Annual Color Forecast

A Unity of Strength, Confidence and Complexity

As the world’s color authority and leading provider of professional color standards for the design world for more than 50 years, Pantone’s color forecasts are highly anticipated. The PANTONE Fashion Color Report, PANTONEVIEW home + interiors forecast, an introduction of 112 new colors to the Pantone PLUS graphics collection, and the annual Color of the Year declaration, all have a heavy influence on the fashion, home, interior, industrial, packaging, and graphic design industries.

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Pictured L to R: Alice & Trixie, Nicole Miller, Rebecca Minkoff

The upcoming year for color in fashion and interiors was inspired by consumers’ continued search for reassurance and stability. Designers will seek to answer a common call for calm through a color palette that captures resilience and dependability while remaining uplifting, persuasive, and sophisticated. Satisfying a universal desire for tranquility, composure and optimism, as demonstrated by the PANTONE Color of the Year 2016, color directions continue to evolve toward an antidote to modern stresses.

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Pictured L to R: Rubin Singer and Charles & Ron

As our world becomes increasingly digitalized, color is a key element that inspires and enables graphic creativity. Leveraging the international trend-spotting of the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone PLUS identified the use of Neutrals, Blushes, and nuanced Blues across graphics, packaging, print, and web design, representing the evolving taste for a simplified aesthetic. In addition, the deepening of Red, Orange and Brown shades reflect a shift toward earth-driven and organic lifestyles, while also conveying the new luxury of living well. The addition of these 112 new shades to the Pantone PLUS graphics collection is a comprehensive and powerful color palette that will look and feel familiar, but also fresh, engaging and exciting.

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Pictured L to R: Iris von Armin, Bibhu Mohapatra, Tadashi Shoji

Overall, the unilateral approach to color and trend toward gender neutrality continues in the upcoming season. Enthusiastically responding to a public that is more comfortable with color as expression and less concerned with stereotypical ideas about gender, we see a breadth of color choices that transcend sexual identity, preference or bias. As shown through 2016’s Color of the Year, a blending of Rose Quartz and Serenity, today’s consumers have an increased comfort with using color as a form of expression, which in turn has relaxed more traditional approaches to color and has encouraged freedom and exploration.

– Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute

 

The Color of the Year, a blending of Serenity and Rose Quartz, demonstrates an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness, order and peace, and coincides with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity.

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Pictured Above: For Love and Lemons

 

TOP 10 COLORS FOR FALL 2016

PANTONE 17-4028-Riverside

The Blue family leads the Fall 2016 collections in the form of Riverside, a cool and calming hue with a subtle sophistication.

 

 

 

 

 

PANTONE-14-4122-Airy-Blue

Airy Blue, a nod to one half of the PANTONE Color of the Year 2016, Serenity, that evokes a feeling of weightlessness.

 

 

 

 

 

PANTONE-18-1550-Aurora RedIn contrast to the stability that serves as the backbone of the Fall 2016 palette, Aurora Red adds a welcome punch. A bold Red that is warm and sensual, Aurora Red gets the metaphorical blood of the palette and the collections pumping, in a way that breeds unmistakable confidence.

 

 

 

 

PANTONE-17-3914-SharkskinSharkskin serves as a neutral with an edge. Pair-able with almost any fall color whether bright or muted, Sharkskin is a color that the rest of the palette can literally and theoretically rest on. While several Grays have come through the fall collections, this particular shade showcases practicality through a dependable but contemporary lens.

 

 

 

PANTONE-16-1318-Warm-TaupeWarm Taupe, a hearty, grounded and approachable neutral harkens back to our search for reassurance and stability, and pairs well with each of the top 10 shades of the Fall 2016 season.

 

 

 

 

PANTONE-18-1340-Potter’s ClayPotter’s Clay takes the palette back to what we might expect for fall and winter fashions, but has an added degree of sophistication and inherent layering. This warm orange-toned shade has emerged as another strong foundation for the fall palette.

 

 

 

 

PANTONE-18-5845-Lush-MeadowLush Meadow, as its name suggests, brings to mind fresh botanicals and foliage. Rich and elegant, vibrant and sophisticated, this Green shade displays a brightness, panache and depth of color that elevates the overall elegance woven through this season’s collections.

 

 

 

 

PANTONE-18-1630-Dusty-CedarA fall and winter version of the Pinks we’re used to seeing in spring, Dusty Cedar is a dustier rose-toned Pink shade with some complexity that nods to the other half of the Pantone Color of the Year 2016, Rose Quartz.

 

 

 

 

PANTONE-17-3240-BodaciousLending itself to fabulously interesting and vibrant color combinations, Bodacious speaks to the gender fluidity we’ve come to see with designers’ use of color. Surprising for the fall palette, this versatile Purple shade can be used monochromatically with colors in the Pink and Red family, or just as easily with Spicy Mustard or Potter’s Clay. The bright, rich Purple, with its hints of a more sophisticated Pink, transforms fashion accents into fashion statements.

 

 

 

PANTONE-14-0952-Spicy-MustardIn a shift from previous seasons, the spicier, zestier Yellows we are seeing for Fall 2016 are exemplified through Spicy Mustard, an unexpected and unusual but welcome addition. Bouncing elegantly off other colors in the palette and adding another splash of uplifting vibrancy, Spicy Mustard is an exotic addition that comes through in both the abstract and the more defined geometric accents designers have employed this season.

 

 

 

PANTONEVIEW home + interiors 2017 offers visual inspiration, key color direction, swatches of the 81 forecasted colors, and suggested color harmonies for interior design and home furnishings, including housewares, appliances, decorative accessories, bedding, textiles, bath, toys, flooring, indoor and outdoor furniture, paint, floral and food design. The nine directional color palettes for 2017 are: Day Dreaming At Ease Native Instincts Florabundant Acquired Taste Forest Bathing Reminiscence Raw Materials Graphic Imprints.

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Graphic Imprints starts with a base of black and white but then pulls in a series of strong, vibrant colors with names that tell a story themselves.

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Just like its name implies, Florabundant is filled with the sumptuous beauty of rich floral hues. This palette offers a lot of drama from Pink Yarrow, Chrysanthemum, Red Dahlia and Baton Rouge and includes varying shades of green.

FOREST-B-luminous-leaves
Forest Bathing is stress-reducing palette inspired by the Japanese practice of “Shinrin-yoku” or forest bathing. Studies have shown that a contemplative walk in the woods reconnects the individual with nature and elevates their mood.

You can read last year’s Color Forecast here.

 

PANTONE Colors displayed throughout this feature may not match PANTONE-identified standards. Consult current PANTONE FASHION+HOME Color System publications for accurate color. PANTONE® and other Pantone LLC trademarks are the property of Pantone LLC. Pantone LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All images © Pantone Fashion Color Report and the fashion designer attributed below the photograph. © Pantone LLC, 2016. All rights reserved.