Pantone's 2019 Color of the Year Is 'Living Coral'
It's an "animating and life-affirming shade of orange with a golden undertone."
As 2018 draws to a close, it's time to start both reflecting on the past year and looking to the future — and on Thursday, color authority Pantone helped that process along by announcing its Color of the Year for 2019: Living Coral.
Pantone described the shade in a press release as "an animating and life-affirming shade of orange with a golden undertone," and went on to draw a connection between the human need for "comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment" and the way that coral reefs provide shelter and food in aquatic environments. In other words: It's tough out there right now; here's a pretty-yet-comforting color.
It's reminiscent of some of the language that Pantone used to announce last year's Color of the Year, Ultra Violet, which it described as a shade that would offer "higher ground to those seeking refuge from today's over-stimulated world."
So, can a color really provide comfort, solace or psychological shelter? Who knows, but either way, the fact that Pantone sees the need to keep coming back to that idea seems to say something about the current state of things.
"As we continue to seek immersive experiences that offer intimacy and genuine connection, Living Coral symbolizes our innate need for optimism and joyful, lighthearted pursuits," Pantone said. Here's hoping that 2019 provides plenty of reason for optimism, indeed.
