pantone

Pantone color of 2018 Ultra Violet

 in Color Trends / Trends  tagged color of the year / fall 2018 / pantone / purple / spring 2018 / summer 2018 / winter 2018 by

color trends 2018

photo courtesy of Pantone

The color f 2018 is here. Color authority Pantone has announced the ultimate IT color for the year 2018; and it is a beautiful, blue purple hue named “Ultra Violet.”

Pantone goes through a lengthy process in order to determine the color of the year, each year. They study everything from politics to economics to what is trending in every aspect of design; fashion, art, interior design, sculpture, architecture, automotive design, food, and more. In order to give you the most useful information about the IT color of 2018, I hopped on a conference call with Pantone to learn all about their analysis, process, and the color of the year 2018, Ultra Violet.

Ultra Violet evokes the climate of our times. People right now have visionary thinking. We are exploring new technologies, and we are looking forward to what will be discovered, and created, in the future. Purple is the color of “transformation,” it symbolizes new discoveries, mindfulness, and power. It has a magical and mystical vibe; which is why it was favored in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Purple was, and still is, psychedelic; and it is , and was, favored by the counter-culture. Think Hendrix’s “Purple Haze.”

If you think about the counter culture of the late 1960s, and early 1970s, it was a time of discovery, change, and protest. Does this sound familiar? Perhaps it does. This also reflects the current climate we are living in right now. We are discovering new technologies, seeking change, and protesting what we don’t agree with. This is our current vibe, you dig? 😉

As we moved towards our current time of transformation, we began to see Ultra Violet popping up in fashion with the fall 2016 season; and each season it has slowly gained traction. Now, as we move into 2018, and the upcoming spring 2018 fashion season, we are seeing Ultra Violet explode.

Ultra Violet, and similar blue purple hues, are being shown as stand alone colors in fashion. We are going to start to see solid colored clothing, as well as accessories and beauty products, in this blue purple hue as we move into spring 2018. In addition to purple dresses, pants, coats and the like, we will be seeing Ultra Violet mixed into various prints.

nina tiari nyfw spring 2018

Ultra Violet used in a floral pattern on the Nina Tiari spring 2018 runway at New York Fashion Week. Photo Credit: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2017© 

It isn’t just fashion where we will see Ultra Violet take form. Both luxury and economy cars are experimenting with the color, and interior design will be using the blue purple hue more often in decor. Artist, sculptures, architects, and even chef’s are using Ultra Violet and similar shades in their work.

Purple is also starting to get popular as a color used in lighting! Designers are using purple lighting in bathrooms, hotel rooms, and other places where they want to create a calm and inspiring vibe.

maison the faux nyfw spring 2018

photo: Maison the Faux spring 2018 runway at New York Fashion Week, notice the purple lighting. Photo credit Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2017©

Our world is so over-connected, Ultra Violet is a fabulous, calming hue which helps us all seek refuge from the world as it is today. It is a mystical, magical color which inspires us to discover and create new technologies, art and the like; while it guides us into the future. Cheers to 2018 and what it will bring!

color of the year 2018 ultra violet

photo courtesy of Pantone

Spring 2018 Color Palette | Top 12 colors for spring

 in Color Trends / Trends  tagged new york fashion week / nyfw ss18 / pantone / spring 2018 / summer 2018 by

spring 2018 color palettespring 2018 color palette

photos courtesy of Pantone

New York Fashion Week spring 2018 has begun! This means we have a whole new world of color to look forward to when the new, warm weather season is upon us. Pantone has announced the top 12 colors from the spring 2018 color palette, according to designers in New York; and they are fabulous!

In past seasons, Pantone has announced the top 10 colors for spring. This year instead of sticking to 10, we have the top 12 colors for spring 2018. In addition to 12 colors in the spring 2018 color palette, Pantone has announced the top 4 classic colors for spring 2018. This is groundbreaking!

The classic hues we will see this spring 2018 will be navy, pale grey, pale beige, and off-white. Otherwise known as “Sailor Blue,” “Harbor Mist,” “Warm Sand,” and “Coconut Milk.” I guess the fancy names always sounds better. haha

These timeless colors, which happen to be hot for spring, will compliment the seasonal colors from Pantone’s top 12 color palette. The top 12 colors for spring include cheery hues which are vivid yet not bright. We are moving away from muted tones, and neon tones. Spring 2018 will be more of a “true color” type of season with hues that reflect a happy mood.

Since this is the time of year when we are looking at our spring and summer wardrobes, deciding what to keep or give away, this spring 2018 color palette gives us a guide as to what we should hang onto for next year, and what we should sell or donate. If you have any clothing, shoes, or handbags which fit into the spring 2018 color palette, be sure to hang onto them for next year! In fact, since the weather is still warm, be sure to rock these items now! You will be a year ahead of the fashion timeline. Love that!

Some designers have begun showing their spring/summer 2018 collections today in New York. I will arrive in New York on Friday and start to bring you live coverage of the shows! Stay tuned for more trends from New York for the upcoming spring and summer 2018 season!

What do you think of the spring 2018 color palette? Which color is your favorite?

Pantone color of the year 2017

 in Color Trends / General Fashion / Trends  tagged color of the year / green / marissa webb / new york fashion week / pantone / supima / vivienne tam by

Pantone color of the year 2017 greenery

Photo courtesy of Pantone

It is that time of year again! Pantone has announced the color of the year, 2017! The color of 2017 is named by Pantone as “Greenery.”

Greenery of course is exactly what it’s name implies; it’s green. This is a natural green hue. It is a medium green which will be easy to wear as a neutral tone in 2017. Greenery also happened to be splashed all over the New York Fashion Week runways for the spring/summer 2017 seasons. You can read more about that here.

Here is a green moment from New York Fashion Week spring/summer 2017.

supima duston jasso

Photo from Supima Design Comp. Read about it here.

What do you think of Greenery for 2017? Is this a color you can see yourself wearing throughout the year?

I have to admit, I like Greenery! Green is already one of my favorite colors behind blue and purple. I have a few pieces in my wardrobe which are around this green hue, so I am looking forward to pulling them out to wear in 2017.

Green lace on the A Detacher spring 2017 NYFW runway. 

In addition to Greenery, look for military green in the spring/summer 2017 family of green hues. If Greenery isn’t your thing, you can look to military green as your way of rocking the green trend in 2017.

marissa webb spring 2017 nyfw

Military Green on the Marissa Webb spring/summer 2017 runway. Read about her show here.

Although Greenery did appear on the runway quite often for the spring/summer 2017 season in New York, many designers mixed it into prints, as you can see above from Supima, rather than use it as a solid color. It should be interesting to see, now that Greenery was deemed the Color of the Year 2017, if it appears in a solid state on store shelves for spring, or if designers keep it mixed in patterns.

Vivienne Tam spring 2017 NYFW runway. She mixed Greenery in prints for spring.

Stay tuned! I will be attending the shows at New York Fashion Week this upcoming February to see what will be hot for the fall/winter 2017/2018 seasons. Do you think Greenery will be a hot color for fall too? I will let you know!

Thanks for stopping by,

XOXO

Cathy

*All photos by me except Vivienne Tam. Photos from Vivienne Tam’s runway are press photos courtesy of Vivienne Tam