Make way for honeysuckle

Pantone, the world authority on colour, announces honeysuckle as the colour of 2011.

“A colour for every day, with nothing ‘everyday’ about it,” is what Pantone says about honeysuckle. A dynamic reddish pink, honeysuckle is said to be encouraging and uplifting, the perfect colour to help us all face our troubles.

Pantone has not taken the traditional pale cream associated with the garden shrub, but have named a violent pink as the colour of the new year.

“In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating, colour that gets the adrenaline going, perfect to ward off the blues,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, in a press release. “Honeysuckle derives its positive qualities from a powerful bond to its mother colour red, the most physical, viscerally alive hue in the spectrum.”

The company predicts that honeysuckles will be seen in everything ranging from cosmetics and accessories, to women’s clothes and men’s ties and shirts. In one’s home, honeysuckle will make an appearance in appliances, pillow covers and bedspreads, as well as decoration pieces.

Pantone stated that the colour is guaranteed to produce a healthy glow when worn by both women and men, and is striking enough to be worn during the day or night.

Pantone’s colour for 2010

Turquoise was announced as last year’s colour by Pantone. The colour authority said that “Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing.” In fashion, turquoise can be used in jewellery, shoes, accessories, purses and nail polish for women. Men were encouraged to wear ties, shirts and sportswear to add colour to their wardrobe and funk up with their looks with assorted brightness.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2010.