Welcome to a conversation around colour. Pantone Lab have declared Peach fuzz colour of the year 2024. We believe that colour is a powerful communication tool as the first thing we see and the first thing we connect to. It is a visual language we all understand, one whose message knows no boundaries. We often tell our stories through the language of colour – so here is another and in this instance it’s warm & fuzzy.
When we think of Peach fuzz our minds instantly turn to Winter because of the light omitted in January, February and March. It’s a comforting colour that awakens our senses and evokes a sense of hygge as it enkindles warmth from the outside in.
Peach fuzz Winter
Peach fuzz Spring
Peach fuzz Summer
Peach fuzz Autumn
Pantone Lab believe profoundly in the relationship between culture and colour and that global culture is expressed and reflected through the shared language of colour. They aim to pick a colour of the year that crosses all areas of design. So what is the why behind this years choice? This is direct from the Lab –
Mixology
“The Pantone Colour of the Year selection process entails thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. It is a culmination of the macro-level colour trend forecasting and research that the global team involved with the Pantone Colour Institute conducts year-round that informs this selection, as well as the colours that get included into our colour trend forecasting products.
We approach our colour selection in a very pure way. No one on our global team comes to any Pantone Colour of the Year discussion with a commercial agenda or personal preferences. Instead, we each approach our Pantone Colour of the Year colour selection in a very pure way. As we like to say, “we love all of our colours equally.”
There’s also a misconception that we gather a bunch of colour influencers in a room one day and emerge with the decision. As many of our Pantone Colour Institute team members own their own design studios, contribute to key influential global trend forecasts, work with clients prescribing colour choices for brand or product visual identity, and even teach classes on colour, their daily conversations are rooted in colour and design, including material and surface finish.
As a result, conversations relating to the Pantone Colour of the Year selection do not take place in one isolated meeting at a specific time of year. It is one long, continuously flowing conversation among a group of colour-attuned people. Our Pantone Colour Institute team members come from a wide range of design, cultural, and geographical backgrounds. The commonality that brings them together is their expertise in colour and design, and their ability to see the world through the lens of colour. That’s why I liken them to being colour anthropologists. They have this intuitive ability to connect all that is taking place in the world and translate it into the language of colour.”
Over at Culture Hustle – a genius group of colourists, they have their own unique response to this years choice. They have been inspired to create a magical powder pigment called Cheap Buzz (see mixology picture + test tubes) with this strong message attached to it –
‘Every year, the PANTONE corporation declares the colour of the year. This year they’ve decided its Peach Fuzz. Manufacturers, fashion designers, homeware makers, textile artists and retailers jump to join the trend. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Cheap Buzz is exactly what Pantone’s Colour Of The Year is all about. It’s nonsense they pick the colour and creators of all kinds toe the line. Surely, it’s time we asked the question of who gave Big Colour the power to decide’ – Stuart Semple from Culture Hustle
This opinion is all part of our conversation. We get Culture Hustles point, but we do enjoy the conversation and inspiration that Pantone’s Lab announcement each year generates. It’s a good anchor point for us as designers. It gets us thinking, and in this instance we reviewed our projects spanning from Covid lockdowns to date. We found that last year we were definitely leaning in to a certain colour wheel with terracottas, apricots, peach, coppers, metallics and creams all in this wide spectrum which could be capped off as Peach fuzz. It was affirming from our end and we have really enjoyed exploring our rushes from the last few years and seeing how much peach fuzz seemed to pop.
We will be revisiting more from the Culture Hustle colourists on our journal throughout 2024 and bringing their products and opinions to the fold. Namely the pinkest pink and Blink – the blackest ink, but more of that later.
Leverage the power of colour
That’s it for our colour exploration inspired by the Pantone Lab’s 2024 colour of the year. We hope you have enjoyed all of our gentle velvety peachy contents and ingredients!
©Hendy Curzon Gardens
Until next time
you might also like
