The Pantone Color Institute has unveiled the highly anticipated Color of the Year for 2023: the vibrant, bold shade Viva Magenta. To be precise, it’s Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta. Pantone called it “a non-traditional hue for non-traditional times.” Pantone also said this rich, daring color is an “animated red” meant to empower and encourage unrestricted self-expression.
According to the Pantone Color Institute, this shade strikes a balance between warm and cool tones. At times it reads more red, while at other moments it leans toward fuchsia.
This rich, regal hue is already in demand in the world of decor. In 2023, expect to see even more of it, Design Milk reports. Pantone says that over the coming year the shade 18-1750 Viva Magenta will appear increasingly in interiors, home goods, fashion, and more. After all, this color from the red family “signals a new strength.”
Pantone says the “bold, fearless, pulsating” tone of 18-1750 Viva Magenta aims to inspire a rebellious spirit.
Lori Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, noted that “the past few years have significantly changed how people feel about themselves and how they think about well-being, priorities, and identity.”
People are seeking inspiration from nature and authenticity, added Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone. Eiseman says the inspiration for next year’s tone, Viva Magenta, comes from the color of the cochineal insect, a source of natural dyes—some of the strongest and brightest known.
For those who may not know, cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is an insect in the order Hemiptera that feeds on the juices of agricultural crops and fruit trees. Although they can be agricultural pests, these insects have uses. People use them to produce carmine—a red-purple dye that serves, among other things, as a food coloring (E120).
Thus, Leatrice Eiseman says, the natural tone of Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta connects to nature, invigorates the spirit, and helps strengthen inner power.
The Pantone Color Institute, in collaboration with New York–based creative growth company Huge, explored the 2023 color using the artificial intelligence tool Midjourney. The neural network produced a series of images that showcase “the connections between nature and technology.” Thanks to that vibrant exploration, Pantone says you can “dive into an optimistic new ecosystem called the Magentaverse.”
As with every announced Color of the Year, various products featuring Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta will be available on pantone.com.
How the Color of the Year is Chosen
People often ask how the Pantone Color Institute selects the Color of the Year. Vice President Lori Pressman has said in interviews that a large team of experts is involved. Typically the team is about 30 people. The selection process requires year-round analysis and macro-level forecasting of color trends. The team studies emerging color directions across entertainment, film, visual arts, design, fashion, travel, sports, economics, new technologies, and materials. The choice of a new tone becomes the culmination of that research.
Last year’s Color of the Year was the lilac shade 17-3938 Very Peri.
