What’s Your Sign? Is Your Birthstone Emerald? Color Me Curious.

December 13, 2012

Lorraine DePasque is a Style/Trends editor for instoremag.com. She has interviewed me many times before and we are often on the same “wavelength” when it comes to spotting trends. This was especially evident when it came to Emerald. I often tell people at my presentations to look to high end jewelry for future influence.

You can say that Lorraine had her (Emerald clad?) finger on the pulse of this one considering that she posted this blog back in April. Click the link below to read Lorraine’s rationale of Emerald in terms of jewelry.

Jewelry’s on the Road to Emerald City.

Meet Me In California?

August 29, 2012

View of Seattle from Bainbridge in winter.

According to Wikipedia “January is on average, the coldest month of the year within most of the Northern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of winter) and the warmest month of the year within most of the Southern Hemisphere (where it is the second month of summer). In the Southern hemisphere, January is the seasonal equivalent of July in the Northern hemisphere.”

Typical winter day on Bainbridge Island, WA.

 

As a resident of the Northern Hemisphere, I like to take respite from the cold (and rain) and head south for four days to hold my semi-annual Color/Design master class. Next year’s class is going to be held January 24-27th in Burbank, California. California is the perfect sunny locale for a mid-winter getaway.

This hands-on class will give you the tools and education to take your career in color to the next level. The class will include the psychology and emotion of color, consumer color preferences, the formation of trends (where do they come from and where are they going), a workshop and time for in-depth Q&A.

 

Come and join me in sunny California to explore the wonderful world of color. Don’t forget your sunscreen!

I look forward to seeing you there.

The Comics To Cartoon Clothing

June 18, 2012

Cartoons come to life in this effervescent palette, The Comics. Funny paper hues pop off the page in whimsical ways that bring a smile and create the need to take some time to play. Ominous Phantom Black provides the backdrop for sulphuric yellow and fiery red. A flash of green provokes a strong blue while an inky cyan plays up to honeysuckle and primrose. It’s quirky joy and spontaneity.

Colorwatch panel from the Housewares Show

 

“Forever 21 will roll out a small assortment of’Simpsons’ T-shirts for men and women, while Fox’s long-term global partner H&M is currently selling new ‘Simpsons’-themed boys’ wear. The Swedish retailer will also make ‘Ice Age’ Ts to coincide with the summer sequel ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift,’ as will midtier retailer C&A.”

 

It is always fun to watch a forecast become part of the mainstream in home and now in fashion. Jeremy Scott is the perfect match for this whimsical palette.

 

Are you seeing The Comic influence?

Cartoon Clothing, Thanks to Twentieth Century Fox | The Fix | Daily Front Row.

Fashion Brands Tie Up With Twentieth Century Fox – Fashion Scoops – Fashion – WWD.com.

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.

The Challenge Of The Light Bulb

October 18, 2011

As you know, if you are a follower of our blog, we often refer to articles from Wired Magazine. At one time a publication only for techies, the magazine has become much more user-friendly, especially for those of us who appreciate a bit of simplification.

In a recent issue, there was an article on lighting that explained some of the changes and new technologies that have affected color rendering. One of the most fascinating aspects of the article, written by Dan Koeppel, is the resistance that many consumers have in changing to the newer bulbs and fixtures that are so different from those products we are more accustomed to.

Credit: Philips Lighting

Koeppel observes: ”Evolutionary biologists believe that human lighting preferences are the result of our trichromatic vision—rare in non-primates—which makes us particularly suited to daylight and perception of primary colors. There’s an anthropological component as well; for 4,000 years, humankind has been banishing darkness with fire. And Edison’s bulb, at its core, is a burning filament that casts a glow of flame. Abandoning incandescent bulbs means abandoning fire as our primary light source for the first time in human history.”

I never thought about it that way, but it certainly makes sense and answers the resistance that is being shown to accepting the newer look in light bulbs. Actually, from a design standpoint, some of the squiggly shapes of the newer energy saving bulbs are really quite interesting. The challenge is balancing a lampshade on some of them. However, there are some manufacturers that are using the odd shapes as a design component.

Plumen 001

A chart explains the meaning of color temperature very simply. It states: “Expressed in degrees Kelvin, this is how we measure things like soft white or daylight. A pleasant soft white will have a color temperature of 3000K. White light ranges from 4100K to 6000K, roughly equal to noonday sun. Higher numbers get increasingly bluer”.

The Human Eye Is Notoriously Fickle

September 14, 2011

I was interviewed for the following article that appeared in Women’s Wear Daily Beauty Inc. and edited by Belisa Silva. 

The article included some of the outstanding summer colors that are showing staying power for the fall.

What colors were your favorites this summer and what colors will you transition into fall?

Something Old, Something New

July 1, 2011

One of my friends and a colleague, Judi Noble, is head colorist for Fiesta Dinnerware. She is also an artist who loves whimsy and color.

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Fiesta has issued a series of pieces in an exciting new anniversary color-Marigold. Available for only 75 weeks, Marigold comes in the complete dinnerware collection, as well as a limited edition numbered Soup Tureen.

My contribution to the 2011 release was “The color of comfort (and many comfort foods), Fiesta Dinnerware’s Marigold reminds us of vibrant florals and cheering sunshine-guaranteed to coax a smile and provide the perfect background for edibles (and drinkables).”

Pink Plascon Spaces

June 24, 2011

Anne Roselt is the color manager for Plascon Paints in South Africa. She is a delightfully talented person who attended our color/design program in January.

For Plascon’s Spaces magazine Anne chose pink as her theme.

Following are some visuals from the magazine.

Seems that the hue has struck a universal chord.

Nice Day For A White Wedding

February 28, 2011
One of our color loving colleagues, Jude Stewart, has written an interesting article about color, tradition and weddings. It is a very fascinating look at the use of white in weddings throughout time. A quote from Jude’s post states that “Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood, and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one.”

Chapter 13 in Colors For Your Every Mood is dedicated to white and its mark in society. Here is an excerpt about “Innocent White”.

“There is an innocence to white, a christening-dress kind of chasteness, an unsullied childlike naivete. It is traditionally the color of babies or brides. Baptismal and confirmation dresses are white, and some orders of nuns are married ceremonially to the church in a white gown. The ancient Greeks started the tradition of white at weddings, which they saw as a bridal symbol of joy. On the eve of her wedding ceremony, the Greek bride painted her body white, on her wedding day she wore white flowers in her hair and a flowing white gown. For thousands of years, the Japanese have seen white as pure, innocent, and virginal. The ladies of the court and shrine maidens, however, wore their white kimonos over red pantaloons! In the United States, white did not become the standard color for wedding dresses until the 1800s, and colonial brides wore a variety of pastel colors.”

color colour fashion style clothes wedding bride marriage tradition

Making My Way To IHA

February 22, 2011

We are quickly approaching the 2011 International Home Housewares Show in Chicago, Illinois. The show starts Sunday March 06 and goes through March 08. If you will be in the area and are interested in attending click the image for more information.

You don’t want to miss out on this because Lee will be sharing Pantone’s 2012 View Home forecast for the first time.