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| Source: Pantone. PANTONE Ultra Violet 18-3838. |
For 19 years, Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home furnishings, and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.
“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. “From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.”
“We are living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination. It is this kind of creative inspiration that is indigenous to PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra-Violet, a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. “From exploring new technologies and the greater galaxy, to artistic expression and spiritual reflection, intuitive Ultra Violet lights the way to what is yet to come.”
Historically, there has been a mystical or spiritual quality attached to Ultra Violet. The colour is often associated with mindfulness practices, Pantone notes. Musical icons Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix have also brought shades of Ultra Violet to the forefront of western pop culture as personal expressions of individuality.
“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today,” added Laurie Pressman, VP, Pantone Color Institute. “As individuals around the world become more fascinated with colour and realise its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use colour to inspire and influence. The Color of the Year is one moment in time that provides strategic direction for the world of trend and design, reflecting the Pantone Color Institute’s year-round work doing the same for designers and brands.”
According to Pantone, Ultra Violet shades are increasingly used in packaging and graphic design by brands in the consumer packaged goods (CPG), luxury, and beauty worlds as well as by personalities and artists seeking to stand out.
In food
Considered exotic and enticing, purple fruits, vegetables, and starches, such as acai, purple shaded cauliflower, yams, carrots, asparagus and cabbage are also known for their natural health benefits. These new “it” foods are naturally rich in nutrients and antioxidants, and also bring vibrancy and sophistication to the table.
In fashion
Ultra Violet provides a theatrical linkage for both men’s and women’s styles. With golds or other metallics, Ultra Violet becomes luxurious and dazzling; with greens or greys it evokes natural elegance. Similarly, Ultra Violet takes on distinct appearances with different materials. Lush velvets in the colour suggest intrigue for evening, but are also unexpectedly modern in athleisure or sneakers. In accessories, jewellery, and eyewear, Ultra Violet suggests the complexities of natural gems, textures, and florals.
In beauty
The complex nature of the colour is well-suited for beauty looks created by combinations, blends, and ombres. A singular matte purple on the lips or nails makes a bold statement of non-conformity, while softly blended metallics and shimmers in Ultra Violet transform the eyes into windows to the cosmos. Purple shades in hair continue to elevate street styles as a symbol of creative expression. On the palette for every beauty medium, Ultra Violet complements and emboldens every other colour, adding complexity and mystery.
In home décor
In interiors, Ultra Violet can transform a room. In hospitality, Pantone is seeing purples like Ultra Violet take centre stage in interior spaces as hotels harness colour and design to entice travellers and stay relevant.
The Color of the Year selection process involves Pantone’s colour experts at the Pantone Color Institute combing the world looking for new colour influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films in production, travelling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles, playstyles, and socioeconomic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures, and effects that impact colour, relevant social media platforms and even upcoming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.
Past selections for Color of the Year include:
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| Source: Pantone. PANTONE Greenery was the 2017 Color of the Year. |
PANTONE 15-0343 Greenery (2017)
PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity and PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz (2016)
PANTONE 18-1438 Marsala (2015)
PANTONE 18-3224 Radiant Orchid (2014)
PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald (2013)
PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango (2012)
PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle (2011)
PANTONE 15-5519 Turquoise (2010)
PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa (2009)
PANTONE 18-3943 Blue Iris (2008)
Explore:
Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about colours of the year for 2017
The Pantone Color of the Year 2018 Formula Guide (Coated & Uncoated) has a suggested retail price (SRP) of US$165
The Pantone Color of the Year 2018 Fashion, Home + Interiors Color Guide has a SRP of US$215
