With lilac-y blues, regal purples, rich reds and burnt oranges, the fashion world's king of color has released its top 10 colors, based on New York's Fashion Week.
Hot off the presses is the design industry 's Pantone’s Fashion Color Report for Fall 2008, featuring the top 10 women's fashion colors that we are likely to be wearing later this year.
New York Fashion Week, 1-8 February 2008 previewed the emergence of royal purples with their cool blue and green undertones as keynote colors but Pantone’s report also includes splashes of color in the guise of autumnal reds and orangey hues.
The richness of purple and lilac-y blues that we will see this fall will be offset by bright, exciting undertones. After all, fall by nature is a season of change and this is reflected in Pantone's top 10 colors.
"Conventional tones such as warm autumn hues, chocolate browns and steel grays are also among the fall color choices. Blue and purple tones have become staples," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.
Why is the Pantone Color Report so Special?
Pantone is the most widely recognized color standard in the world, and is used as a tool for the fashion industry. Every year at New York Fashion Week it surveys designers and collects feedback on the most prominent color collections.
Pantone puts together a report which I used as a source of reference for fashion retailers, journalists and fashionistas.The Pantone Fashion Color Report features the top 10 colors for women's fashion for fall '08, along with designer sketches, quotes and headshots. The Pantone 33 page report can be viewed online or downloaded in PDF format.
Top 10 Colors for Fall 2008
A summary of the top fall 2008 colors for women are:
The Blue Hues
- Blue Iris - This is Pantone’s color of the year for 2008, according to their report. A rich beautiful blue with purple undertones which has been a firm favorite amongst such designers as Leger, Costello Tagliapetra, Diana Von Furstenberg and Oscar De La Renta. Combining the regal richness of purple with cool and calming aspects of blue.
- Royal Lilac - Dramatic Royal Lilac is a combination of bluish purples and cheerful red undertones. undertones.
- Shady Glade -It provides a willing companion to shady glade, a mossy green base color which is a departure from the more traditional greens of the past.
- Caribbean Blue -Evokes memories of tropical vacations which adds intensity to its color companions.
- Twilight Blue - Twilight Blue is a twist on a classic navy, a strong, powerful steady color.
The Red Hues
- Aurora Red - Reds and purples are a keynote combination for Fall 2008. Given its dash of energy and vitality to the palette Aurora red is not exception.
- Withered Rose - Moving on to dusky brownish pinks, Withered Rose blends with almost any shade.
- Burnt Orange - Powerful and robust, Burnt Orange is subtle enough to be worn by most skin tones, but steady enough to be a backdrop and strong enough to be at the fore front of an outfit.
- Ochre - Adding a touch of lightness traditional autumnal color is Ochre with a hint of mustard against mellow yellow.
Understated Shitake
- Shitake - "The color of a Japanese mushroom, this complex yet modest shade is intriguingly understated," states the Pantone report, "especially when teamed with the robust colors of fall" '08.
The Color Purple - Prominent in Fall Designer Collections
Inky Blues, Greens and purples made up a prominent fashion base for runway designers showing their fall collections. This is likely to be the most popular color in the high-street given its versatility and femininity.
Commonly mixed with red and found in rich velvets, silks and satins, women are going to be finding themselves in a purple haze for the fall season. Already seeping through into spring and summer women's fashion, purples and lilac base colors look set to provide a rich backdrop for our fall wardrobe in evening gowns, figure hugging dresses, shaggy furs and fringes, tops, skirts and shoes.
