Column: Pantone’s color of the year

Goodbye, emerald. Welcome “Radiant Orchid.”

Pantone, a company known for its color identification system, is known for releasing its annual color of the year.

According to a Pantone press release, the color is chosen based on trends found in entertainment, art, travel, etc.

Pantone chose this year’s color not only because it is on the opposite side of the color spectrum as last year’s color, “Emerald,” but it also encouraged “expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.”

“Radiant Orchid,” a fuchsia color, will be seen throughout the year in most design industries, particularly in fashion.

The color was featured on Pantone’s Spring 2014 Fashion Color Report.

I love this new color, especially because of how versatile it is.

Pantone said it will be incorporated into lines like Emerson by Jackie Fraser-Swan, Juicy Couture and Yoana Baraschi.

However, I think it will be useful outside of just the apparel industry.

Sephora, a French makeup company, and Pantone have a partnership. Last year’s green color was not the most flexible of colors in the cosmetic industry, though.

Could you imagine a green lipstick?

Maybe the green color could be possible on the runway. However, if someone walked around with bright green lipstick on campus, they would likely be judged.

Therefore, “Emerald” stayed within the ranks of nail polish and eye shadow.

With this year’s cool-toned pink, I anticipate the options.

Personally, I think it will be strong on all levels within the cosmetic, apparel and design industries.

However, I feel as if this color already existed before Pantone announced its existence.

Colors have been minutely changed and altered for ages to create new comestic products of essentially the same color.

At lipstick counters, when you find a lipstick, you’re sure to find at least five other tubes with similar colors.

Now, colors like green and fuchsia are getting a Pantone makeover.

Is there any chance companies are taking existing products, wrapping them in special Pantone packaging and then spiking up the price?

It’s like holiday gift sets — companies take already existing products, cheapen them at times, wrap them in pretty packaging and jack up the price. MAC is notorious for doing this.

I am eager to take a look at the new Pantone products that come out. I already looked and only found it in cosmetics online, mostly in products that have long existed.

I think it is too soon to see it otherwise ­— the color was only announced a few days ago.

Either way, let’s see how “Radiant Orchid” is transformed from an idea into a tangible reality.

I want to see what comes of this color.

­— audperki@indiana.edu

Follow columnist Audrey Perkins on Twitter @AudreyNLP.