Power Periwinkle: Pantone’s colour of the year is a…

Power Periwinkle: Pantone’s colour of the year is a fashion favourite

As the end of the year approaches, our favourite colour forecasting company is back predicting the shade that will be everywhere next year.

According to the Pantone Colour Institute, we should take on Omicron with all things Very Peri, as they label the shade PANTONE 17-3938 as the colour of 2022.

Thankfully, fashion’s already fallen for purple – just look to the Spring Summer 2022 collections to find runways awash with periwinkles, lilacs and violets. From Giorgio Armani’s romantic sheer tulle gowns and David Koma’s shimmering sequins, to Valentino’s bold bomber jackets and basketball shorts for the boys, the takeaway was clear: purple is in power.

The cementing moment? Lady Gaga flicking the pleated, purple cape of her SS22 Gucci frock, plucked straight from the Hollywood Boulevard runway, at the London premiere of House of Gucci. A natural progression for the colour traditionally associated with royalty.

Pantone’s perfect pick has the qualities of blues with a violet-red undertone. “The Pantone Colour of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that colour can hope to answer,” says Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Colour Institute. “The complexity of this new red violet infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lay before us”. At John Lewis, it has already become a smash hit. They have seen a rush on purple makeup products in anticipation of the new year, with sales of purple blusher boosting 91 per cent, and lipstick 101 per cent since the colour announcement.

Picking an annual tone is a tradition Pantone has kept up for 23 years. Last year, in the midst of uncertainty, they chose two colours: Illuminating, a sunflower yellow, and Ultimate Grey. Depressing, but optimistic. This year Very Peri “displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence,” Pressman says.

If that sounds like an attitude you want to imbue, here are our top picks to keep you passionately purple…

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