Four years ago I had just finished my first and only class in Colour Theory. I learned to mix paint, every hue and value I would ever need. It was fascinating. It changed my life. I look at autumn trees differently now. I see light and dark where I before. I wear colour now. Thank you Doug Meyer.
Prior to design school, I knew of Pantone. But I had no idea they chose a “Color of the Year”. And I had no idea their colour swatch books cost more than a pair of Louboutins and are the only things that should be kept in a dark, dry closet (thank you Miss V.).
Without digressing into the merits (or lack thereof) of having a COTY, let’s look at this year’s colour. It is made of 99% cyan, zero magenta, 69% yellow and zero black. Pretty pure colour as far as the primaries go. Pantone offers several adjectives to the image: Lively. Radiant. Lush. It’s the colour for babies born in May, my Mom and oldest brother for example. It is the pervasive colour found in nature. To the human eye, it occupies the most space in the visual spectrum than any of its colleagues. It is apparently the second most favoured colour (blue is first). It is the colour of the heart chakra (got me there, it thought it was red). The Irish, I am certain, invented it and then loaned it to the transportation industry (I do hope they negotiated royalty fees).
As a political junkie, I am not sure … yet … how this emerald colour reflects the current era’s socio-economic conditions. Is it an obsession with financial issues around the world? Is it a reflection of the “vibrant” level of social media around the world? Or perhaps it is more literal than subtle and the folks at Pantone simply love emeralds more than their peer stones.
As it pertains to fashion, we can expect to see a lot of emerald green this year and into next while the textile mills scramble to mix dye to fit the whims of designers paying homage to the COTY. I can visualize large eyelet patterned short sleeved blouses, metal-toed flats, chunky bracelets, and maybe even a peplum dress. Since mint is already so prominent in the spring lineup, a deeper hue will not be a stretch.
I quite like the colour, to look at. It would be a first but I would welcome having it represented in my wardrobe. So I will hunt around for something to share with you at the store. I would love to hear from you: how many pieces of emerald green do you currently have in your wardrobe? And if you have none, will you be considering one for this year?