Radiant Orchid: Pantone's Color of the Year 2014

There you have it, the much anticipated Pantone Color of the Year was announced as Radiant Orchid.  The color is a pinkish purple, somewhere between a pastel and bright tone.  Designers of all fields, trendwatchers and creative media have and are influenced by this announcement.

 Is it truly that important? Consider this, business leaders who otherwise have no opinion on color or design have been known to pull their investment from a brand for their lack of the color in their upcoming collections, thinking they are no longer relevant.  Ouch.

Besides the purple/pink color as the hue of 2014, the "orchid" part of the equation is also key.  When scrolling through my photo albums of New York Fashion Week, I found that designers who made this color a key component of their collections also incorporated it into bold patterns resembling tropical florals.

Desigual had huge over-sized painterly blossoms (clockwise from top left).  Custo Barcelona used the color ethnic, geometric prints.  Theia embroidered big blooms in sequins.  Dolores Cortes used it as an accent on a retro styled print.  Monique Lhuillier appliqued flowers in the orchid color onto elegant dresses.  Mordekai had the most literal interpretation, with a model in a purple bikini wrapped in orchids.

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Nanette Lepore Spring 2013 - Pantone's Color of the Year

 The color emerald was just announced as Pantone's color of the year for 2013.  According to the color agency, the hue represents “clarity, renewal and rejuvenation.”  One fashion designer Nanette Lepore was clearly clairvoyant on the importance of emerald in her spring 2013 collection.

The bright jewel shade was the most prominent color on her runway in both solids and a range of botanical prints, often mixed together.  Her accessories of handbags and shoes also reflected the significance of emerald green.   There was an upscale garden party feeling to this collection, with white, back and shades of last year's color of the year, tangerine thrown in.   (See the rest of the collection here.) You would think the cheerful look of the clothing would transfer into happier looks on the models, but they looked rather annoyed as a whole.  Why is that necessary?

Nanette Lepore is one of the most prominent advocates for Save the Garment Center and keeping fashion manufacturing in New York.  Believe it or not, with the efforts of designer like herself, garment production in this country has actually risen 11% in the recent year.  Let's hope more designers jump on this bandwagon.

Pantone chooses the color of the year based on factors like travel destinations, uses in popular art and film.  After the color is announced, watch the trickle effect into home interior and fashion design, beauty trends and advertising graphics.  Peter Pan has never been so fashionable.

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Pantone Tangerine Tango - Charlotte Ronson Spring 2012

It's the color of the year!  If any abstract concept needs a pageant, Pantone's naming of the annual color winner is it.  This year, Tangerine Tango is the It-Girl of the palette.  Based on the Spring 2012 shows, most designers already knew that.  Here, Charlotte Ronson showed flowing, pretty pieces in ombre and embellished styles in the sunny shade.

Ms. Ronson of NYC's famed socialite/partying Ronson family also sent neutral beige and navy relaxed pieces down the runway.  Stylish, but it looked effortless.  Kind of what you would want for Spring.  

Does a strong focus on the named color of the year result in your being taken more seriously as a designer?  Or does that just sound silly?

For those who think a simple color is the made-up drama of fashion's frivolous world, (and I have heard  uninformed opinions to that), consider the case of Ann Taylor.  In 2011, Honeysuckle pink was deemed the most important color.  Wall Street analysts actually downgraded the financial outlook for the sportswear giant due to what they perceived as a lack of the hue in their current offerings. Shortly, the company's shares dropped 5.3%.  

Was that fair?  Doesn't that go against the point of creativity, design and the desire to separate yourself from the pack?  How can you be a trendsetter if you're judged by the percentage in which you follow a corporate numbered color?

Is Tangerine Tango a color you'll be wearing this season?  Who's collection did it best?  

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