To most people, Pantone colors are little samples you take home when you need to pick a shade of paint. But to some of us, Pantone is religion. In something I can only guess resembles a gathering out of The Da Vinci Code, the Pantone Color Institute meets twice a year at a secret location to choose the rightful heir to the color throne. In December, Pantone 15-0343, or Greenery, was named the Color of the Year for 2017. Translation: you’re about to see it everywhere.
Pantone suggests it is the job of the color of the year to embody the passions and emotions of an entire population. Greenery is “A life-affirming shade, Greenery is also emblematic of the pursuit of personal passions and vitality.” In an interview with the New York Times, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute Leatrice Eiseman explains that Greenery was chosen in response to a “stressful and tense world.” She adds, “This is the color of hopefulness, and of our connection with nature. It speaks to what we call the ‘re’ words: regenerate, refresh, revitalize, renew. Every spring we enter a new cycle and new shoots come from the ground. It is something life affirming to look forward to.
To put color in perspective beyond emotional ties, fashion alone is a 1.2 trillion dollar global industry. The perfect shade of green could launch your product into infamy just by using a hue correctly. When a bunch of brands catch on to a good idea, it is called a trend. However, if a fashion, beauty or home decor label chooses the wrong Pantone color scheme for their spring line, they could be tragically labeled as irrelevant — or worse, yucky. No one wants to be homeless in Prada pumps, so when the Pantone gods open their pearly gates to announce the holy grail of color tones, the world listens. Let’s be honest, if you worked in a 1.2 trillion dollar global industry, you’d listen too.
Want to your hands on a little Greenery? Select vendors have already stocked it up. Here are some of my favorite Greenery picks in fashion, beauty and home decor:
