~The Metaverse~ inspired Pantone’s 2022 Color of the Year
Very Peri is a periwinkle blue blended with violet red undertones that’s inspired by the merging of our physical and digital lives, Pantone said
Pantone announced their 2022 Color of the Year on Thursday, and for the first time in their history, they put out a new shade for the occasion.
Very Peri is a periwinkle blue blended with violet red undertones that’s inspired by the merging of our physical and digital lives, Pantone said. The shade, 17-3938 in their catalog, was introduced for our “transformative times.”
“As we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family,” Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman said in a statement. “Creating a new color for the first time… reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place.”
Pantone determines its annual color based on trend analysis across entertainment, art, fashion, design, and technology. For Very Peri, they specifically mentioned gaming and ~the metaverse~ as inspiration, which makes sense, since the color seems like the rough average of every color in Ariana Grande’s virtual Fortnite Rift Tour.
For Very Peri’s launch, Pantone partnered with brands including Brazilian shoe brand Cariuma, which put out a Very Peri canvas sneaker, and Microsoft, which is using Very Peri in products like wallpapers and a PowerPoint template. My favorite uses of the color are the runway looks rounded up by Vogue, including the Gucci Spring 2022 dress Lady Gaga wore to the red carpet for the U.K. premiere of “House of Gucci.”
From a current events standpoint, Pantone has nailed Color of the Year the past two years. For 2021, they selected two colors, Ultimate Gray and Illuminating Yellow, meant to symbolize both optimism and challenges, which basically sums up this year, and for 2020 they chose Classic Blue, which… *points to the 2020 election map*
I guess I’ll see you in the Metaverse in 2022, then!
*puts on headset*
*selects Lady Gaga’s Very Peri Gucci dress for my avatar*
*blasts off into the unknown*