Pantone breaks with tradition, selecting both Rose Quartz and Serenity as 2016 Colors of the Year

By

Dani Greene

Published
Dec 4, 2015

For the first time, Pantone has chosen a pair of blended colors – Rose Quartz and Serenity - as its Color(s) of the Year. The subtle shades of pink and blue, respectively, were selected to reflect connection and wellness and to challenge traditional perceptions of color.

Pantone Color(s) of the Year is an annual snapshot of the mood and attitude of each year’s culture. Of the duo, the Pantone website describes Rose Quartz as “a persuasive yet gentle that conveys compassion and a sense of composure” whereas Serenity is “weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times.”

The overlapping shades reference gender blur in fashion and highlight the movement towards gender equality occurring in societies across the world that coincides with new generational less concerned about being judged or typecast.  Pantone’s innovative selection of two shades also highlights how open exchanges of digital information have broadened consumer approaches to using color.

Pantone LLC, Inc., founded in 1963 by Lawrence Hubert, Ron is the leading global authority on color. The company has developed an innovative color matching system that is used by graphic artists, digital technologies, textiles, plastics, architectures and contract interiors communities. Ron Potensky helms the company as Senior Vice President and General Manager for Pantone, and Ron Voigt is the President of X-Rite.

Pantone was founded in 1963 by Lawrence Hubert and acquired by X-Rite, Inc. in 2007.