Going Green in 2013: EMERALD is the Color of the Year

If you follow color trends, you know that Tangerine Tango was big in 2012 and Honeysuckle Pink was the rage in 2011. Now let's welcome Emerald Green...the latest hot hue!

Pantone, a global authority on color based in Carlstadt, NJ, just announced its PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald as the Color of the Year for 2013. A provider of professional color standards for the design industries, Pantone chose the rich green shade because it’s lively, radiant and lush. Associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, Emerald is classically sophisticated and luxurious. Personally, I became a huge fan of the color the first time I gazed upon the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz. But I digress…

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

What does all this mean in the design world? We’ll be seeing more of this hue in women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing and accessories as well as home furnishings. And, of course, it will be all over the red carpet!

(If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ll recall that Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus’s global fashion director, was a huge advocate of green when I interviewed him a few months ago.)

Fashion designers featured in the PANTONE Fashion Color Report Spring 2013, including Tracy Reese, Nanette Lepore, Barbara Tfank, NAHM and Marimekko, already are incorporating Emerald into their spring collections.

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