New York Fashion Week’s Color Palette Is Out, and It’s Everything We’d Hoped For

If you’ve been holding your breath, you can exhale — we finally have the list of colors that will define New York Fashion Week this year. For designers across visual industries, including advertising, web, interiors, stock, and even toy design, this new palette will be foundational to future color choices and combinations. Remember the now-iconic scene from “The Devil Wears Prada?” Yep, these are the new cerulean blues.

And the colors are…

We met up with the color geniuses at the Pantone Color Institute for the details about the 12 standout colors and four dependable neutrals that will rule next year’s spring and summer lines: Fiesta, Jester Red, Turmeric, Living Coral, Pink Peacock, Pepper Stem, Aspen Gold, Princess Blue, Toffee, Mango Mojito, Terrarium Moss, Sweet Lilac, Soybean, Eclipse, Sweet Corn, and Brown Granite.

PANTONE 17-1564 — Fiesta

A festive orange red, Fiesta radiates energy, passion, and excitement.

Image source: PICHA / Adobe Stock.

“The mindset for spring/summer 2019 underscores our desire for color that transcends seasonality and brings together high fashion and street style,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Vibrant without being overpowering, highlighted shades for both men’s and women’s fashion illustrate our desire for authenticity and our continued need for creativity and relatable, accessible design.” This new palette is a statement about confidence, spirit, and joy. It’s about where we all want to be.

PANTONE 19-1862 — Jester Red

Adding depth and intensity, Jester Red combines rich elegance with urbanity.

Image source: Lindsay Adler / Adobe Stock.

PANTONE 15-1264 — Turmeric

Turmeric is an enlivening orange that infuses a hint of pungency into the palette.

Image source: Kerry Murphy / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

How did these hot new colors rise to the top? As I mentioned in a trend report this summer, color palettes used to take shape in the fashion world, and then filter into other areas of design. But lately we’re seeing a shift — social media and other grassroots visual worlds are making their mark on the reigning colors of fashion. More than we’ve ever experienced before, multiple color worlds are shaping and reinforcing one another.

PANTONE 16-1546 — Living Coral

Living Coral is an affable and animating shade whose golden undertone gives it a softer edge.

Image source: designpicspremium / Adobe Stock.

For the new Fashion Week palette, Laurie Pressman, the Pantone Institute’s president, explained, “Many things come together to influence color direction, from social issues and current events to lifestyle changes and new technologies. One of the main drivers we’re seeing today is a desire to create our own unique identity. Identity is one of the strongest creative inspirations across all of design, but in particular fashion, which is built for experimentation and individualized expression.”

PANTONE 18-2045 — Pink Peacock

The tantalizingly theatrical Pink Peacock fans out to a feast for the eyes.

Image source: ADDICTIVE STOCK / Adobe Stock.

PANTONE 17-0542 — Pepper Stem

Zesty yellow-green Pepper Stem encourages our desire for nature’s healthy bounty.

Image source: ADDICTIVE STOCK / Adobe Stock.

Laurie expects that designers will combine elements of the new color palette in bold, unexpected ways. “Just as green is nature’s neutral, Pepper Stem makes for some very intriguing combinations with Pink Peacock, Fiesta, Jester Red, or Princess Blue,” she said. “Going down another path is Terrarium Moss, a deeper green shade that makes for a great contrast with the yellow shades in the palette. With empowerment as a key theme, Fiesta and Jester Red make a very strong statement.”

PANTONE 13-0850 — Aspen Gold

Brightening our day, sunny Aspen Gold stimulates feelings of joy and good cheer.

Image source: JovanaMilanko / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

PANTONE 19-4150 — Princess Blue

Princess Blue, a majestic royal blue hue, glistens and gleams.

Image source: COSMETICS-PICTURES / Adobe Stock.

These new colors are already bubbling up in our stock collection. Take a look at our curated gallery of Fashion Week-color-inspired stock for inspiration about how these colors can work together, or stand on their own, for maximum impact.

PANTONE 18-1031 — Toffee

Deliciously irresistible, tasteful Toffee whets the appetite.

Image source: Science RF / Adobe Stock.

PANTONE 15-0960 — Mango Mojito

The golden yellow Mango Mojito feeds our craving for pleasant comforts.

Image source: Ulas and Merve / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

Why color matters so much

As artists, we have an innate sense that color is critical to our message — that it influences our viewers at an emotional level. And research backs us up. According to a study by Satyendra Singh out of the University of Winnipeg, it takes people only a minute-and-a-half to make up their minds about products, and somewhere between 62 and 90 percent of their assessment is based on colors. So, Singh argues, colors are one of the most critical elements when it comes to differentiating brands and shaping consumers’ attitudes about them.

PANTONE 18-0416 — Terrarium Moss

Terrarium Moss conjures up thoughts of flourishing foliage and the physical beauty in the natural world.

Image source: Amsterdam / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

PANTONE 14-2808 — Sweet Lilac

An endearing pink-infused lavender, Sweet Lilac’s easy and gentle manner quietly charms.

Image source: Ira Efremova Photography / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

According to the Color Marketing Group, color helps retailers create a mood — whether it’s warmth, calm, or excitement. When it comes to retail, this can be the critical link that invites customers into a shop or takes them that final step to making a purchase.

PANTONE 13-0919 — Soybean

Subtle Soybean naturally appeals as a reliable and versatile neutral.

Image source: Sonja Lekovic / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

All of this means that, no matter whether you’re designing directly for brands, capturing images for stock, or building out a fine-art portfolio, color trends shape the perception of your work. Whether you want to fall in line or buck the trend, it’s always critical to know what’s happening in the color world.

PANTONE 19-3810 — Eclipse

A deep blue redolent of the midnight sky, thoughtful Eclipse is both serious and mysterious.

Image source: Pelle / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

PANTONE 11-0106 — Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn tempts with its soft and buttery attitude.

Image source: Sonja Lekovic / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

PANTONE 19-0805 — Brown Granite

Grounded and strong, Brown Granite is understated, authentic, and timeless.

Image source: Ursus / Stocksy / Adobe Stock.

If you’re keeping up to date on color trends, stay tuned. We’ll continue to partner with Pantone to bring you everything you need to know about the latest hues right here on the blog. And don’t forget to visit our curated gallery of Adobe Stock in the shades of Fashion Week.