Widely considered the leading authority on all things colour, Pantone has selected Living Coral as the shade of the new year. The vibrant yet mellow colour, which is peachy with a golden undertone, has a softer edge compared to 2018's rather more serious colour choice: Ultraviolet.
Typically, Pantone selects its shade of the year after analysing trends in the fields of fashion, film, home decor, art, travel and even sport. However, for 2019, the company has looked to our dependence and expectation from social media. On the one hand, visibility is everything online - images are more attractive when they are realised in vibrant colours that make them pop. At the same time, the onslaught of digital technology means we are constantly seeking "authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy", states the website.
Accordingly, the team believes Living Coral (shade 16-1546) has three covetable qualities: it represents modern life, appears in our natural surroundings and displays a lively presence on social media.
"Colour is an equalising lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities, and this is particularly true for Living Coral. With consumers craving [both] human interaction and social connection, the heartening qualities displayed by the convivial [shade] hit a responsive chord," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute. The shade was also the go-to choice for the iPhone XR.
While the Pantone colour of the year influences designers and homemakers alike, the company insists that rather than being a trends forecast, Living Coral is a snapshot of what’s taking place in our culture at a particular moment in time. In 2018, shades of coral were spotted now and again on fashion runways and in home furnishing stores.
Owing to its peachy (rather than pink) base notes, coral is a warm hue that complements most skin tones. Ever the trendsetter, model Bella Hadid even teamed her all-coral outfit with matching make-up back in September.
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