Pantone’s Colour of the Year is here and it's all about a Brighter Future

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It’s Here! Today is the creative community’s Super Bowl - Pantone’s Colour of the year reveal! After the 2020 that’s been, we’ve been waiting with curiosity, contemplation and some of our own predictions about what colour could possibly define the zeitgeist: Face mask blue? Sweatpant grey? Perhaps even a tree-change, escape to the countryside green?! 

What we didn't expect was that the global colour authority would announce not one but two selections for its newest Colour(s) of the Year – Ultimate Grey (17-5104) & Illuminating (13-0647). These complementary colours were chosen to demonstrate how we're all looking forward to happier times and a brighter future. So take notes - In the wake of a year we’d rather forget, optimism and fortitude are the style forecast for 2021! 

As for the colours themselves, Illuminate is a zingy yellow swatch which instantly brings feelings of sunshine.“For most people, from the time they were little children, yellow means hope, positivity and something to look forward to. It always offers that uplifting feeling of hopefulness, which is so essential to the human spirit — the skies opening up to a beautiful sunlit day,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute. 

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Ultimate Grey was chosen as a symbol of strength and resilience. “If we think of it in terms of nature, it’s the colour of pebbles at the beach, of rock and stone that have been around for millions of years and aren't going to disappear anytime soon. Grey denotes fortitude; something that you can hang on to, that is always going to be there for you” says Eiseman. 

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What feels particularly magical and more poignant than ever before is the idea of two disparate colours, bringing out the best in each other. “The selection of two independent colours highlight how different elements come together to express a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting, conveying the idea that it's not about one colour or one person, it's about more than one," Eiseman adds. "The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude.” 

"Practical and rock-solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a colour combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted, this is essential to the human spirit.” 

Talk about all the feels and ALL the inspo! 

For the past two decades, Pantone’s Colour of the Year has been a driving force in influencing the fashion, interior and industrial design industries. Just think about the ubiquitous millennial pink that glossed our surfaces from the mid naughties, defined by Pantone's 2016 colour of the Year, highlighting the shifts in the discussions surrounding gender sensitivity and awareness. 

At Makers’ Mrkt we aren’t waiting around until next year to surround ourselves with Illuminating and Ultimate Grey - we love a good colour combo and can’t wait to get creative with this one! 

These are our picks to fill your space (or the life of someone you love) with the optimism and fortitude for now, next year and always: