Many lovers of the pink and purple shades will be happy to know that the color of the year 2014 is within the range of these hues. Pantone Color Institute (PCI), a leading color authority in the world, has announced that the radiant orchid embodies the color of the year.
Color shade
The wild orchid has a radiant purple shade that stretches from grayish purple to a combination of purple and pink up to deep red-tinted purple. Orchid or wild orchid has been acknowledged as an English color name since 1915 and was included in 1987 as one of the 12 recognized colors. When the Internet was invented in 1991 and assumed the name “world wide web”, these wild orchid hues have become known as “web colors.”
Pantone Color Institute
Pantone Incorporated is a color institute based in Carlstadt, New Jersey. This company is considered as authority in color matching for trade purposes of varied industries and manufacturers of paint, fabric, plastics, printed materials and other products that make use of color as primary feature. The Pantone Matching System or PMS is responsible in creating a “proprietary color space”, making it possible for companies to have their own custom-made tenor for their merchandise particularly on trademarks.
Global mood
In designating the color of the year, Pantone, which was bought at $180 million by X-Rite Inc. in October 2007, aims to come up with a common hue that will express the mood of people on a global scale. Every year, the appointed color stands for the people’s sentiments and what they are in search for that can be answered by a particular shade.
Although the color of the year creates a stir in the fashion industry, it is not necessarily intended to promote fashion consciousness. Thus, the role of the color of the year in the fashion world is just incidental. It can be said too that the fashion industry is an end user of the color of the year to further promote their business.
Color watch
Annually, before the PCI can reveal the color of the year, it conducts an intensive search to find out the influences and possible forecasts in various industries. PCI executive director Leatrice Eisenman said a team is usually assigned to explore the world for samples of emerging designs and color demands. Commonly, this color watch yields sensational results especially when professionals in creative arts come up with one color that is accepted by all.
Influences
The arts and fashion realms mostly influence the color of the year verdict. At one time or another, toward the end of the year, practitioners in the entertainment arena as well as in the garment trade begin working on their brand promotion concepts for the coming year. Providently, their ideas seem to reach a certain synchronicity so that their designs and concepts blend together into a singular theme. Other factors that also influence the selection of the color of the year are travel destinations, performing arts, prevailing lifestyle of the people, socio-economic situation, sports events, scientific breakthroughs and even religious occasions that have taken an enormous impact across the globe.