Pantone
has been promoting its top 10 fashion colors for the past 23 years — that’s 46
seasons — but for spring 2018, its seasonal palette identifies a whopping 16
hues. Rising to the top as Color of the Year is Ultra Violet, which Pantone has
described as “inventive and imaginative,” as well as “complex and
contemplative.”
Fashion and the people who
interact with it are letting go of traditional color guidelines in favor of
greater color experimentation year round, says Leatrice Eiseman, executive
director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Consumers need more variety, and this
expanded palette embraces the lack of gender and seasonal borders we’re seeing
within the fashion industry.”
Both the palette and its
leading hue speak to trends of experimentation and nonconformity that are
spurring people to imagine how they can push boundaries through colorful
self-expression, continues Eiseman. She describes the color story as “a
kaleidoscopic bounty of uplifting shades inspired by a feeling of optimism and
confidence.”
The 12 leading colors of the
season are bright yellow Meadowlark, orangey-red Cherry Tomato, azure Little
Boy Blue, earthy red Chili Oil, soft Pink Lavender, blushing Blooming Dahlia,
cool green Arcadia, Ultra Violet, chocolate Emperador, delicate Almost Mauve,
fuchsia Spring Crocus, and pungent Lime Punch, along with four neutral shades
that work well on their own or as backdrops for more complex color
combinations: navy Sailor Blue, dove-gray Harbor Mist, Warm Sand, and Coconut
Milk.
In fashion, the greater use
of color in more creative combinations reflects global cultural influences,
particularly from Asia, India and the Middle East, says Michael O’Connor,
jewelry stylist and president of marketing firm Style & Substance. “This
broader palette is the perfect base for jewelry designers to promote the wide
range of color stones available.”
Palette
pleasingThere
are gemstones for every one of the new
colors, cheers designer Puja Bordia of Miami-based jeweler Tresor. “Pink spinel
for Spring Crocus, purple spinel or tanzanite for Ultra Violet, rainbow or
milky moonstone for Coconut Milk, yellow beryl or even Ethiopian opal for
Meadowlark, and chrysoprase for Arcadia. I especially love these colors, as
they are very fresh and playful.”
Jewelers of America (JA)
cites four dominant colors appearing in the gem-set entries for its annual 2018
fine jewelry preview in September. Little Boy Blue manifests in fashion-forward
opal designs, Ultra Violet in rich tanzanites and purple sapphires, Cherry
Tomato in coral and fire opals, and Arcadia in emeralds
and green sapphires, according to JA public relations director Amanda Gizzi.
Blue remains a bestselling
color, with jewelry brand Le Vian declaring blue sapphire the gem for 2018, and
other denim-hued stones like topaz and aquamarine popular. Since Pantone
started promoting Color of the Year in 2000, shades of blue have come up five
times; red has made four appearances, and green three.
While trend trackers like
O’Connor see a brightening of the palette after seasons of softer pastels,
jewelry brands say ultra-feminine blush tones are still popular because they go
with everything. Le Vian forecasts gems like morganite and Ethiopian opal, while
Dharmesh Kothari, president of Syna in Fort
Lee, New Jersey, touts moon quartz (Coconut Milk) and natural coral (Blooming
Dahlia).
Color
of the yearUltra
Violet is the second purple hue to make Pantone’s Color of the Year list,
following Radiant Orchid in 2014. Purple has long been symbolic of
counterculture, unconventionality and artistic brilliance, says Eiseman.
Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to this
color, often associated with mindfulness practices that offer refuge from
today’s overstimulated world.
“Ultra Violet is my favorite
color, translated in gems like purple garnet, copper-bearing tourmalines, and
dark amethyst,” says New York-based designer Bella Campbell, noting that it
pairs well with colors like orange and red.
Sweta Jain of Goshwara, also
based in New York, sees Ultra Violet as more of a winter shade, pointing to
iolite and indicolite in the color range.
However, some expected the
Color of the Year to be yellow, a hue of hope and optimism. O’Connor reports
more celebrities wearing yellow on the red carpet at recent award shows. In a
Facebook poll, Stuller asked consumers for their predictions, and “Minion
Yellow” ranked number one. Ashley Corley, gemstone product manager for the
Lafayette, Louisiana-based manufacturer, says yellow’s appeal in fashion is
inspiring jewelry with gems like sapphire and citrine. Only once since 2000 has
a yellow-based shade been Color of the Year: Mimosa in 2009. But she feels
yellow will still be key in 2018, because it’s an elegant, happy color to wear.
The
language of fashion“The
Pantone colors really help us market jewelry in new and exciting ways,
especially because they go hand-in-hand with fashion, and people are paying
attention,” says Jain. Bordia, too, considers the palette a great tool for
jewelers to forecast the colors people will see in fashion. Seasonal colors
sell much faster, she notes, because that’s what everyone wants.
“Pantone’s color palettes give
jewelers an opportunity to plan combinations in jewelry,” adds Kothari. “We
know a lot of clothing will be representing these colors, and having the
palettes gives us a heads-up to what’s coming.”
Corley touts Pantone as a
conversation-starter for gems beyond birthstone, while Gizzi advises jewelers
to show fashions, color swatches and jewelry together to help customers make
the connection between a trend and its jewelry counterpart.
“Speaking the Pantone language
communicates color in a way that resonates with consumers by reinforcing
popular seasonal hues they see in other categories,” Gizzi says.
Image: ShutterstockArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - January 2018. To subscribe click here.