Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, an "optimistic" hue of yellow, are the two shades that Pantone has named as its colours of the year for 2021.
At a time when the world is set to face increasing uncertainty (and anxiety, I may add), the pairing of these two complementary shades will help people "fortify themselves with energy, clarity and hope".
The bright yellow shade, called Illuminating, evokes the "optimistic promise of a sunshine-filled day". Ultimate Gray is a much quieter hue that speaks more of "composure, steadiness and resilience".
Pantone says the colour can almost be compared to durable natural elements, like time-weathered pebbles on a beach.
I think of the grey of cloudy skies, sidewalk cement, comfortable bed linens, gravity blankets, or low-light screens. These colours evoke our collective experiences over the past year. During nine months of quarantine, we’ve certainly arrived at the “ultimate gray,” a state of mind. Greyness means ambiguity and irresolution. Neither black nor white, it doesn’t point toward an ending, just the continuation of an indefinite period. With coronavirus cases still mounting in all around the globe, that’s certainly where we’re at.
But all is not lost. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Surely the sun will rise over the dark brooding landscape and with the possibility of a vaccine, the dawn of hope is here to come. “Illuminated,” the bright, highlighter-yellow colour is that light.
"Practical and rock-solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope," explained Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "We need to feel encouraged and uplifted, this is essential to the human spirit."
Colours In Action
Pantone's Color of the Year reflects colour trends in fashion, beauty, design and home decor, and since the beginning, the initiative has also served as a mood ring of sorts, selecting the hues capturing the spirit of the time.
There are already examples of this on the Spring 2021 runways: Illuminating can be spotted across apparel and accessories from Jason Wu, Collina Strada, Miu Miu, MSGM, Thebe Magugu and Versace, among others. Ultimate Gray, meanwhile, is seen at Brandon Maxwell, Balmain, Michael Kors, and Nina Ricci to name a few.
Paint brand Dulux announced theirs as Brave Ground, an earthy beige hue that is supposed to reflect "the strength we can draw from nature, our growing desire to align more with the planet and looking towards the future".
As a designer, any colour which is rich in tone would be great as an accent and paired with a neutral one as the main colour. The grey tone would give a very sophisticated calming pallet. While the yellow would be used in sparse elements.
Psychological Associations
Whichever way that you choose to interpret Pantone's choices this year, the psychological strength of bringing two disparate colours together will demonstrate coming together and hopefulness.
It is become abundantly clear during this time, across the world, there is a deeper understanding of how much we need each other. Our connections to other people, our relationships with other people, give us that emotional support.
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