Remember that scene in devil wears Prada where Andy laughs over the detail selecting a belt? Current high fashion that will filter into mainstream fashion over time? Pantone too view current colours in art, movies, interiors fashion, advertising, new digital technologies and major events all around the world to find the colour of the year that way. This is how futurists predict new trends, by looking backwards.
There is no secret Pantone club that gets together and randomly selects a new colour for everyone to live with for the next 12 months until a new colour is selected, the colour selection is retrospective.
What is the colour this year? It’s described by Pantone as being a beloved blue colour with violet and red undertones. It is a colour that “displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.” The colour is called Very Peri. I would call this colour lilac, lavender, periwinkle or maybe even mauve. None of these colours sound modern, they all have connotations of being older dated colours, something my Nan would’ve selected for her blue rinse. It will be interesting to watch how the colour is transformed into something contemporary.
How are we going to see this colour in coming times?
Much like when you learn a new word and you hear it everywhere, you are likely to start noticing this colour when you are out and about. I wouldn’t be surprised if by next summer, the department stores start featuring the colour across their fashion lines, and that we will be seeing Very Peri toned deco items like vases and crockery. In our work over the last year, we have been accessorising with the lavender colours in our cushion, art and floral choices. I don’t think we will see a big move to feature walls and whole rooms painted in the colour, we are going to be using Very Peri sparingly.
Pantone use the colour of the year as an opportunity to reflect on the life and times we live in and the colour can be selected as an antidote to the happenings around us… as we move from a period of Pandemic, isolation and lockdowns, this colour is seen as a colour that can be uplifting and hopeful.
What do you think of Very Peri? Captivating new colour or an assault on your eyes?
