pantone colors of the year, rose quartz and serenity

A new year and Pantone, the international color experts, have a new color of the year. This time in 2016 it's not just one, but two. Not sure how I feel about it. The announcement originally made this past December made me immediately ask, why two colors. As a designer this is one thing I look forward to, the color of the year. The color of the year determines multiple factors across many industries including fashion, interiors, home, and auto. In the past the colors have been bold, vibrant, refreshing and renewing. It's a snapshot of what Pantone sees happening in our society and culture.

These two new color choices are setting a new pattern. Pantone says this is a unilateral approach to color that is coinciding with societal movements towards gender equality and fluidity. The cover page on their website expressed fluidity, see top picture. Is gender equality happening globally? I do wonder.

So onto the colors, they are Rose Quartz and Serenity. Rose Quartz is not meant to portray a baby pink and Serenity is not meant to portray a baby blue. This is what Pantone's Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman told the Wall Street Journal. Separately maybe they can be read as that but the pink is not soft enough or have enough red in it. The blue has more red that a true baby blue. Together they do look beautiful. It is a harmonious pairing. And yes it does reflect connection and wellbeing but do you see it working in interiors? In fashion? Yes, maybe. In cars? Possibly. In home? Have you seen the pink Cuisinart Kitchen mixer?

Pantone.com has a "social" page where clips of social media are being posted. Its a smart marketing way of showing what the public are already liking and creating inspiration from.

Seeing the colors together makes me think ok it may work. However, it still bothers me a tad that they chose 2 colors. Is this the beginning of a trend?

Tracey Toole