Color inspires and has a direct effect on our mood and our emotions. Personally, I’m intrigued by how we interact with color and how it can pull someone out of a bad mood or remind you of a sweet memory. Asking people about their favorite color can tell you a lot about them – what they gravitate toward or where they are in their life (as my favorite is not a forever favorite, but changes every few years). Living in New York City, where the color of choice is sophisticated black, it is always nice to see pops of color emerge in someone’s outfit or within their decorating choices. I’m fascinated by the decisions that the fashion industry makes every September and January and love to see how that changes and adapts with each fashion cycle. So – I’m always excited this time of year when the new Pantone color of the year is revealed.
Pantone announced today that the Color of 2014 is Radiant Orchid – a color that, “blooms with confidence and magical warmth that intrigues the eye and sparks the imagination. It is an expressive, creative and embracing purple—one that draws you in with its beguiling charm…Radiant Orchid emanates great joy, love and health.”
Purple is also often associated with royalty, wisdom, success and wealth. Originally the dye was extremely expensive to produce, as it was made from a small mollusk that was only found in the Tyre region of the Mediterranean Sea. It took more than 9,000 mollusks to create just one gram of Tyrian purple! The color has various meanings in different cultures, as well:
- In Western and some Eastern cultures violet is associated with mourning rituals (which I learned thanks to Downton Abbey!). In Thailand widows wear purple to mourn their husband’s death.
- In some Native American tribes, purple represents wisdom, healing or gratitude.
- In Japan violet signifies wealth and power.
- In Tibet amethyst is considered sacred to Buddha.
- In the Ukrainian tradition of egg dyeing, purple dye signifies faith, patience and trust.
- In Iran purple is an omen of the future depending on the color of the sun during an eclipse.
- In Egypt purple represents virtue and faith.
With a rich history like this, what will purple come to represent now while holding the ‘color of the year’ accolade?! Will you be introducing a splash of Radiant Orchid into your life? I tend to gravitate more toward 2013’s color of Emerald, but I can get behind a color that “sparks the imagination,” as I’m hopeful that 2014 will be a year of imaginative thinking and creating!
Image via Apartment Therapy,
[…] I love it. It inspires me (see the post “Radiant Orchid“), gives me a boost of energy and makes me want to sit down with a coloring book . The way in […]