Pantone 2021 Colour of the Year met with mixed responses

Jade JurewiczThe West Australian
Camera IconThe taste-makers have announced their annual prediction for 2021, but not everyone thinks the colours are worthy of being splashed across fashion and homes in the year to come. Credit: Instagram

If you’re wondering how 2021 will pan out, expect a mix of sunny and gloomy times ahead.

No, this hasn’t been officially declared by world leaders, nor is it based on astrology, but it does reflect what has shared by respected experts who have been making predictions for 21 years — The Pantone Colour Institute.

And while the chosen colour typically only concerns the design realm — from runway looks to branding through to scatter cushions — its 2020 Classic Blue prediction well and truly transcended into the general mood as a global pandemic hit.

Knowing the world requires an extra element of hope in 2021, Pantone have released not one but two colours in Ultimate Grey and Illuminating.

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“The union of an enduring Ultimate Grey with the vibrant yellow illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute.

“We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.”

However not everyone has embraced the 2020 colours or the inspiration behind them.

A Vogue article dubbed them “wishy-washy” and “vague” pointing out that primary yellow is often associated with madness, illness and domestic horror while the grey “appears to be the exact same colour as my web browser”. Others have found humour in where they appear together in day to day life.

An article in TIME Magazine says the union of two colours makes a strong statement, with events like the Black Lives Matter protest and pandemic emphasising the importance on connection.

“And 2021’s colors (sic) feel altogether fitting as we prepare to welcome a new year brimming with possibilities: for a vaccine, for the world to open up again, for a return to some sense of normalcy—and the chance to connect,” writer Cady Lang said in the article.

The union of two shades has also sparked debate, as typically only one hue is selected, however the 2015 joint colours of Serenity and Rose Quartz started the duo trend in 2015.

If you’re wondering how the top-secret shades are selected before the big reveal each year, Pantone say their colour experts comb the world looking for new colour influences, including in films in production, art, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations and socio-economic conditions.

Past colours include Living Coral, Greenery, Marsala and Ultra Violette.

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