An unconventional shade for an unconventional time: The Pantone Colour of the Year 2023 – Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta – vibrates with verve and power. The shade from the red family is rooted in nature and expresses a new signal of strength. A pulsating colour whose exuberance stands for optimism and joy. A colour that encourages experimentation and self-expression without restraint.
Every year, creative and design fans, fashionistas and stylists excitedly await the moment when the Pantone Color Institute announces the trend colour for the next year. At the beginning of December, the big day arrived again and the colour experts from Carlstadt, New Jersey, chose the “Colour of the Year 2023”. And this one really rocks. Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta is more than a colour. It is bold and fearless, powerful and empowering – a colour that revels in pure joy. To make a long story short: Viva Magenta is an attitude to life.
A fist in a velvet glove
Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta is a nuanced shade of purple that creates a balance between warm and cool. As a hybrid colour, Viva Magenta moves effortlessly between physical and virtual dimensions, fitting perfectly into our multidimensional world. Assertive but not aggressive, crimson is a colour that does not boldly dominate, but is “a fist in a velvet glove”, as Pantone describes it. This makes Viva Magenta an expressive follow-up to the reddish blue shade “Very Peri”, which accompanied us in 2022.
Since 2000, the Pantone Institute has been bundling its competence in colour to determine the colour of the year. In this context, Pantone noted an increased appreciation of nature this year, which is also reflected in numerous lifestyle trends. “As virtual worlds become a more prominent part of our daily lives, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real”, says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.
Viva Magenta also has a natural origin. The colour is derived from the cochineal bug, which produces a carmine dye – one of the most valuable and luminous natural pigments around. The Aztecs already used the carminic acid of the beetle, which is native to Central and South America, to give their clothes colour. The Spanish conquistadors brought the intense dye to Europe via the Canary Islands, where it soon became the most important merchandise next to gold and silver.
Viva Magenta feels at home in all areas of life. This is not least shown by the Pantone partner Motorola. Technology, design and colour form an exciting combination in the new smartphone.
Welcome to the Magentaverse
Together with its long-time creative partner Huge, Pantone realised a design experiment to explore the relationship between new technologies and human creativity. Using an AI tool, the team created the visual manifestation of Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta. The resulting key visual (see header image) shows the connection between nature and technology and serves as an invitation into an optimistic and endless new ecosystem to be explored: the “Magentaverse”.
Building on this experiment, Pantone and Huge collaborated with Artechouse – a company for innovative, technology-driven experiential art. The result: a spectacular, multi-sensory exhibition that premiered at Art Basel Miami Beach on 3 December 2022 and will remain open to visitors until spring 2023. The installations allow the Magentaverse to be artistically discovered in different spaces full of colours, textures and interactions. Guests are immersed in visual, auditory and tactile experiences that allow them to experience the power of the colour Viva Magenta with all their senses.
Stylish companions and extravagant eye-catchers
Red shades are power colours that celebrate life. In colour psychology, red stands for attributes such as life, power, activity and dynamism, but can also mean aggression and destruction. Red plays an important role in Asian cultures. On their wedding day, brides in India often wear red, in Egypt and Iran red is considered the ultimate colour of luck. The glowing Viva Magenta gives us élan and energy and is therefore the perfect fashion colour. Monochrome outfits are the latest trend, but the mix with rosé or violet also causes a stir. As a beauty all-rounder, Viva Magenta can be found on lips, cheeks and nails, even the tips of the hair shine purple in 2023. Viva Magenta is an ideal match for the living area. This is where you can use the full power of the colour of the year: for example, in the form of a velvet couch or a painted wall. Even in small doses, Viva Magenta offers plenty of drama as shown by the iconic ZigZag side table by Polspotten, which can also be used as a stool. In combination with the comfortable lounge chair, the result is a relaxed ensemble that exudes individuality and class.
The colour of the year 2023 not only encourages us to be “bold with colour”. Thanks to Viva Magenta, the entire spectrum of red tones is the focus as well. The ostrich feather lamp by Kare, the lambskin rug by Pad or the cuckoo clock by Guzzini are all real eye-catchers. Stylish companions for when you’re on the go are the shopping trolley by Rolser or the leisure bag by Remember. The drinking bottle from Thermos is perfect for trendy refreshment. In the home office, on the other hand, the bright red pens from the traditional Swiss company Caran d’Ache will become a personal favourite accessory.
Dining with the colour family
The colour of the year 2023 is a feast for the eyes as a soloist. As a combination partner, it is ready for other strong hues such as orange, turquoise or black. With soft nuances such as light khaki or light grey, interesting contrasts are created. On the laid table, fashionable magenta lets its “family ties play”, as the Pantone Color Institute describes it. Viva Magenta produces a whole range of harmoniously coordinated undertones. These range from elegant soft variants to deep berry shades. A lively interaction of colours is brought to the table with Junto by Rosenthal in Rose Quartz. The coloured glass from Lyngby Glas, on the other hand, adds an extravagant touch. Classics such as the colourful Solid Color porcelain from Dibbern or the double-walled Duet® Bella Ronde teapot from Bredemeijer have already discovered the strong colour, which radiates pleasure and joie de vivre, for themselves.
Colour boost for your household
As a strong all-rounder, Viva Magenta naturally also finds its way into the kitchen. From the tea towel to the vegetable slicer, fun and colour is the name of the game. The feel-good factor comes naturally when you prepare the gummy bears yourself with the do-it-yourself set from Tescoma. Guaranteed without additives, but in your favourite exotic flavours like pomegranate or mango. Even doing the laundry is much more fun when you hang it outdoors to dry on the spring pink rotary dryer from Brabantia. This gives the laundry the necessary freshness and is also better for the environment – energy saving included. The wonderful scent of fresh laundry and the colour kick come free of charge on top. Viva Magenta!
Header image: Pantone © Huge
