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T his is indeed a pertinent question as we embark on a new decade. But as forward-looking as it may be, the 2020 color brings us almost full circle to the first Color of the Year, Cerulean, an- other blue hue chosen in 1999 to likewise capture a moment in time. "We were moving into Y2K and wonder- ing: Is the world going to fall apart?" said Pressman. The Pantone Color Institute said it recog- nized similar feelings of instability gripping the world today, from the United States to the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Syria and across the globe. It settled on a shade that offers the reassurance, confidence and con- nection that people may be searching for in an uncertain global milieu. Pantone has named a color of the year for more than two decades. In 1963, the com- pany created the Pantone Matching System, a proprietary system used in a variety of industries such as printing, graphic design and fashion design to manage colors. Each year's color is decided through a long and thoughtful process that takes into con- sideration lifestyle and industry trends, said Pressman. "Typically, trends that we see in color are reflecting big macro trends that are taking place in culture," she explained. Color influ- ences can come from art, upcoming media, movies, lifestyles, socioeconomic and po- litical conditions, travel destinations, new technology—really anything. The name of the color is an important fac- tor. "If you have a color called Brown Dirt, versus Chocolate Fudge, it takes on two completely different meanings," said Press- man. "The name really has to resonate with the message that we want to get across." True to its name, Classic Blue can be regal, restrained and boundless. But it can also be edgy—even anomalous—utilizing a variety of tonalities, materials and prints. (Think a new-age, Classic Blue concept car.)