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Designers Recommend These Shades For Spring 2014

Maya Richard-Craven |
April 18, 2014 | 8:43 a.m. PDT

Staff Writer

Even those who don’t recognize the name Pantone will have probably used the company's services before. What started as a commercial printing company in the 1950s has become "the global authority on color," thanks to services such as their Home Color System, which catalogs 2,100 different colors that can be used as paint or fabric dye. In 1999, Pantone established its Color of the Year Program, and each season chooses a Color of the Year that is heavily featured in Sephora stores across the country, as is the case with the 2014 color Radiant Orchid.

Pantone influences more than just makeup, however. Twice a year, the Pantone Color Institute releases a fashion report, a popular guide to the season's color trends. To some extent, your wardrobe was probably been influenced by the color trends established by Pantone artists and designers through these reports.

This spring, Pantone selected the 10 colors of its Women's Color Palette based on the idea that consumers are looking for "a state of thoughtful, emotional and artistic equilibrium," according to Leatrice Eiseman, the institute's executive director. But Eiseman emphasized that the point of selecting a color of the year from the color palette isn't to pleaseeveryone or control anyone.

"It's a much more thoughtful process," Eiseman told the New York Times. "The point is, we're not dictating; it's about understanding what we're about. In 2011, we chose Honeysuckle because there is that feeling of activity and movement about that color. Although orange is not pink, we felt the necessity to stay with that feeling that encourages us to face everyday troubles with some vigor."

This season's colors are definitely full of vigor, considering the inclusion of tones mixed with bright yellow and greens, and shimmering combinations of red and blue. Check out swatches of the Spring 2014 colors and then flip through our photo slideshow for ideas on how to incorporate these shades into your wardrobe.

SEE MORE: Pantone Spring 2014 Color Palette Photo Slideshow

Reach Staff Writer Maya Richard-Craven hereAll slideshow photos by Rebecca Orlandini.


 

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