Move over, Ultra Violet, your time is up.
As the 2018 year came to an end and the holiday celebrations took place, it was also the time to find out the new “Colour of the Year” for 2019.
Pantone, the globally recognized colour-matching system that is used by professional designers world-wide, has recently made the big announcement. Living Coral (also known as “PANTONE 16-1546”) will be 2019’s Colour of the Year as of January 1st. Regarding the inspiration of the chosen colour from Pantone’s official announcement, Pantone stated “Representing the fusion of modern life, PANTONE Living Coral is a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings and at the same time, displays a lively presence within social media.”
You’re probably thinking “What exactly does Living Coral look like?”. In contrast to 2018’s Colour of the Year Ultra Violet, which was a dark and provocative shade of blue-purple, Living Coral is the complete opposite as it gives a more vibrant and warm hue. While not as quite like our beloved clownfish from “Finding Nemo,” the colour is more near the pinkish-peach spectrum to the naked eye, however Pantone has deemed the colour as more orange with shades of gold undertone.
Living Coral emits a more playful and joyful expression, which seems to symbolize our need for a more lively, high-spirited and intimate need to connect with others in our natural surroundings. Described as “buoyant, vibrant and effervescent,” you can expect to see Living Coral to dominate next year and hit shelves in multiple design industries, from home furnishings to fashion.
On the importance of the chosen Colour of the Year, Leatrice Eisemen, who is the executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, stated “Colour is an equalizing lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral. With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanizing and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial PANTONE Living Coral hit a responsive chord.”
Aside from representing the challenges we face between society and the digital age, Living Coral also symbolizes the demand to preserve and protect nature and it’s natural resources. Sustainability and Climate change is an ongoing issue that requires urgent care, and this affects the coral reefs as well. As an important part of our global environment as they aid with water filtration and marine life production, some coral species are listed as “threatened” in the Endangered Species Act and require the utmost attention and the need for protection to preserve what’s left.
With these critical issues occurring in our environment, there’s an important message in having Living Coral as the chosen Colour of the Year for 2019, as it hopefully raises awareness on the relevance of not only the colour, but the coral reefs itself as well as the world’s natural aquatic ecosystem — and what it does for us as a society and our environment globally.
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