Last Updated on November 26, 2024 by SampleBoard
Earlier today, Pantone Color Institute declared the color of 2018 to be - Ultra Violet!
That is how Pantone describes the provocative shade they believe will dominate all areas of design, from cosmetics to furniture, in the year to come.
PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet comes from the cosmos, its mysteries, and the hope that lies behind the limitless sky. It suggests that nothing is impossible if you keep on exploring, and feeds the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.
It leads the way to a better future. A future that belongs to non-conformity, experimentation, mindfulness and constantly pushing boundaries to make the world a better place for everyone. Building a refuge from an over-stimulated environment, full of seemingly unresolvable conflicts, Ultra Violet promises the solution to a world in despair.
OK, where did the color forecasting go?
Nowhere. It is still here.
“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today.” – says Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.
As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realize its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use color to inspire and influence. The Color of the Year is one moment in time that provides strategic direction for the world of trend and design, reflecting the Pantone Color Institute’s year-round work doing the same for designers and brands.
This is not news when it comes to Pantone. Their color choices never describe just what’s trending in the world of design, or what color selections people usually make. Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue, colors of 2016, represent the increasingly gender-fluid world we live in today. Last year’s Greenery stands for new beginnings and our ever-growing need for connecting with Nature. And this year… dramatical Ultra Violet screams the biggest craving of today’s society - HOPE!
Other than being famous as a color of royalty, luxury, wealth, extravagance, power, and ambition, purple also stands for creativity, wisdom, peace, pride, and magic.
Provocative purple was the color of choice for many Western pop culture icons, such as Prince, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple and David Bovie, who used it to express their artistic brilliance and leave a personal mark in history.
It has also been known as a symbol of the counterculture, especially feminism.
"There were the feminists of the 1970s who used [violet] as a way to stand outside the norm," explains Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute. "It's not a color women were wearing at the time — it's very dramatic — so to me, it was really a sign of protest more than anything else. It's a way to say, 'How do I make a statement? How do I stand out above the fray?'"
Today, this complex mix of two strong colors, red and blue, can be seen as a dream of harmony between America’s conservative and liberal politics. The optimistic view on how things could be if we all unite for a greater cause.
Is it all just wishful thinking, or has the time arrived for a new kind of Purple Reign?
What do you think about Ultra Violet? Can you see it being used in interior design, or is it going to be ignored as Greenery was this year? For now, we noticed a significant rise of purple tones in kids’ interiors, but will it translate to the rest of the house?