Fashion decrees that purple is the new red

It all started at the recent London Fashion Week, when Christopher Kane unveiled his latest collection. To perfectly complement an offering that included a striking violet mohair sweater and a series of beautifully sculpted lilac shift dresses, Kane had his chosen venue - a long, derelict office in St Paul's - entirely lined in thick purple carpet. Fashion spectators also sat on purple-carpeted benches and with an awed scribble in their Moleskine notepads, style's latest trend was born: purple is the new red.

However, Kane was not alone in his quest to explore the power of purple, a shade that psychologists say is associated with royalty and nobility. Frida Giannini, creative director of Gucci, and Miuccia Prada also called on purple carpets to line the catwalks of their recent shows.

For Gucci, which unveiled its awesome winter 2012 collection at Milan Fashion Week, a luxurious carpet in a decadent shade of mulberry served to mirror the clothes on the catwalk, while the following day at Prada, the striking electric violet carpet had been printed with geometric shapes, echoing those in its collection.

Of course, while picking out a few pieces in the new "It" colour is an easy enough way to instantly update your style credentials, installing an entire purple carpet in your home might be a bit
trickier.

So this season, do think twice before making a mad dash to your local Carpetwise.