walk-through pant, now $76 (from $108) at The Iconic. 
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Skin, Ophelia Cotton Tulle soft cup triangle bra, now $57 (from $95) at Net-a-Porter. 
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