Color directions for 2016 “continue to evolve toward an antidote to modern stresses for both designers and wearers,” according to the color authority
Pantone unveiled its latest Fashion Color Report yesterday on opening day of New York Fashion Week. Colors for fall 2016—10 in all—command a calming influence thanks to designers’ inspirations in art and landscape. The hue that leads the pack? Blue, a consistent favorite that conveys “a message of calm and constancy,” according to Pantone.
Colors worked with by fashion designers and called out by Pantone for fall 2016 are as follows:
Pantone 17-4028 Riverside
Pantone 14-4122 Airy Blue
Pantone 17-3914 Sharkskin
Pantone 18-1550 Aurora Red
Pantone 16-1318 Warm Taupe
Pantone 18-1630 Dusty Cedar
Pantone 18-5845 Lush Meadow
Pantone 14-0952 Spicy Mustard
Pantone 18-1340 Potter’s Clay
Pantone 17-3240 Bodacious
The hues are part of a rich palette exhibiting “strength and dependability while remaining uplifting, complex, and sophisticated,” according to Pantone. Said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, to the press this week: “If you look at this season’s entire palette, the idea of comforting blues coming to the top of the list again shows that people are still searching for that reassurance.”
Riverside is cool and calming with a subtle sophistication, while Airy Blue nods to Serenity, one of the Pantone Colors of the Year for 2016. Serenity evokes a sense of weightlessness, while Sharkskin is a neutral with “an edge,” according to Pantone. Aurora Red offers a warm visual punch; Warm Taupe offers a grounded, approachable neutral; Dusty Cedar nods to the other half (Rose Quartz) of the Pantone Color of 2016; and Lush Meadow speaks to verdant foliage. Spicy Mustard is a zesty yellow, Potter’s Clay offers a warm orange-hued foundation shade for fall, and Bodacious is a purple shade that speaks to gender fluidity, a social topic du jour that’s now captured in its own color.
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