The New York City–based PANTONE Color Institute recently revealed its roster of chosen colors for the season ahead, a biannual rite of passage that takes place during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, which is running now through Sept. 13.

Included in the PANTONE Fashion Color Report Spring 2013 are the top 10 colors designers are using in their upcoming collections, as well as designer sketches, quotes, and headshots (download the report for free here).

The top picks for women’s fashion are:

PANTONE 14-0446 Tender Shoots
PANTONE 14-6011 Grayed Jade
PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald
PANTONE 16-3520 African Violet
PANTONE 17-1664 Poppy Red
PANTONE 16-1360 Nectarine
PANTONE 13-0756 Lemon Zest
PANTONE 16-4120 Dusk Blue
PANTONE 12-1008 Linen
PANTONE 19-3964 Monaco Blue

According to a PANTONE statement, the colors represent “consumers’ desire for self-expression, balance, and the need to re-energize.” The spring hues offer balance, and, “allow for unique combinations that offer practicality and versatility, but at the same time, demand attention and earn an appreciative glance,” states the group in a release.

PANTONE executive director Leatrice Eiseman told the media that a “’balancing act’ is something we all relate to as we strive to find harmony in the frantic pace of our everyday lives,” and that “the same can be said for fashion as we look for balance between light and bright, classic, and new.” She continued: “This season’s color palette emphasizes this need for balance, while at the same time allowing for individuality, self-expression, and excitement.”

Twice a year, during the spring and fall Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks, PANTONE surveys couturiers about the color choices and inspirations for their collections; that intelligence is used to create the PANTONE Fashion Color Report.

JCK