Pump up the Volume
A recap of the hottest colors on the fall 2007 palette from the PANTONE Fashion Color Report
By Lindsey Aspinall Getz
| TOP TEN |
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| The top 10 hottest hues, from the Color Report were… Carafe: an espresso brown providing a rich alternative to black Burnt Ochre: the new orange! An earthy tone Chili Pepper: A rich, spicy red Stargazer: An intensely deep turquoise Shale Green: Green plus a hint of a murky blue/gray Dusk: Violet undertones give this gray neutral a big kick for the season Green Moss: Foliage-inspired green with undertones of yellow Lemon Curry: A deeper, darker yellow. Much more muted than the bright, sunny yellow that has typically been seen Cashmere Rose: An earthier pink color Purple Wine: A richer and more mysterious purple comprised of traditional purple plus wine |
Neutrals, which have continued to dominate the color palette each season, were unexpectedly transformed into a series of complex and exotic new hues for the season. This season's Fashion Color Report from Pantone, Inc., noted that the muted beiges and cremes of the last few seasons became the undertone for a deeper set of new colors. Designers used a palette of rich hues and earthy tones such as Pantone's Burnt Ochre and Green Moss. And, more than ever, designers started experimenting with unique color combinations of these hues.
Left: sketch by Zac Posen features lots of deep plum tones—his signature color choice for the fall. Right: sketch by Naeem Khan. His color philosophy is jewel tones mixed with antique metallics
"Designers find inspiration in a variety of places, but one thing they all had in common this season was a rich, complex color palette to stimulate creativity," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "Nuanced colors with subtle undertones enhanced the ever-present neutrals and allowed for clever and extraordinary color combinations. Pairing designer pieces with mainstream staples has become a way of life, and color adds an important dimension for expressing one's unique sense of style."
| DESIGNERS' CORNER |
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| A few of the top fashion designers share their color inspiration and philosophies. Tracy Reese Prominent Colors: Black, navy, magenta, rose carthane, Hershey, apple, orchid, and cloudy gray INSPIRATION: INTERIORS Color Philosophy: Use black as an accessory and layer rich vibrant color around it Catherine Malandrino Prominent Colors: Sleek black, glossy white, metal gray, bold magenta, violet, and petroleum INSPIRATION: SCHIAPARELLI'S SHOCKING PINK MEETS CAREFREE ZIZI JEANMARIE Color philosophy: Bold color block Douglas Hannant Prominent colors: Blueberry, muted raspberry, wine, lavender, sassafras, and many shades of black INSPIRATION: TONED-DOWN SOPHISTICATED BERRY COLORS AND REFERENCES FROM THE RENAISSANCE Color philosophy: Rich, sophisticated and quiet monotone Zac Posen Prominent colors: Black, white, nude, lipstick, deep plum, cherry, emerald, and stealthy metals like mercury and bronze INSPIRATION: IRISES Color philosophy: Clean, charming, and strong femininity Reem Acra Prominent colors: Jewel tones like emerald, ruby, and sapphire accented with my signature gold INSPIRATION: ARECENT EXHIBIT AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART IN NEW YORK CALLED "GLITTER AND DOOM: GERMAN PORTRAITS OF THE 1920S." IWAS TAKEN BY THE MODERNITY AND GLAMOROUS DECADENCE OF SOCIETY AT THAT TIME Color philosophy: Use layers to express your style; experiment with colors as part of the creative process Nanette Lepore Prominent Colors: Mixed shades of deep plum and violet, bronze and charcoal, charcoal and deep plum, purple magic, crown jewel, toffee, and steel gray INSPIRATION: I'VE BEEN DECORATING MY NEW HOUSE AND WAS INSPIRED BY RICH AND WARM TONES Color philosophy: Sumptuous, curl-up luxury Carmen Marc Valvo Prominent colors: Warm neutrals like birch, teak, and cool grays juxtaposed with shots of purple and moss INSPIRATION: MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN Color philosophy: Neutrals with brights |
Shades of purple, like Pantone's Purple Wine and Cashmere Rose, were top picks for the fall run-way. Clockwise from top left corner: sketches by Carmen Marc Valvo, Tracy Reese, Cynthia Rowley, Michael Vollbracht for Bill Blass, Reem Acra, Peter Som, and Nanette Lepore. All sketches also courtesy of the Pantone Color Institute
Sketch by Gustavo Arango, who was inspired by the intensity of the fall 2007 season
NATURE STILL REIGNS
Life inspires fashion—it's inescapable. So it's no surprise that as a direct result of the population becoming more eco-conscious, neutrals have been the color-of-choice for the last few seasons. But a shift is underway and fashion is getting more playful. Rich, nuanced hues were the big hit this season, and knocked out some of the more bland neutrals we've been seeing. Yet, despite turning up the volume, the organics trend continues to be in full swing. Instead of beiges and grays, the colors reflecting nature were Shale Green, Burnt Ochre, Green Moss, and Stargazer, according to the Pantone Color Report. In other words, earth tones got a bit of oomph.
The Color Association of the United States' recent report drew the same conclusion. Nature continues to inspire color on the runway, but hues have gotten deeper and more mysterious. Blue-grays, golden taupes, and earthy reds reigned in women's fashion, cites the report. As far as men go, the Color Association reports that menswear straddled between brighter, sophisticated hues and nature-inspired earthy tones. A warm, organic range of browns and beiges was offset by blues and purples in men's fashion.
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