Pantone Color(s) of the Year: Here’s How These Hues are Popping Up
Each year, Pantone and the Pantone Color Institute announce a Color of the Year. And this color is no easy pick. The Pantone Color of the Year isn’t chosen at random or on a whim. Instead, Pantone’s experts thoroughly study the last year’s trends in a range of industries, from travel to fashion, cinema to social media. All of their studies help them arrive at what truly is the Color of the Year — and in 2021, Pantone announced dual Colors of the Year: PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating, the former a strong, steely gray and the latter a bright and cheery yellow.
When the institute announced the colors, its executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, noted, “The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.” And it’s a true sentiment, especially after the challenging year we had in 2020.
So where might you now see the Pantone Colors of the Year popping up?
From Fashion to Home Design
You can find the Pantone Colors of the Year popping up a little bit of everywhere. As a San Diego Union-Tribune article detailed when the colors were first announced in December, already, you could find combinations of happy yellows and neutral grays in fashion designs and products, as well as throughout homes.
One homeowner who incorporated the yellow shade into their design choices noted, “It makes me so happy every time I see it. I am a firm believer that life can be hard enough, your home should be hopeful and joyful. What a wonderful decision to pick two colors. The gray, which has been many moments in 2020, bursting through with the bold optimism of the yellow makes it feel like there is hope ahead. I have always loved a pop of yellow, and now I think we all need a pop of yellow, tempered with a nice neutral color — although my neutral of choice with this color yellow is a deep navy.”
But Pantone’s Color Picks Don’t End There
Sure, Pantone picks out a Color of the Year, but if you’re watching color trends, you’ll want to watch far more than just that annual announcement. Pantone produces a range of reports that are valuable to those in design and experience creation.
For example, Pantone recently released another report detailing the top 10 colors for New York spring and summer fashion. Among those hues, PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating showed up yet again, as did PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray.
Other bright colors placed alongside the two Colors of the Years, in terms of what Pantone expects to see on runways and in fashion this year in general, include Marigold, Cerulean, French Blue and Mint. Standard classic hues like Ultimate Gray included a mild Buttercream and the black-blue Inkwell hue.
How to Incorporate the Pantone Colors of the Year into Your Designs
There are many ways you can incorporate the two Pantone Colors of the Year 2021 into your designs, if you’re looking for a refresh. Illuminating provides a bright pop of color, making it a great pick for accents, both large and small. Meanwhile, Ultimate Gray can be found throughout a lot of natural materials already, making it a good pick for tile and fabric focal pieces, among others.
What Do the Pantone Colors of the Year Mean to You?
Do you actively work to incorporate the Pantone Colors of the Year into your designs? Why or why not? Drop a comment below and let me know!
