The “Pantone color of the year” announcement is very valuable to merchandisers and creatives who plan their collections for the year to come. But sometimes, they can also reveal strangely prescient barometers of global mood. Take the choice of 2020, a relaxing blue that presented reliable comfort against the tumultuous chaos of the following year. And if now the last choice may arouse some perplexity, the Pantone Color Institute has chosen as the colors of the year 2021, the 17-5104 TCX “Ultimate Gray” and the 13-0647 TCX “Illuminating”.
This is also the second time Pantone has chosen two colors to represent a single year (Rose Quartz and Serenity in 2016) but this move is unlike any previous choice. “It’s a combination that speaks to the resilience, optimism, hope and positivity we need,” Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a video conference with CNN. “Two extremely independent colors that come together to express a message of strength and hope“.
“Ultimate Gray”: a color that expresses “feelings of composure, firmness and resilience,” says Pressman. According to the Pantone team, it’s a neutral shade that doesn’t arouse feelings of bad mood or unhappiness, often reflected by gray.
“Illuminate”: it is a bright and cheerful shadow. It expresses the world’s desire for an optimistic and hopeful New Year.
During this year the Pantone Color Institute has also created two very significant colors. The first was released in August, is called “ULTRA BLACK” and was created in collaboration with rapper NAS. The second one was presented in October, is called “PERIOD” and represents the red color of menstruation.
