Anne Hathaway isn't just Mia Thermopolis, the Princess of Genovia in The Princess Diaries. On August 16, she claimed her Disney Legend crown at D23, a multi-day fan convention in California, while wearing a color trend fit for a queen: cobalt blue.
Twenty-five years after Hathaway first left her Disney mark, the actor accepted the highest honor given by The Walt Disney Company. Styled by Erin Walsh, she wore a pleated column dress with Grecian sleeves worthy of an Odyssey red-carpet premiere. Her longtime stylist, Erin Walsh, sourced the New York-based brand Aflalo for the cape-style slip.
Hathaway only accessorized with a few sparklers, including Bulgari's $54,000 diamond Serpenti Tubogas Watch. The timepiece (complete with gold hardware and a carnelian red face) has rarely left the luxury brand ambassador's wrist all pregnancy long. Still, its extravagance didn't outshine the shade of her designer maternity dress.
Hathaway may have worn this specific shade of royal blue as an homage to her Princess Diaries character. If you're a fashion person, you know cobalt blue is also an It color seen in spring, fall, and couture collections from Chanel, Givenchy, Balenciaga, and more.
Earlier this year, Marie Claire said the electric tint "wakes up an outfit the way caffeine wakes up a person," while addressing its roots in the art world. (French artist Yves Klein created the not quite indigo, not quite violet swatch with Parisian paint supplier Édouard Adam in the late ‘50s.) Over the past year, the hue brought a jolt of vibrancy to many fashion shows, including Lacoste's Spring/Summer 2026 collection.
Once the Fall 2026 circuit rolled around, Chanel, Givenchy, and Bottega Veneta gave cobalt blue a starring role on their runways. Chanel's creative director, Matthieu Blazy, painted it onto a drop-waist dress; Sarah Burton stacked electric blue leather bottoms beneath a feathery indigo top; and Bottega Veneta's full cobalt outfit took color trend-maxxing to new heights.
During Paris Couture Week, Balenciaga and Robert Wun picked up where Fall 2026 fashion shows left off.
Step aside, moss green and strawberry red. Cobalt blue is the undisputed color trend of 2026. As if endorsements from Chanel and Balenciaga don't mean much to you, take note of this: Dakota Johnson, Greta Lee, Dua Lipa, and Jessie Buckley also adore the anti-baby blue shade. Now, it even won over a Disney princess.
Unless you've already treated yourself to Hathaway's dress, curate your own cobalt blue looks below.
Shop the Cobalt Blue Color Trend Inspired by Anne Hathaway
