“The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, in a December statement.

The institute sets colour language standards, provides digital solutions, highlights seasonal runway colours for the creative and fashion industries worldwide, and advises companies on colour for product and brand visual identity. For the last 22 years, the Colour of the Year has influenced fashion, interior and industrial design. But it’s only recently it has become a consumer touchstone worthy of broad media coverage.

“From a fashion designer’s perspective, colour not only represents something appearing on a garment. Each colour has a much deeper meaning behind it that may be influenced by politics, society, technology and economics,” begins Ho Tak, fashion archivist at the Hong Kong Design Institute’s Fashion Archive. “It really does provide an overview of what is happening right now around the world for people to pay attention to.”

The Colour of the Year may be relatively new to consumers, but designers and anyone shilling a product have been paying attention all along. As colour plays a huge role in design and in life – Pantone’s choices draw from psychology, trend analysis, and arts and culture among other influences – founder and managing director of The Good Studio Limited, Kaye Dong, looks forward to the news. Echoing Ho, “For us, it’s about much more than the colour itself, but about the reason why it was selected,” she says.

“The Pantone Colour of the Year – or in this year’s case, colours – always offers wisdom; a reflection of the current times we are experiencing and an insight into the future.” As Dong sees it, grey and yellow are distinct yet complementary, and represent unity and support. “Grey is adaptable and dependable, and yellow is joyful and vivacious. These colours together offer hope and strength.”

As founder and creative director at Clifton Leung Design Workshop, Leung looks more towards fashion for colour influences in his interiors, but he’s already leaned into the joy of yellow in a community space with PizzaZaZa in Tai Hang. Evoking a hidden Italian eatery, “The design concept evokes a sense of ‘home dining’, with a cosy ambience that promotes a sense of warmth and intimacy,” describes Leung.

Ho also notes that Pantone’s choice is an authoritative industry one, and so marks something of a starting point for designers putting together new collections, which don’t emerge in a vacuum. Designers often work with more than one or two colours, but they must still take factors such as brand identify into consideration. “Pantone’s Colour of the Year acts as a good inspiration and starting point for designers.”

And a starting point is precisely what it is, as a designer (speaking on condition of anonymity) at the Hong Kong office of a US-based international athleisure brand points out. The brand always makes an effort to incorporate Pantone’s annual choice, or something similar, into both men’s and women’s wear throughout the year – partially because competitors will do so – but usage depends on individual markets.

The Pantone Colour of the Year could be in for a challenge in 2021. Grey has secured a place in fashion with everything from Shanghai Tang to H&M. In home interiors it’s a staple with Ikea, Kelly Hoppen and all points in between. But Ho thinks the yellow could prove a harder sell. Referring to last year’s Classic Blue as user-friendly, the designer says, “I am curious and excited to see how fashion designers tackle Ultimate Gray plus Illuminating, as many of us believe yellow is one of the most difficult hues to work with in fashion, especially for the Asian consumer.”

Putting Pantones to use

Pantone’s 2021 colours are complementary and suitable for most spaces and best of all, keeping them together isn’t necessary, according to The Good Studio Limited’s Kaye Dong.

“We always start a project with how we envisage people to feel when they walk into a space we built or touch a business card we designed,” she says. They can also be incorporated into homes and offices with minimal effort.

Bright yellow accents in an open kitchen are a refreshing choice that promotes joy and togetherness. Another simple solution is flowers. Fresh blooms – dancing-lady orchids, sunflowers – are ideal for meeting rooms, pantries and living spaces, and they can be rotated for maximum variety.

Leung also suggests separating and modifying the colours as needed and using them in “small home appliances or soft finishings, like cushions, bedding, cups and saucers, or even a yellow and grey feature wall”. Examples include German bespoke lighting designer Windfall’s signature fixtures and handmade floor coverings by Italian brand Nodus – both available in varying shades of yellow.

Dong agrees with accessorising brightly, suggesting cushions for the bed and sofa alongside a soft grey throw blanket.“[Those] will instantly uplift the room and also keep you warm. Perfect for Netflix and wine nights.”

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