Pantone’s 2023 color of the year is Viva Magenta
Pantone’s “Viva Magenta” color is pictured in a provided image. (Photo credit: Pantone)
Pantone has revealed its color of the year for 2023: "Viva Magenta," described as "an animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint."
The color descends from the red family and "welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit."
Pantone’s color experts at its Pantone Color Institute scour trends in entertainment, fashion, travel, and even the environment for inspiration each year before picking a color of the year. This year’s color is a shade rooted in nature and "presents a balance between warm and cool."
"In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real," said Pantone Color Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman. "PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known."
"Invoking the forces of nature, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength," Eiseman added.
Pantone said its color of the year was inspired by movements around climate change, sustainability, and land protection, noting how Viva Magenta acknowledges a "gravitational pull" towards natural colors.
"We’re incorporating more living things into our homes, such as plants, florals, living walls, and restorative outdoor spaces," Pantone said on its website. "We’re finding newfound enjoyment in travel, sports, and outdoor recreation after pausing these activities during the pandemic. We’re more careful to protect our bodies as a result of the public health crises — we look to apply and ingest trusted, life-giving ingredients. All of these lifestyle trends speak to the heartiness of natural forces."
The color of the year selection inspires various industries, including apparel, beauty, interior design, packaging, and technology. For individuals, Pantone suggested wearing Viva Magenta as a full-on statement, or as an accessory for a quieter look.
In the home, Pantone called on daring designers to pick Viva Magenta as a velvet couch or lacquered wall. Those who desire a more neutral home can use it as a pop of color in a lighting fixture or floral arrangement.
Pantone’s 2020 choice was "Classic Blue," meant to serve as "an anchor offering stability, constancy and connection." The color was announced in late 2019, prior to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2021 choice was "Ultimate Gray" and "Illuminating," a bright yellow. The dual colors were meant to convey "a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting."
Last year, Pantone’s 2022 choice was "Very Peri," a periwinkle blue hue with violet-red undertones that is meant to evoke "a new vision as we rewrite our lives." It created a new shade for the first time in its history of choosing a color of the year.
This story was reported from Cincinnati.