Are you in "Living Coral"
December sees on onslaught of red, green, gold and silver everywhere. But for fashion, home and graphic designers — and those who are just curious — it’s time to find out what the Pantone Color Institute announces as the Color of the Year 2019
The organization just named Living Coral (Pantone 16-1546), the pink-orange nature-inspired hue as the next big thing next year, calling it, “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.”
Not only is the color swatched from the natural world, it shares a symbolism with the bit of nature that inspired it: “Just as coral reefs are a source of sustenance and shelter to sea life, vibrant yet mellow PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral embraces us with warmth and nourishment to provide comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment,” a release from the company states.
Similarly to the last few years’ picks, the color is also a meant to be a happy counterpoint to the less pleasant parts of modern life, Pantone says. Its selection is a “reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media,” instead symbolizing our “need for optimism and joyful pursuits” and “authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy.”
Pantone predicts the color will pop up next year in fashion and beauty products, home design trends, new technology and beyond.
While each year, Pantone’s pick seems to divide public opinion, it’s worth noting that since the hue selected is a forecast for the future, we may have to wait and see how we feel about Living Coral this time next year.
The first Color of the Year — Cerulean (15-420), a sort of sky blue — was named in 2000, and recent years have seen Ultra Violet (2018), Greenery (2017), Rose Quartz and Serenity (2016), and Marsala (2015).
Pantone Color Systems was founded in 1963 to help printers match colors to specification. Its familiar fan-shaped book (when open) has each color in a spectrum identified by a number.