Pantone broke tradition this week by naming two colors — rose quartz and serenity — as the Pantone Color(s) of the Year for 2016.
As an annual tradition, Pantone experts choose a color that is "a symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an
attitude," the company said on its website.
But this year, the blend of rose quartz and serenity — more commonly known to color Luddites as pink and baby blue — challenged what the company called "traditional perceptions of color association."
"As consumers seek mindfulness and well-being as an antidote to modern day stresses, welcoming colors that psychologically fulfill our yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent," a Pantone release said. "Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace."
The blending of the two colors also represents to Pantone a "gender blur" that is happening worldwide in fashion.
"This more unilateral approach to color is coinciding with societal movements toward gender equality and fluidity, the consumer's increased comfort with using color as a form of expression, a generation that has less concern about being typecast or judged and an open exchange of digital information that has opened our eyes to different approaches to color usage," the company said.
The surprise of two colors in soft hues drew many online to comment:
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