If you’re anything like me, a self-proclaimed color obsessive, you likely anticipate Pantone’s Color of the Year with mad fervor. Admit it, fellow color enthusiasts! We await Pantone’s Color of the Year like it’s the Synesthesia Super Bowl. Some design sleuths sniff out color trends like detectives on a Crayola case. And there are whispers about folks shaping their lives around the chosen hue, as if creating yearly shrines to the color gods. Or so I’ve heard.
Yesterday, the Pantone Color Institute introduced their 2024 color of the year, Peach Fuzz — a cozy and comforting hue, nurturing compassion and heartfelt kindness.
The introduction of PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz brings a special milestone — the 25th anniversary of the Pantone Color of the Year program. First introduced in 1999 with PANTONE 15-4020 Cerulean Blue, the Pantone Color of the Year program captures the global zeitgeist, reflecting the mood and attitude of individuals. Over the years, Pantone Color of the Year has become an iconic cultural symbol, highlighting how our global culture beautifully speaks through the palette of colors.
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 Pantone Color of the Year launch party, a captivating blend of warm and fuzzy sophistication. The event, held in a venue beautifully adorned with the chosen color’s hues, highlighted the creative potential inspired by this new shade. Guests were enveloped in everything peachy from décor to fellow attendees’ attire. It was a carefully crafted evening that ended with an immersive dessert experience by Chef Jozef Youssef, the creative force behind the Kitchen Theory design studio. This visually stunning and warm ambiance made me wonder if I was living a sophisticated version of James and the Giant Peach. Needless to say, the hue is undoubtedly comforting, and I respect the theme of togetherness and kindness that the curators are imploring us to carry into this new year.
Peach Fuzz radiates a sense of warmth and a sense of reassurance. Perhaps that is exactly what we’ve been missing and what we’re reaching out for, imagining ourselves in a time and place where kindness and empathy can lead us to write a better future together.
Elley Cheng, President, Pantone Color Institute
The color we selected needed to express our desire to want to be close to those we love and the joy we get when allowing ourselves time to tune into who we are; it also needed to be a color whose warm and welcoming embrace could be a message of compassion, empathy, and one that is nurturing, who’s cozy sensibility brought people together.
Laurie Pressman, Vice President, Pantone Color Institute
This year’s official Pantone Color of the Year 2024 partners include Motorola, Shades by Shan (the first-ever cosmetics brand to be Pantone’s beauty partner), Ruggable, Ultrafabrics, and Spoonflower. Each partner has crafted swoon-worthy, inviting items for 2024’s collaboration with Pantone. I am currently churning my thoughts to see whether turning my living room into a maximalist, fuzzy, peachy oasis is viable; stay tuned.
Imagery supplied by Motorola, Spoonflower, Shades by Shan, and Ruggable for Pantone.