2023 Pantone’s Color of the Year: Impactful, Born from Nature, Yet Animated

Every January I spotlight Pantone’s color of the year. This year’s color is Viva Magenta 18-1750 and “Viva!” indeed. I am so intrigued by this hue and its potential to add an element of flexibility  to an interior space- boldly to a more pronounced area or as a single pop through a piece of art or furniture. I envision it being paired with a variety of styles punctuated by florals, botanicals, and natural patterns. I see it “up for interpretation.” Pantone describes Viva Magenta in this way:

“Viva Magenta’s organic origins hail from the cochineal beetle. This insect produces carmine dye, one of the most precious, strongest, and brightest of the natural dye family. The red tone of Viva Magenta connects us to original matter, imbibing us with a primordial signal of strength.

The Color of the Year 2023 merges the richness, warmth, and strength of natural matters with the rich, open horizons of the digital world. The result is a shade of red that expands our horizons of authenticity. The metaverse creates new opportunities for us to express ourselves, and the raw fortitude of Viva Magenta inspires us to do so with confidence and bravery.”

The content of this blog is entirely from PANTONE® USA | What is Viva Magenta?

Pantone Color Institute's Rationale 

Reds are power colors that celebrate life. As a bright, crimson red, Viva Magenta balances boldness with a feeling of fun. This dynamic mix exudes rebellion, but not at the expense of softness. It embodies an expression of fierce grace, inspiring us to show up with confidence and humanity. The digital space has accelerated globalization, and as a result, we are more deeply connected to each other than ever before. We can never fully understand what lies beneath the surface of the friends and strangers we meet, but we can always work to deepen our empathy. The Color of the Year 2023 speaks to our desire to take on new challenges and try the unconventional while meeting others with compassion.

What distinguishes this year’s Color of the Year from last year’s — PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri, which also married the technical with nature — is Viva Magenta’s ability to answer our collective need for strength.

Viva Magenta offers us the assurance and motivation we need to weather long-term disruptive events. Three years deep into a pandemic, facing a war, an unstable economy, social unrest, supply chain breakdowns, and mounting climate change, we need to heal. And still, we need to find the motivation to continue. Here, Viva Magenta cloaks us in both power and grace, and sends us out into the world with the verve we’ve yearned for.

How to Use Viva Magenta

How to Wear Viva Magenta

Feeling powerful? Wear the Color of the Year as a full-on statement. Need to wake up a quieter outfit? Viva Magenta works radiantly as an accessory — pair it with pale grays, blues, or pastels. Want to jump on the monochromatic trend? Try it with other pinks and command the room.

Because Viva Magenta is a red that strikes a balance between warm and cool, it’s not too harsh for the body. Instead it brings a fun, celebratory element. In the beauty industry, Pantone sees the Color of the Year worn in hair, especially on tips, a bold look that can transform hair into an accessory. Viva Magenta also shines on lips, cheeks, and nails. This versatile shade is universally flattering across ages, genders, and skin tones.

Viva Magenta in Home and Interiors

Daring designers can harness the full power of the Color of the Year as a velvet couch or lacquered wall. Those who desire a more neutral home can use it as a pop of color. As a sculptural Murano glass lighting fixture or striking ikebana floral arrangement punctuating an all-neutral dining room, or a glowing abstract canvas or NFT projection in a white entry-way, Viva Magenta packs a lot of drama in a small dose.

How might you use Viva Magenta?