Taiwan Colored Glasses and Bikes

April 12, 2012

We recently returned from Taiwan where I did a color training program for Giant Bikes. They were marvelous hosts and their design teams outstanding in the presentations they did in their workshops. The design director is Edward Chiang and when I had first met him I told him that I thought he had a very famous family name, as in the name of Chiang Kai-Shek, Taiwan’s venerated former political leader. Edward informed me that this was his great-grandfather and that his great grandmother was the famous Madame Chiang Kai-shek.

 

Many of you will know the Giant brand. They build sturdy and handsome bikes that are sold internationally, so they were most interested in international trends and the psychology of lifestyle in making color decisions. Another specific interest involved their Liv line for women and it too is a quality product.

 Liv/giant Avail Inspire – News | Giant Bicycles | United States.

They are very thoughtful and conscientious about their color choices and it was a real delight to work with them. While in Taichung, we also got to see James Soames of Subkarma, co-owner of a fabulous branding company we have worked with in the past. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to connect with his alter-ego and partner, brother Tony Soames, but I had just seen them at the International Housewares Show in Chicago where I do a keynote every year and had asked them to join me on the podium the next day to discuss cultural differences (or similarities) between Asian markets and U.S. 

 http://www.subkarma.com/lan_en/index.php

 

As always, we were gifted with some wonderful goodies (that is such a lovely Asian tradition) including a beautiful glass piece from an amazing glass artist name Loretta H. Yang.  

Click the image for a link to her spectacular work that truly glows with color.

Orange Blossoms And False Eyelashes

February 23, 2012

I found this article and thought that with all of the great buzz surrounding Tangerine Tango that it would be fun to look back at when it all started. I excerpted a paragraph from the article for your viewing pleasure and included a link to the full article at the bottom.

“Sephora is about to bring out a limited-edition spring cosmetics line with orange eye makeup—including orange false eyelashes made from feathers. The renaissance of orange extends to many facets of design: The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah, recently installed a luxury ski lift called the Bubble Express—with heated chairs in eye-popping orange.

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal

 This renaissance for orange has been a long time coming. The color was popular in the 1920s, and again in the 1960s, with a lesser renaissance in the ’80s.”

Are you hearing the buzz about the Pantone x Sephora collaboration? Will you be rushing out to pick up some of these limited-edition goodies?

Orange Blossoms Especially for 2012 – WSJ.com.

I’m Tickled Orange!

February 16, 2012

I was in New York during Fashion week and was interviewed by Rueter’s News Service that is distributed internationally.  

http://www.reuters.com/resources_v2/flash/video_embed.swf?videoId=230303298&edition=BETAUS
Let’s hear it once again for Tangerine Tango!!

Do you like this video? If you do Like this post!

Thanks for stopping by!

Such A Tart!

January 12, 2012

Just as there are trends in fashion, technology and color there are also food trends. Whether it be in spices or the development of a new hybrid fruit or vegetable the epicurean world is growing and changing too. I am always intrigued with food trends and studies as I am a conscious consumer and take health and well being very seriously. I have written on the subject of color and food in my book: The Color Answer Book where I answer the question “can the color of fruit and vegetables be an indicator of their healing powers”?

Ongoing research indicates that eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables can be extremely beneficial to our optimum health and healing. The color itself is an indicator of its curative powers. For example, eating red and purple fruits has been shown to help prevent heart disease and cancer.

Take a look at what http://www.choosecherries.com/ has to say about cherries.

“Cherries are not only good for you, but they’re also on trend as a homegrown “Super Fruit.” According to recent data, more than 9 out of 10 Americans want to know where their food comes from, nearly 80 percent say they’re purchasing “locally produced” products, and the majority is defining “local” as grown in America. And cherries deliver.

A growing body of science reveals tart cherries, enjoyed as either dried, frozen cherries or cherry juice, have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, when compared to other fruits. They also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate.

Emerging evidence links cherries to many important health benefits – from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and gout, to reducing risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.”

So as your momma always told you to “eat your veggies”, let’s include the cherries, too.

Trends: Flavor Trends for 2012.

My Interview In The New York Times

January 5, 2012

Bare with me as I toot my own horn. It is always a wonderful treat to be interviewed for the New York Times. I am especially pleased with this one article and thought that it would be nice to share. I really enjoyed speaking with Penelope Green, I love her last name and she doesn’t miss a beat.

Here is an excerpt from the Q & A and a link to the full article.

The color of the year is a bit of an assist to the fashion, cosmetics and home furnishings industries, and product and graphic design, all of which can use it as an organizing principle and marketing tool.

Kevin P. Casey for The New York Times

Will orange become ubiquitous? Probably not, Ms. Eiseman said. “What we’re trying to do is get the feeling of the zeitgeist, to use an overused word,” she said, speaking by phone from her home on Bainbridge Island in Washington. “What are people talking about they feel they need, that color can help to answer? For us, the color of the year is not necessarily the hot fashion color, but an expression of a mood, an attitude, on the part of the consumers.”

Q&A — Leatrice Eiseman of the Pantone Color Institute – NYTimes.com.

Be On The Cutting Edge Of Color

October 25, 2011

Laurie Pressman, Vice President, Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors, and I were recently interviewed by Home Furnishings Now (HFN). Here is an excerpt and a link to the full article.

“There is an inherent human tendency to be drawn to color.  Intrinsic to our visual experience, color is part of the stimulation we feel and is a vital factor in consumer purchasing decisions.  We would urge retailers today to address the strategic use of color in their product selections and believe it is important that they be mindful of creating visual excitement in their stores. Historically when the economy is uncertain there is a concern about the longevity of a color and some consumers have a tendency to play it safe with neutral shades. This is especially the case with products that are higher priced or take up a larger amount of real estate such as furniture and floor or window coverings. However, introducing some unexpected splashes of color or unique color combinations to play against these more neutral hues will attract and engage the eye, excite the imagination and ultimately tempt the consumer or client.  Color is, in fact, the catalyst that can spark the sale. In an environment where consumers are cutting back on their spending, it would be a mistake to overlook this fundamental element of human psychology.”

Corporate Spotlight: Pantone | HFN.

Korea: A Whirlwind Story

September 9, 2011

I recently returned from a whirlwind trip to South Korea where I delivered an in-house seminar to one of the leading paint companies on the psychology of color from an international perspective. I gave another presentation on future color trends at a building expo with an audience made up primarily of residential and contract designers, architects, builders, marketing people and educators.

 

I was interviewed by Vogue Magazine on fashion color trends and by Design magazine, a publication for people in the arts and business.

It was a fascinating glimpse of another culture, as I had never been there before. The food was fabulous – so interestingly prepared and presented. They were perfect hosts and I definitely want to do a return engagement.

I had little time to sightsee as I am leaving for Paris soon (poor moi) for more work (but also a little fun). What did strike me was that so many of the professional women were dressed in the latest but very classic fashion. Their everyday attire is more conservative in neutrals, blacks and whites with touches of color in scarves and such. Yet their background speaks of a very colorful tradition, particularly for wedding ceremonies as well as the embellished costumes of the former kings.

 

 

Please note the styles and colors that are shown here. The tendency in modern times is to wear a more westernized dress for the wedding.

Bill Buxton Appreciates History

September 6, 2011

Design History Appreciated
by Bill Buxton

Back in 1926, Kodak launched the third generation of its all-black Vest Pocket camera line, the Series III. It sold well, but the company wanted to expand the market and make the camera appeal to women as well as men. To help with this, Kodak turned to designer Walter Dorwin Teague. His concept was to release essentially the same camera but in five distinct and different colors packaged in color-matched satin-lined boxes. This version of the camera was released in April 1928 under the name Vanity Kodak.

1928 Vanity Kodak ad

In 2003, Apple Computer launched the third generation of its all-white MP3 music player, the iPod. It sold well, but the company wanted to expand the market and make the iPod appeal to women as well as men. To help with this, Apple turned to its lead designer, Jonathan Ive. His concept was to release a smaller version of its MP3 player in five distinct and different colors. This version of the iPod was released in January 2004 under the name iPod Mini.

2004 iPod Mini ad

One started from black, the other from white. The strategies were the same, the numbers the same and the colors the same.

Walter Dorwin Teague was Chuck Berry to Jonathan Ive’s Keith Richards. It was a matter of respect and inspiration, not plagiarism or copying. It was also an act that increases, rather than diminishes, the respect due to Ive, since designers are measured by who they quote in their designs, how and when.  

To read the full article….

Embrace These Colors, Change Your Mood

February 24, 2011

I really like the way Chrissy Lorenzo has given suggestions on how to wear the spring colors from Pantone’s 2011 fashion report. If you are looking to add some color to your life whether in the home or in your closet take a moment to look at Chrissy’s suggestions by clicking the link below.

Come over and “Like” More Alive With Color on Facebook and share your color picks for spring.

Spring 2011 Color Trends: Embrace These Colors, Change Your Mood.

Fall 2011 Fashion Report Now For Him Too

February 18, 2011

 

My friends it is time for Pantone’s fall 2011 fashion color report. This time Pantone has included the men’s fall colors too.

I put together a little teaser of a few of the illustrations from the report for you. In doing so I started to wonder how you, the readers of this blog use the fashion report? Does it influence your color choices from season to season? Are these colors likely to end up on you or in your home?

There are a few colors from this report that are universally flattering to all skin tones.

Can you guess which ones they are?