Color Alert: ULTRA VIOLET Color of the Year 2018
Pantone announced “Ultra-Violet” as the official 2018 Color of the Year, a bright, highlighter hue used throughout history to represent political symbolism. The shade has also been a favorite of famous faces ranging from Prince to Queen Elizabeth and popped up often on the 2018 fashion runways. Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, told the Times that the bright purple shade “communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking.” - People
Pantone’s official definition of the color describes it as “complex and contemplative. Ultra Violet suggests the mysteries of the cosmos, the intrigue of what lies ahead, and the discoveries beyond where we are now. The vast and limitless night sky is symbolic of what is possible and continues to inspire the desire to pursue a world beyond our own.”
"Ultra Violet is a color that's almost like a neutral in fashion now," says New York-based interior designer Brett Beldock. "Every newscaster you see is wearing a purple tie."
“The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today.” – Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute.
In the color wheel historically used by painters, it is located between blue and purple. The color's name is derived from the violet flower. Violet and purple look similar, but violet is a spectral color, with its own set of wavelengths on the spectrum of visible light. Purple is a poly-chromatic color, made by combining blue and red. Amethyst is a notable violet crystal, its color arising from iron and other trace elements in quartz. From the point of view of optics, violet is a real color: it occupies its own place at the end of the visible spectrum, and was one of the seven spectral colors of the spectrum first described by Isaac Newton in 1672.
In history, violet and purple have long been associated with royalty and majesty. The emperors of Rome wore purple togas, as did the Byzantine emperors. During the Middle Ages violet was worn by bishops and university professors and was often used in art as the color of the robes of the Virgin Mary. In Chinese painting, the color violet represents the harmony of the universe because it is a combination of red and blue (yin and yang, respectively). According to surveys in Europe and the United States, violet is the color people most often associate with extravagance and individualism, the unconventional, the artificial, and ambiguity.
This rich violet is more challenging to use well in home decorating. It can easily overpower a room and needs to be paired carefully with other shades.
"Purple is not an easy color to design with. On a shirt or boldly patterned dress it's wonderful and bold, but in a room it can be incredibly tricky and go from bad to worse with one false move. Where blue is basic (I mean, it goes with everything and is near impossible to mess up), lilacs, plums and ultraviolet, are as easy to work with as a prickly cactus." - Apartment Therapy
"Choose color combinations that make Ultra Violet feel like a part of the room, instead of taking over. Good partners might be celadon green, lavender and soft pink. That palette, with a touch of Ultra Violet, would be beautiful in a modern wallpaper used in a small space like a powder room." - Abbe Fenimore
"For any successful scheme it’s important to use plenty of different tones, from dark to light, to give interest and depth. So indulge in every shade from the palest lilac all the way through to the deepest plum." - Sophie Robinson
"Personally I think you have to be careful not to over do this strong ultra violet. A signature armchair, feature rug or headboard would be just the perfect balance. Fabrics are always my inspiration. The shades of Ultra Violet blend beautifully with navy - which helps pull this scheme together." - Sophie Robinson
"Ultra Violet a statement color. So even though it's popular right now, "don't commit to painting a room or a large piece of furniture unless it works for your true style." - Jessica McClendon
"As individuals around the world become more fascinated with color and realize its ability to convey deep messages and meanings, designers and brands should feel empowered to use color to inspire and influence. The Color of the Year is one moment in time that provides strategic direction for the world of trend and design, reflecting the Pantone Color Institute’s year-round work doing the same for designers and brands." - Pantone
