Top Pantone colors chosen by New York designers for fall 2006.
Is it fall again already? It certainly is for the fashion industry, and fall fashions this year are offering a color palette mixed with neutrals and rich, dark tones. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Color Institute, said of the top 10: “We’re seeing a return of colors that are more trustworthy, more dependable. There’s a great deal of elegance, and a sophisticated subtlety.” A number of the colors offer a smoky overcast, such as number-one-ranked Bijou Blue, while others, such as the neutral tones, could be seen paired with richer colors — like Purple Magic, ranked number four. Eiseman also pointed out the trend of colors evolving from seasons past. Take spring’s number-one color, Sand Dollar, as an example. Already considered a neutral color, it has morphed into Pale Khaki, even into Simply Taupe, for fall.
1. PANTONE 18-3921 Bijou Blue
Chosen by 20.1 percent of designers
Zac Posen chose prominent colors, such as Bijou Blue, for fall. “There is nothing sexier and more real than navy and jet,” he told Pantone. His inspiration for the season was to view his girl as a “perfectionist rebel,” so he chose colors that “evoke her fierce and moody side, as well as her classic luxury.” Leatrice Eiseman of Pantone noted the color paired well against others in the palette, such as Frost Gray. “Bijou Blue is a continuation of spring’s Ultramarine,” she said. “It’s so flattering for everyone — people with all types of [skin] coloring can wear it.”
2. PANTONE 17-0000 Frost Gray
16.3 percent
“The prominence of Frost Gray reflects the dependability of the neutrals,” said Eiseman. “Grays have been around, they rarely go out of fashion, they’re so stable — but to have it ranked so highly tells us that it’s stability people are looking for in their wardrobe.” Though there is a practical element to the color, it has almost a silver characteristic. “These gunmetal gowns we’re seeing on the red carpet — they’re glamorous.” Eiseman mentioned the shade’s ability to be paired well with Purple Magic and Red Mahogany, both of which are ranked in the top 10. Peter Som, who used Frost Gray, mentioned his color philosophy was “a graphic but feminine combination of colors, which are sleek without being overpowering.”
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3. PANTONE 17-1537 Mineral Red
13.9 percent
While red wasn’t used much for spring, it’s making a nice comeback this fall. “Red is certainly not unusual to see in the fall — this is a very warm-based tone,” said Eiseman. “It has that kind of wonderful quality that attracts people — it’s something that gives us warmth, yet it still has an elegance.” She also noted the color can be used across multiple areas of clothing, from sportswear to eveningwear, for example. Nanette Lepore chose Mineral Red for fall, acknowledging her inspiration was the “salons of Edwardian England.”
4. PANTONE 19-3540 Purple Magic
12.4 percent
Various shades of purple have been prominent for several seasons now, and this fall’s variation is very deep, but still has a touch of a red undertone, said Eiseman. “This has a magical quality, just as the name suggests,” she said. The color could go ideally with chiffon or taffeta, but it also has been seen in knitwear. “I think there’s this general acceptance for the color purple nowadays. There’s a quietness to purple — and this is an elegant, regal kind of purple that is widely accepted.” Both Michael Vollbracht for Bill Blass and Gilles Mendel for J.Mendel incorporated versions of Purple Magic into their dresses for fall.
5. PANTONE 19-1521 Red Mahogany
11.6 percent
“Red Mahogany is essentially a brown with red undertones — but there’s a wine overcast to it, because it has this plummy, red characteristic,” said Eiseman. Brown has long been a staple for fall, but these days, designers and consumers are viewing it as a dressier color. “For years, brown was never worn after five, but nowadays, it’s in gowns on the red carpet.” Behnaz Sarafpour, whose inspiration was derived from “all things traditional,” worked with a color palette of rich, deep tones — including Red Mahogany — for fall.
6. PANTONE 17-1045 Apple Cinnamon
10.9 percent
The description of this color stems from a shade of tea, noted Eiseman: “It’s a warm, comforting color.” Apple Cinnamon is also a tone that can be used as a classic or a neutral. “Think about it in combination with colors like Golden Ochre or Mineral Red,” she continued. Kimora Lee Simmons for Baby Phat chose Apple Cinnamon as part of her palette for the season. She told Pantone she was inspired by the elegance and panache of 20th-century red-carpet glamour. “Expect to see vamped-up suits, dresses, prints and fabrics, where retro glam meets hip-hop royalty,” she hinted.
7. PANTONE 17-0613 Vetiver
6.2 percent
Nicole Miller chose Vetiver as part of her palette for fall, attributing her inspiration to Byzantine plates. The name Vetiver is a play on the French word for green, vert. Said Eiseman, “This is the green that I felt is not the green in the khaki sense, this has more of a gray cast to it, which makes it so classic and so subtle.” Because the shade contains a gray cast, she described the color as having a “smoky” quality, like others in the top 10. “This color can be used in leather goods and jackets, but also in some of the wools we’re seeing that have that deep, resonating quality to them,” she said.
8. PANTONE 16-1346 Golden Ochre
4.7 percent
“This variation of orange is one of the most elegant I’ve seen,” said Eiseman. “Orange is not generally one of America’s favorite colors. But it really started to show itself in the Nineties and has continued to gain acceptance ever since.” Eiseman attributed much of that acceptance to a broader use of multicultural mixes of colors, haute couture embracing the tone and because of the introduction of orange into computers, such as the iMac. She also said that, for fall, designers will incorporate the color more into tweeds and wool designs, where it can be used in combination with other hues. Wunderkind designer Wolfgang Joop wanted his prominent colors to reflect muted earth tones, thus bringing Golden Ochre into his fall designs.
9. PANTONE 16-0906 Simply Taupe
2.3 percent
This color, said Eiseman, can be used when you really just need that one reliable shade that can be paired with deeper tones. “It’s truly one of the most basic of the neutral colors that is a reliable presence in the wardrobe,” she said. “But it can stand alone, as well.” Simply Taupe was used by Laura Poretzky, designer for Abaeté. Her inspiration stemmed from warm tones combined with black in furniture made by Bugatti.
10. PANTONE 15-1216 Pale Khaki
1.6 percent
“Pale Khaki, Vetiver and Bijou Blue is a stunning combination,” said Eiseman. “Again, Pale Khaki is a wonderful shade that’s totally reliable. When used in combination with richer colors, it’s elegant but not overdone.” Akiko Ogawa’s color philosophy stemmed from “graduations of gray and gold.” The designer told Pantone, “For fall, I wanted my colors to be highly nuanced and evoke a classical, refined ambience.”
pantone fashion color report fall 2006; PANTONE Colors displayed here may not match PANTONE®-identified solid color standards; Consult current PANTONE for fashion and home color system® publications for accurate color. PANTONE® and other Pantone Inc. trademarks are the property of Pantone Inc. © Pantone Inc., 2006