Pantone LLC, a global authority on color standards for the design industries, introduced another 224 new colors and five base inks in 2023, providing designers and home sewers a total of 2,390 market-driven Pantone colors to choose from when selecting fabrics and dyes.
According to Pantone Color Institute experts, colors for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 express a new reality. Looking forward into the future with both elation and anticipation, colors for the new season communicate the joy of creativity and design. These color combinations encourage designers to explore and experiment and create a space for original and inclusive color combinations.
“Colors for NYFW Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 reach out beyond what we think is possible to catapult us into this new era, taking us to a place where boundaries of time, place, and identity are no longer fixed,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.
“A friendly mix of joyful tones and traditional shades recontextualized with a modern edge, colors for NYFW Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 express a step up in tempo. Serving as a vehicle for vitality and enthusiasm, this season’s colors bring about limitless self-expression and encourage us to awake and enjoy the autumn/winter season.”
Pantone’s 2023/2024 Autumn/Winter Color Palette
These ten Pantone colors were chosen as the most evocative and influential for fashion and graphic designers during the 2023/2024 winter season:
PANTONE 12-0912 TCX Tender PeachPANTONE 17-2624 TCX Rose VioletPANTONE 18-1750 TCX Viva MagentaPANTONE 17-1464 TCX Red OrangePANTONE 19-1555 TCX Red DahliaPANTONE 13-0751 TCX High VisibilityPANTONE 17-3934 TCX Persian JewelPANTONE 13-6030 TSX Carnival GlassPANTONE 17-1544 TCX Burnt SiennaPANTONE 14-0255 TSX Kohlrabi
Most of these colors are on the lighter, brighter side of their respective tones, reflecting the expert panel’s emphasis on the joy of creativity and a more positive overall palette. There is a strong representation of bold reds, oranges, and blues.
Pantone’s New York Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2023/2024 New Classics
Pantone’s annual report also considers re-imaginings of existing “classic” colors, as well as upgrades that create a new perspective on older shades that may have fallen out of current favor with designers. In 2023, these colors include:
PANTONE 11-0608 TCX Coconut MilkPANTONE 19-3810 TCX EclipsePANTONE 16-1333 TCX DoePANTONE 19-0913 TCX Hot FudgePANTONE 13-4403 TCX Silver Birch
Many of these re-imagined tones are earth tones or neutrals. The shift in hue may be subtle, but the changes affect the overall temperature of each color. For some Pantone colors, the shift has more to do with the relationship between the updated tone and its complementary color.
How Pantone’s Color Selections Affect Home Projects
While events such as the Pantone New York Fashion Week Color Palette or Pantone’s Color of the Year may seem more interesting to trendsetting professional fashion designers or home decorators, they actually have some real-world applications. The selected color palettes influence textile and paint manufacturers seeking to promote their latest wares in specialty stores.
Understanding which colors are trending for the current season often helps crafters, sewists, and painters decide on a color scheme for home decor, furnishings, and fabrics. The trending Pantone colors represent the vision of professionals in those industries, so home crafters benefit from their insights. Finding the right complementary colors or choosing a trending hue is much easier after consulting the latest Pantone color charts.
How Does Pantone Determine Its Color of the Year?
Pantone selected 15-4020 Cerulean Blue as its first Color of the Year in 1999 as part of a larger educational program for the global designer community. The focus of the program is not necessarily the promotion of a single color but to inspire discussions about the emotional and cultural impact suggested by the selection. The final decision is not based on an organized “meeting of the minds” by an expert panel but on the company’s interpretation of global trends in all aspects of creative arts.
Is the Color of the Year Actually Available for Home Projects?
Fortunately for home crafters and sewers, Pantone’s Color of the Year or NYFW color palette selections are not restricted to the professional community. Pantone defines and categorizes specific colors but does not limit access to them unless the color is trademarked, such as Tiffany Blue. Home crafters are encouraged to promote the Color of the Year through their own projects, and fabric stores often stock both textiles and dyes for home use. So now, home sewers will be able to use this year’s color in their different sewing projects in the new year.
Pantone’s recommended color palettes may only last for a single season, but they provide inspiration for bold and trending fabric choices many home sewers might be afraid to consider otherwise.
