Welcome to the Emerald City! And I’m not talking about the city Dorothy searched for after her Kansas home smooshed the Wicked Witch of the West. I’m talking here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
After 2010’s Turquoise, 2011/s Honeysuckle, and 2012’s Tangerine Tango, Pantone has announced Emerald as 2013’s Color of the Year!
*Quotation and image from www.pantone.com
If you are not familiar with Pantone, it is a 50-year-old internationally-recognized authority on color that provides color systems and a common language that can be used across all industries, especially in today’s virtual world. Whether a graphics, jewelry, or fashion designer, marketing guru, or someone producing media materials – all can speak the same language.
The Color of the Year concept started over ten years ago with Cerulean (a slightly darker sky blue).
How is the Color Chosen?
The color is chosen using several factors:
- What fashion designers are using in their new lines (they are typically several seasons ahead)
- economic and political conditions, and
- arts, entertainment, and travel trends.
The choice of Emerald was a bit of a surprise to some as grey was definitely tauted as a front-runner. It seems we are not quite ready for a neutral to take the stand as the Color of the Year but I can assure you grey is big in many of the upcoming spring collections! Gentlemen, you’ll definitely want to invest in a sharp, fitted three-season grey suit to look current and relevant, especially if involved in sales.
Why Emerald?
After last year’s Tangerine Tango – “a spirited, reddish orange meant to provide an energy boost”* for forward momentum, Emerald was chosen for its lush radiant tones designed to promote balance and harmony.
It’s a color of growth, renewal, and prosperity. And depending on which major news source you tend to follow we are either in the middle of, at the tale end of, or in the midst of coming out of an economic recession. We are also a mere month away from an incredibly divisive election, so you can see how the socio-economic and political aspects are coming in to play.
Green is the most abundant hue in nature and the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum. Which is good because we are about to see a lot of it!
So whether you are in marketing or trade shows putting together booth designs, or a girl or guy who likes to be in on fashion, or someone who doesn’t know exactly what to get your significant other for Christmas and Valentine’s, Emerald is in!
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