Pantone swatches

Pantone have launched their Fashion colour report for autumn 2010.  Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute® describes the palette as an“innovative take on fundamental basics, as well as transporting, lively colours that conjure images of travel and adventure, whether real or aspirational.”

Several leading American designers describe their inspiration for the selected colours that we’ll be seeing in fashion retail later in the year.  I thought I would take a look at the colour chips described and offer my own thoughts on how I think these colours work together.

Oyster Gray and Rose Dust have the ethereal qualities of the attractive and harmonious cool, muted summer palette. The addition of Purple Orchid brings the palette to life adding excitement and depth. These colours are indeed ‘aspirational’ alluding to quality, elegance and timelessness. Soft and light like a summery breeze they are suited to flowing, diaphanous fabrics, cashmere wools and silks.

Endive, Golden Glow, Living Coral, Lipstick Red, Chocolate Truffle, Lagoon, Woodbine and Lagoon appear more rich and muted. Fiery and intense these flavorsome earthy autumn shades are more ‘adventurous’ and work well together in a palette suiting perhaps textured, substantial and sumptuous fabrics. The Chocolate Truffle (yummy!) is an excellent wearable choice instead of black; it has the depth and gravitas but yet is warmer and more approachable. Piquant Lipstick Red and Golden Glow add spice and energy to the collection. Endive and Living Coral are both slightly ‘livelier’ colours adding a little sparkle to the group, whilst Lagoon adds a touch of calm to the collection.

I’m encouraged by the way the reports’ designers think about and view colour and as a colourist fully embrace the message of how colour can make you feel. I would be interested to hear your own views and comments too.

“My new fashion colours rule: Try it you might like it. In the last few years there’s been such an influx of colour in fashion, including the new neutrals which range from the iciest pinks to the lightest lavenders. Faced with all these choices, women may revert to black, but I urge them to give colour a try”.

Constance White – ebay Style Director

“It’s never been more important to show who you are and what you believe in and there’s not a more subtle way of doing that than with colour”

Collier Strong Celebrity Make-up Artist

“You’ll be amazed at what a splash of colour can do to both your’look’ and your ‘outlook’”

Cate Adair Costume Designer – Desperate Housewives

Personal colour psychology – find out for yourself how the colours that you wear have an effect on how you feel http://www.incolourconsultancy.com/personal_colour.htm

View the Pantone Fashion Colour Report here:
http://www.pantone.co.uk/downloads/articles/pdfs/PANTONE_Fashion_Color_Report_Fall_2010.pdf

Last week I had the opportunity to visit a recently completed project that I worked on last summer. Applewood is a respite care facility built in the community in Tadworth, Surrey by Surrey County Council for children and young people with disabilities aged 5-18 years. Accompanying me was Susannah Mathieson, National Account Services Manager for Dulux who was interested to see how I had used colour on this project.

When working with colour psychology the key to selecting a palette of colours is to identify the ‘colour personality’ of the environment. What is it used for – who will be using the space and how? A family of colours is then selected accordingly that best captures, expresses and supports the required qualities of the environment. The brief from Pat Williams, manager of Applewood was to create a bright, lively, fun and ‘funky’ living accommodation that would inspire the young guests who will be able to stay at the facility for between 2 and 6 nights

To convey these qualities and the feel that Applewood wanted to create I specified colours that had warm, clear and bright characteristics. The ‘personality’ of this family of fresh spring colours captures perfectly the qualities of youth, vitality, energy, creativity, activity, motivation and fun! It also identifies particularly well with professions, institutions or businesses linked with children and ‘youth’.

I then looked at the individual colours to select the ones which would best support an activity or create an ambience within each particular room. For example in the recreation rooms where the youngsters would be perhaps socialising and conducting activities I specified yellow to encourage optimism and confidence. Other colours I specified for the Applewood palette were green, turquoise, purple, orange and blue. Each of these colours selected contribute to an upbeat and engaging environment both for the young people staying at Applwood and for the staff working there.

Interior Designers – Would you like to learn how to apply the power of colour in to interior design? Our courses may be just what you’re looking for! http://www.incolourconsultancy.com/interiors_training_in_colour.htm

Barely out of the news at the moment is of course John Terry’s recently exposed affair and subsequent demise as England’s (football) captain. Now, I’m no ‘footy’ expert nor particularly a fan, but what interests me as a colourist about the fiasco is the story that’s told in the accompanying photos of the characters involved.

So often when the proverbial hits the fan for  VIPs and celebs and reported in the press we tend to see the protagonists mostly wearing a particular colour – black. Over the last two days we’ve seen many pictures of Vanessa Perroncel wearing black and yesterday Terry’s wife Toni too.

Although always seemingly popular and beloved of the fashion industry black – and indeed any colour, is so much more than a fashion statement. Mostly subconsciously we choose to wear and dress ourselves in a colour that will represent and mirror how we feel at that moment in time. Uncompromising black is a colour that many of us feel ‘safe’ in. For many of course it is a sophisticated and glamorous colour but  there is also an element of power, mystery and even control about black. We can relate it perhaps to darkest night time when much remains unseen by the eye and hidden. The personality can be cloaked and true feelings can be contained within. And so in this time of strife and uncertainty for these two women, wearing black can be almost like a barrier from the outside world and appear to offer protection. It may of course indicate secrets yet unrevealed!

As this story continues to play out I will be interested to see the colours ‘worn’ and to interpret the feelings that really lay behind the images we see in the news?

For more about the meanings and effects of black

http://www.incolourconsultancy.com/black_white_grey_brown.htm

Back to black? Fashion’s love affair -  http://www.incolourconsultancy.com/blog/category/personal-and-lifestyle-colour/

Learn how to interpret the secrets of colour for yourself new courses for Personal and Lifestyle colourists starting in March – http://www.incolourconsultancy.com/certificate_in_colour.htm