Maximalism: Coping With A World With Less Color

Written by Sofia Yepes

A few months ago, I came across a stat saying the world has significantly less color in it than ever before. Recent research using AI has found that 60% of our world (items, materials, objects, etc.) are either grey, black, or white, compared to only 15% two centuries ago. And if you think about the average color of cars, couches, blazers and bedspreads, it’s not surprising.

This stat depresses me for several reasons, but I guess the biggest one is that monotony seems to be personifying as time goes on. There’s nothing I hate more than seeing an AD celebrity home tour video of white walls with white couches and black & white art with a fun little beige Hermès blanket thrown in there to add just a little color.

One of the obvious reasons for this decline in the use of color is the growing popularity of minimalism. Minimalism is characterized by a focus on simplicity, functionality, and the use of neutral tones. This aesthetic has been adopted in many areas of our lives, including fashion, interior design, and branding. As a result, many people have become accustomed to using a limited color palette in these areas. And of course, we can’t forget the rise of technology. Our world is becoming increasingly digital, and with that comes the use of computer screens, which tend to display images in a more subdued way than the real world. It means that many of us have become accustomed to viewing images in a limited range of colors, which can make bold and vibrant hues feel overwhelming.

Not to be even more depressing, but the decline in the use of color also reflects a larger societal trend towards neutrality and conformity. In many areas of our lives, we're encouraged to blend in and conform, rather than stand out and be different. The most blatant example would be in professional settings, where people are expected to dress and behave in a more conservative way. But this is a little bit too existential for this blog post so that was just a fun side-note.

There is one beautiful thing that has come from this increasing decline in color - and that is MAXIMALISM. Maximalism has been on the rise in recent years, with a growing number of people ditching the monotony of minimalism for something a little more exciting. But what exactly is maximalism? Simply put, it's all about going big. Think bright colors, bold prints - think camp. With the resurgence of certain Y2K styles (double belts, chunky jewelry, ruffles, colorful tulle, etc) we’re seeing this in fashion big time. Take Yayoi Kusama’s campaign for Louie Vuitton. Colorful polka-dots on the classic Louis Vuitton bags? A beautiful and welcomed crime.

Bella Hadid for Yayoi Kusama Louie Vuitton Campaign (image courtesy of Louis Vuitton)

With interior design, we’re seeing a resurgence of 70s interiors making a comeback People are rejecting the black and grey hues and replacing them with funky and retro designs. Emma Chamberlains AD tour is a great example of this. The loud, chaotic, bright and colorful pieces are meant to be the antithesis of minimalism - they are meant to invite you into a personified personality. It is a pure rejection of the white walls and beige blankets, and gives you the chance to show people who you are with just a few objects in a room.

Emma Chamberlain’s recent AD tour (image courtesy of Architectural Digest)

If you can’t tell already I am loving the counter-culture attitude of maximalism. Obviously, there are a few downsides, one of them being that it can promote overconsumption and lead to more environmental waste, etc. But to me, maximalism injects hope into the increasing conformity of this world - it literally makes people stand-out, not hide away.

This blog post is only a quick opinion of what I think about Maximalism, but I want to note that color is a huge part of most non-Western cultures. My family is Colombian, and if you haven’t already been, Colombia is one of the most colorful countries to grace the earth. Architecture, clothing, food - there’s nothing monotonous about it. And in terms of maximalist fashion, the real originators lie in Harajuku, Japan, where maximalism was a true art form in the 90s (and is making a resurgence today). What I’m trying to say is this idea of maximalism is newer to the West, but thriving in so many other cultures.

Harajuku fashion (image courtesy of teenagefilm.com)

My advice for everyone, including myself, is to incorporate more color into your world. Support artisans who craft with color, support smaller brands who produce colorful pieces, and allow your true personality to shine in whatever way you want (even if it’s minimalist).