Each December, the Pantone Colour Institute captures the attention of the design world with the release of its 'Colour of the Year'. In 2016, Pantone created a first: releasing two shades – Rose Quartz and Serenity – for its Colour of the Year.Then, in 2017, we saw Greenery named the annual colour, described by Pantone as "refreshing, revitalising and symbolic of new beginnings".So what's in store for the year ahead in colour?
Pantone announced its 2018 Colour of the Year as 'Ultra Violet' - which isn't necessarily the most widely used shade in homes already.
Pantone's spokesperson describes this colour as "a dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade" that "communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.”
To us, Ultra Violet suggests cosmic, mystical properties, and a reference to religion / belief systems - or, in the words of Pantone, "the desire to pursue a world beyond our own".
According to the Colour Institute, enigmatic purples have long been symbolic of counterculture, unconventionality, and artistic brilliance: Prince, David Bowie, and Jimi Hendrix introduced shades of Ultra Violet to pop culture as their expressions of individuality.
It's important to remember that the Colour of the Year isn't chosen as a ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design reaction but rather, it's a reflection of society and its challenges, perceptions and desires.
It's fair to say therefore, that the reveal of Ultra Violet could mean the we, as a society, are searching for more meaning and looking towards the greater powers for the answers, whatever or whomever they might be.
Images: Pantone Colour Institute
