Millennial Pink
History, Fashion, Interior + Brand Design, & Pantone®
How did this desaturated pink become the defining color of an entire generation? Today we’re talking about Millennial Pink!
“It’s pink, but not too pink” — Everyone in the 2010s
A Brief History
This pink started creeping into Instagram aesthetics, branding, and trendy café interiors, until it was basically everywhere in the 2010s.
Marble countertops, pink velvet couches, neon signs…this cafe you see below, that has all of those things (except it’s pink chairs). Millennial aesthetic.
And the specific toned-down pink shade we’re looking at today became representative of this cultural moment when Pantone® featured it as a key color in 2017, right at the peak of the Millennial Pink wave.
The color remained unironically trendy and chic for a while, at least until the memes kicked in around 2018-2019 and Gen Z started calling it cheugy.
By then, Millennial Pink had already been thoroughly memeified on Twitter and parodied in think pieces.
“Cheugy” or not, however, Millennial pink did stay popular for quite some time, and for good reason—it was cool enough for minimalist, gender-neutral branding and design.
In fact, it’s still very much used across a number of design applications from fashion to interior design and more. Let’s get into it!
Fashion Design
Miu Miu SS (Spring/Summer) 2024
Miu Miu, for example, has worked with and continues working with millennial-type pink—see their 2024 Spring Summer and 2025 Fall Ready-to-Wear collections below:
Miu Miu Fall 2025 Ready-To-Wear
Infusing soft pink with a sophisticated, vintage edge through rich textures like fur and patent leather.
Chloé Fall 2025 Ready-To-Wear
Chloé also embraces a romantic take on millennial pink, elevating it with delicate embroidery and vintage-inspired tailoring.
Interior Design
Not for everyone, perhaps, but the pink on its own does a pretty good job of blending softness with sophistication. It really just depends on how you style it and what you pair it with.
Above, you can see it paired with vintage-inspired gold accents, rich jewel tones, and muted neutrals, to evoke both elegance and comfort.
Whether you prefer a modern, eclectic, or classic space, this pink works beautifully— from plush velvet sofas to arched doorways and striped cushions.
Its versatility lies in its ability to be both playful and refined, creating interiors that feel inviting, stylish, and effortlessly chic.
Branding
Millennial pink, though it’s not usually called that, remains a go-to branding color across industries like beauty, fashion, and even tech. Glossier, for example, has their entire brand identity centered around this pink.
Its versatility allows brands to convey warmth, sophistication, and approachability—whether in minimalist skincare packaging or fashion labels.
Pantone® & More
While Millennial Pink has technically been used to describe a variety of pinks from muted blush and peachy-rose to slightly dusty tones, Pink Dogwood (12-1706 TCX) by Pantone is the most widely used and recognized version.
HEX: #FED2D3
RGB: (254, 210, 211)
CMYK: (0%, 17%, 17%, 0%)
As always, thank you so much for reading! Hopefully, you learned something new today or are maybe now inspired to work with this cheugy pink :)