It takes 20 people globally nearly nine months looking at colour patterns in daily life situations to come up with the colour of the year which is considered a snapshot of global culture, mood and expression. So while it encapsulates the influence of colour in our lives it doesn’t necessarily dictate what we have to have. This year it was Living Coral. Not every Colour of the Year resonates with people as much as Living Coral has.
It’s been in makeup everywhere all year, coral clothes have cropped up throughout the seasons in fashion and decor trends have been using coral walls and fabrics for a while as well. To quote Pantone, Living Coral is “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge. The warm, mellow and vibrant tonality of Living Coral was chosen to provide comfort in our ever-changing environment. As we are surrounded by digital technology and social media, we need authentic and immersive experiences that let us connect intimately. The light nature of Living Coral encourages fun and light-hearted activity. It represents the fusion of modern life.’
For me as a hair colourist it’s a joy to see warmer tones in our world of hair. Although we are not slaves to Pantone this snapshot is an influence that we see filter down to the high street and into the salon. Clients are subliminally influenced as much as our Instagram feeds. It hopefully means to me that the public will be more open to warmer hues like golds and coppers and corals, which in many ways we are seeing already from LA. There are lots of ginger/amber /copper colours coming through, and for me hopefully less ash and super cool tones as I feel that’s been overdone now. Obviously at the end of the day we consumer colourists are going to work hard to produce the best look for the client in front of us, but like everyone else are influenced by these things as that scene in The Devil Wears Prada so cleverly points out. I for one am looking forward to some more warmth in my life but I do recognise that I will still be drawn to the cool side by a few.
This look was done using a Hi lift tint to pre lighten as her base was a level 8 and then there was no need to pre lighten as high lift got the undercoat I needed. i then did a root stretch with 3 crazy colours going from deeper to lighter.
