It’s June, and the sparkling summer is officially here. The radiant leafy displays of yellow & green calm our souls, the golden balmy rays of the Sun inspire us every day, and the vibrant colours of the new season are finally having a moment. Ask a colour connoisseur what they think of ‘Ultra Violet’, this year’s Pantone Colour of the Year and they’ll most definitely say — when it comes to bold purple, self-expression is the only rule! Indeed, this statement holds true and the power of purple runs deep. To be honest, the first thought that came to my mind when I saw Ultra Violet was Prince and his song Purple Rain (currently playing on loop on my Spotify playlist and definitely serves as an inspiration for this blog post). Interestingly, Pantone has credited musical legends Prince, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie for being the trailblazers in defining Ultra Violet as their artistic expression of individuality, and bringing attention to the colour.
Though every colour has a story to tell, no colour carries the same influence as Ultra Violet! It “communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking,” said Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. It is found in the galaxy (look up images of beautiful swirling purple nebulae!) and bears testament to those who continue to explore the unknown. Ultra Violet is also connected to spirituality — from healing amethyst crystals to the powerful crown chakra (which is violet in colour), it is associated with the universal consciousness or in other words, mindfulness practices.
Pantone is playing a proactive role in showcasing the colour snapshots of today’s culture. If you dig deeper, you’ll understand the significance of Ultra Violet since women’s suffrage movements in the early 1900s. And, today, it has an even deeper resonance with the ongoing fight for women’s equality, LGBTQ equal rights, and sexual assault & harassment issues (yes, #MeToo!).
“It’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. With the current political and societal chaos in the world, we might as well seek refuge in the mystical powers of Ultra Violet.
