For centuries, purple has been associated
with royalty, because of the extraordinary
expense of dying fabric purple.
In our current political climate, where red
is linked with Republicans and blue with
Democrats, purple is periodically identified
as a symbol of bipartisanship — or, in
the case of swing states, as a signifier of
uncertain affiliation.
"There's enough blue there, that while it's
provocative and stands out, there's still
a stability, and there's such a versatility
to this shade that it can go with so many
other different colors. People are exploring
and experimenting and looking for
something that's original," said Pressman.
Whatever you think of that assessment,
get ready for a deluge of purply items
from home decor to fashion and beyond—
either developed just for this Pantone
announcement or will now be marketed as
such.
Last year's color of the year was a "life-
affirming" shade of green. The year before
was a pairing of rose quartz and serene
blue that was seen as anti-stress while also
nodding toward gender fluidity, Pantone
said.
So, what does purple have to say about our
planet in 2018?
