Pantone Color Of The Year 2017 Is ‘Greenery’ To ‘Revive, Restore, And Renew’
After a really tough 2016 filled with celebrity deaths, including David Bowie, Prince, and John Glenn, and a contentious election, Pantone has unveiled their 2017 Color of the Year, Greenery, to “revive, restore and renew.”
“Greenery is symbolic of new beginnings.”
Pantone describes the color as “a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.”
Greenery, which is officially PANTONE 15-0343, is a “yellow-green can be seen in nature’s foliage and evokes feelings of reinvigoration.” Originally one of the top colors for Spring 2017, this color can be paired with brights such as Pink Yarrow and Flame, or with other colors of the forest such as Hazelnut and Kale.
This is a bold color choice to move forward just a year after two colors, a first for the company, were chosen for the 2016 Pantone Color of the Year. This duo, Rose Quartz and Serenity, which the company declared “two colors in whimsical harmony represent calm, reassurance and tranquility.” This was quite ironic, considering that the political climate resulted in the exact opposite of harmony and tranquility. With Greenery, the past is forgotten, and rebirth is possible.
For nearly two decades, Pantone has carefully chosen their Color of the Year by looking at the sociological aspects of the world, as well as the general psyche. Thus, this new color Greenery is the response to the universal need to unplug, go back to nature, and regenerate.
“A symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.”
Greenery is the symbolic color as the world becomes more concerned with ecology and working together to save the environment. Even fashion designers like Vivienne Westwood are encouraging people to consider what they are purchasing to encourage responsible consumption and think of the earth.
“Buy less. Choose well. Make it last. Quality, not quantity. Everybody’s buying far too many clothes.”
The verbs that Pantone uses to describe Greenery convey energy, spring, and happiness. These words include “fresh, refreshing, vibrant, life-affirming, spritely, vivid, confident, reassuring, revitalizing, bold, invigorating, rebirth, renewing, assertive, new beginnings [and] regenerating.”
Green became synonymous with the ecological movement with books like “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carlson. Food that is healthy for us like kale shakes or Matcha tea are green in color, and environmentally conscious products are advertised in green.
We are looking for ways to nourish ourselves and energize our minds and body and wearing Greenery is a way to revitalize ourselves.
In fashion, Greenery can be worn in clothing, accessories, nails, makeup or even hair. Katy Perry often wears green and is cited as occasionally even sporting green hair. Greenery is a color that has popped up on the runways for both women and men. Greenery is a trend for interiors including furniture, accessories, and electronics. Nowadays, green is on roofs of homes with living roofs.
Greenery also has healing power. Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute in New Jersey, spoke to the New York Times on how just wearing Greenery can symbolically help you.
“There’s a Japanese concept called ‘forest bathing,’ which says that when you are feeling stressed, one of the best things to do is go walk in the forest. But if you can’t do that, what can you do? Bring green into your environment. Put in on your body, or in your house or near your desk. That symbolic message is very important.”
It sounds like Greenery is more than about a fashion choice. It is about empowered healing.
What do you think of the Greenery, the Pantone Color of the Year 2017?
[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]