Violet Verbena Named 2017 Color of the Year by PPG PAINTS Brand

The PPG PAINTS™ Brand Unveiled Its 2017 Color of the Year: Violet Verbena (PPG1169-5), a Grayed-off, Moody Purple with a Chameleon-like Presence.

 Violet Verbena named 2017 Color of the Year by PPG PAINTS brand (Photo: PPG PAINTS)

"Violet Verbena is at once as nostalgic as it is modern. It’s substantial in a world that can sometimes seem so temporary, luxurious in a harsh world that needs pampering, and introspective and private in an invasive world," said Dee Schlotter, senior color marketing manager, PPG. "Purple was unanimously selected as the 2017 Color of the Year by PPG’s global color experts for its distinctive qualities. We are seeing this shade of violet on the runway in fashion, and in textiles for the commercial and residential segments."

Schlotter cited a new era of consumer mindsets as part of the reason that the PPG Paints brand selected Violet Verbena as the hottest color for 2017. These new attitudes defy convention and blend ideations of gender, relationships, careers, workplaces and living spaces, she said.

“Consumers now embrace the middle ground between masculine and feminine, young and old, and work and leisure. Violet Verbena’s blending of gray and violet reflects that middle ground,” Schlotter said.

Violet Verbena serves as an ideal evolution of the bohemian, gypset (gypsy-jetset) consumer lifestyle that has been trending recently. As this type of consumer shifts in to new attitudes and experiences - they are becoming more mindful, more mystic, and more deeply involved in spiritual exploration and fascinated with cosmic exploration, she said. “Consumers are drawn to the galactic dark colors that combine deep purples, blues and grays to create an intriguing futuristic vibe,” Schlotter said.

PPG’s more than 20 color stylists around the world, each specializing in different markets, collaborate to determine styles and color trends for homes as well as electronic devices and automobiles. The company’s unique position as a color leader in multiple industries enables it to observe and translate emerging global color trends for its customers’ applications – from consumer goods to automotive, from residential to commercial to industrial design.

The PPG Paints brand’s 2017 Color of the Year is a unique violet hue with a quality that allows it to adapt to surrounding environments and complement a variety of design aesthetics. When paired with dark neutrals, the color unveils gray undertones, but when paired with whites, it reads as a purer purple, according to Schlotter. Its design appeal is similarly nuanced, she said. “Violet Verbena blends perfectly with many different surroundings, like a chameleon. It looks polished yet playful in a child’s room, and it is calming enough to be used in hospitals or other spaces that require tranquility.

"The color is a modern choice for interiors and furnishings, yet it is elegant enough to be incorporated into traditional designs,” she continued. "Violet Verbena is colorful enough to make a statement, but it can also be considered neutral with its gray undertones."

Violet Verbena is the focal point of PPG’s four global color trend stories for 2017, which center on the theme of Pendulum: earth, water, fire and air. For the first time, the PPG Paints brand includes its Color of the Year in all of its trend themes, as the prevalence of this hue allows it to live in every story. 

The four themes are:

HOURGLASS: A classic palette with a contemporary spin, this theme represents the earth element, with consumers finding stability in what they know and gravitating toward designs rooted in historical relevance. The palette incorporates rich, royal hues such as PPG Paints brand colors Burgundy Wine (PPG1053-7), Old Mill Blue (PPG1171-6) and Castle Stone (PPG1128-7), blended with a healthy dose of neutrals such as Pearl (PPG1087-2) and Go To Gray (PPG1004-1), to pair beautifully with wood, marble and stone tile. The lavender hues of Violet Verbena add to the royal nature of these colors, while still blending effortlessly with greens, blues and neutrals.

ES/SENCE: This theme focuses on the element of water, purity and the premise that less is unequivocally more. In a time when many consumers are embracing minimalism, the colors in this palette evoke a sense of simplicity and relaxation. Watery blues, lush greens and soft blended tones provide a mellow, calming and refreshing mentality. Sea Mist (PPG1227-1), Ancestral (PPG1047-4), Almond Cream (1086-3) and Simply Elegant (PPG1155-3), a few of the colors in the palette, create a soft, calming ambiance and pair beautifully with soothing Violet Verbena.

IMPOWER: Centered on change powered by the fire element, this complex palette incorporates deep tones, light neutrals and everything in between. It celebrates the fact that consumers do not have to define themselves by any specific design personality, but can exist somewhere in between. Consumers drawn to this palette can pair furnishings and colors from various genres and disciplines in a decadent yet easy fusion. Bold colors of the PPG Paints brand such as Azure Tide (PPG1231-6), Cenote (PPG17-02), Red Licorice (PPG1186-7) and Crushed Pineapple (PPG1213-7) pair with muted neutral tones such as Willow Tree (PPG1112-6), Gray Violet (PPG1014-5), Silver Screen (PPG1014-3) and not-quite gray Violet Verbena.

BIOCENTRIC: This design story is representative of air and the idea that we are all connected, and the palette dazzles with space-inspired hues and saturated organics. PPG Paints brand colors Spinach Salad (PPG11-16), Blueberry Muffin (PPG1164-5) and Enchanting Eggplant (PPG13-07) give the palette an organic vibe, while Black Flame (PPG1043-7), Cavalry (PPG1041-7) and Witchcraft (PPG1037-7) offer blue-black mystery to the palette and pair beautifully with Violet Verbena. Incorporating these colors into the home gives the look of contemporary elegance and laid-back charm.

Violet Verbena and all the colors of the 2017 Pendulum color trend stories, along with 2,000 colors in PPG's palette for THE VOICE OF COLOR® system, are available at PPG Paints stores and independent retailers across the United States in the PPG Paints, PPG PORTER PAINTS® and PPG PITTSBURGH PAINTS® product lines.

To learn more about the PPG Paints brand or to find a store near you, visit www.ppgpaints.com. 

PPG's architectural coatings business in the U.S. and Canada is an industry leader in residential and commercial coatings, delivering the latest technologies and operational advancements through its strong portfolio of brands. It manufactures and sells interior and exterior paints, stains, caulks, repair products, adhesives and sealants for homeowners and professionals. Its distribution network includes more than 15,000 touchpoints through company-owned stores, independent dealer locations and all major home improvement centers across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit PPGAC.com.

At PPG, we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 130 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $15.3 billion in 2015. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.


All images courtesy of PPG PAINTS. 

PPG Paints and We protect and beautify the world are trademarks and the PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.

PPG Pittsburgh Paints, PPG Porter Paints and The Voice of Color are registered trademarks of PPG Architectural Finishes, Inc.

Heimtextil Forecasts New Furnishing Trends with 'Well-being 4.0' the Overarching Theme

◊ WGSN Group Presents Trends for 2016/2017
◊ 'Theme Park' Moves to a New Location with a Large, Stand-alone Platform in Hall 6.0

'Well-being 4.0' is the key trend at the next Heimtextil trade fair (12 to 15 January 2016). In a discussion broadcasted live worldwide on 8 September 2015, managers of the trade fair revealed the new furnishing trends for 2016/2017. Lisa Douet of the WGSN Group sat on the podium at 25 Hours Hotel in Frankfurt. This Group from the US is spearheading the design of the 'Theme Park' this year. Anne Marie Commandeur from Stijlinstituut Amsterdam, Mayouri Sengchanh from Exalis/Carlin International and Felix Diener were other members of the Heimtextil trend forum at the conference. They were on hand to predict the interior design trends in textiles for the coming season.

New design themes will be defined by an integrated approach which restores a people-centred design focus with a stronger appeal to the senses. 'Well-being 4.0' is all about textile furnishing that exudes an aura of relaxation and calm. Everything will be geared towards offering a better life and greater well-being. At the same time, technology and science intertwined with textiles play a key role. The number 4.0 echoes 'industry 4.0' and stands for smart, digital and customised solutions. Or in a nutshell, the idea is to trigger positive feelings and responses to stimuli at the touch of a button.

'We need to find ways of connecting what's natural with what's artificial,' comments Lisa Douet during the conference, underlining one of the core challenges.
'In addition to respecting technology, we have to ensure that natural materials and handcrafted products have a place on the design shelf of the future too.'

Both the new trend book, presented during the conference, and the 'Theme Park' at the fair offer diverse pioneering projects in this respect. The trend predictions are also examined in more detail on a newly designed website.

Background information and project presentations are already available on:
www.heimtextil-theme-park.com

Heimtexil Theme Park 'well-being 4.0' - Trends 2016/2017 - an Overview of the Themes

Protect: good for us

This trend predicts a clean aesthetic, or crisp, understated design. It goes hand in hand with a versatile range of wellness products and detox programmes. As a valuable and rare commodity, silence takes centre stage. It becomes an antidote to a world where we're constantly connected and increasingly feel the desire to switch off and do ourselves some good. The trend is all about protecting our physical, but above all our psychological needs.

Energise: digital dreams

People use technology to boost their feelings of well-being. The borders between being online and offline are becoming blurred. And the digital world is encroaching on our physical world. In this process, light is becoming a new way of creating intangible shapes and highlighting dynamic contours. The colour spectrum pulsates between strong and weak contrasts. At the same time, bright and virtually fluorescent colours vibrate in comparison with darker electric-blue shades. This high-energy trend livens up the aesthetic with intensive brilliance and gloss, kaleidoscopic patterns and humorous, athletic designs.

Nourish: sensory design

Urban and natural landscapes converge and spawn a new, sustainable world. The focus is on making areas green. The colour palette celebrates the beauty of greens, as well as dark browns and greys, in harmony with elements such as the soil and stone. Natural materials are coupled with pioneering design. Handcrafted products play a special part in the process by accentuating the beauty of the source.

Enrich: appealing to all the senses

The focus is placed on opulent and highly decorative elements which blend cultural references with the past and future. Ornamental ensembles and shimmering, classy materials are eye-catching. Superb, rich colours like plum and crimson abound with metallic gold, brass and bronze elements. A hint of the Orient is blended with iconic patterns which reinterpret classicism with splendour to perfection.

All images courtesy of Heimtextil - Source WGSN

Three Sections in One Volume

The new trend book comprises three sections. The first is a book portraying four trend themes based on materials, designs and colours. The second is a colour palette which looks at the range of the new on-trend colours and can be used as a tool to work with. Finally there's an editorial which illustrates the predominant 'well-being 4.0' trend. The editorial looks at the use of plants to appeal to the senses, places the spotlight on valuable minerals and therapeutic textiles and defines which colours constitute a feeling of well-being.

New Location for the 'Theme Park'

As the world's biggest trade fair for home and contract textiles, Heimtextil plays a special role as an indicator of trends and metric of first-class, well-designed textiles with innovative functionality. Which is why Messe Frankfurt got the Heimtextil trend underway back in 1991 and has consistently expanded it ever since. Every year a trend forum with an international line-up uncovers the most important trends. It gives product developers, creative teams, furnishing businesses and designers valuable advice and reliable trend forecasts. For Heimtextil 2016, the trade fair's managers are continuing the 'Theme Park' concept, developed the previous year for Heimtextil. This platform is moving for the first time to hall 6.0 where it has plenty of space and can stand alone as a showcase. Its concept development and implementation, the accompanying book and the new website are the responsibility of the WGSN Group from the US.

For further information on Heimtextil and the 'Theme Park' visit:
www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com
www.heimtextil-theme-park.com
www.heimtextil-blog.com
www.facebook.com/heimtextil
www.twitter.com/heimtextil
www.youtube.com/heimtextil
www.instagram.com/heimtextil
www.pinterest.com/heimtextil

For information from Messe Frankfurt on global textile fairs visit:
www.texpertise-network.com

About WGSN Group
WGSN is a global foresight business. Our experts provide deep insight and analysis of consumer, fashion and design trends. We inspire our clients to plan and trade their range with unparalleled confidence and accuracy. Together, we Create Tomorrow.

WGSN is the World's Global Style Network, comprising of market-leading products including WGSN, WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, WGSN INstock, WGSN StyleTrial, and WGSN Mindset bespoke consultancy services.

For more information, please visit www.wgsn.com

About Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is one of the world's leading trade fair organisers, generating around €554 million in sales and employing 2,130 people. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 29 subsidiaries and 57 international Sales Partners, allowing it to serve its customers on location in more than 160 countries. Messe Frankfurt events take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2014, Messe Frankfurt organised a total of 121 trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany.

Comprising an area of 592,127 square metres, Messe Frankfurt's exhibition grounds are home to ten exhibition halls. The company also operates two congress centres.The historic Festhalle, one of the most popular venues in Germany, plays host to events of all kinds. Messe Frankfurt is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.

Further information on the company can be found at:
http://m-es.se/Fj86

PANTONEVIEW Color Planner Autumn/Winter 2016/2017

Reveal: An Exploration of “Real” and “Unreal” Color

Multi-discipline forecast provides global color direction across womenswear, menswear, activewear, cosmetics, interiors, industry and graphic design.

Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, introduced Reveal, the Autumn/Winter 2016/17 edition of PANTONEVIEW^® Colour Planner. Looking at color as a total language, this multi-platform forecast offers seasonal inspiration, key color direction and suggested color harmonies for women’s and men’s fashion, activewear, cosmetics and lifestyle, as well as industrial and graphic design.

Just as the current direction in lifestyle fashion reflects a genuine polarization, color stories for 2016/17 display a contrast between color that is "real" and "unreal", absent and present and a mixology of what is in between. We are divided between more modest and unpretentious shades and stronger, more saturated tones that make a bold statement. For those in the middle? A third platform of color that connects and bridges our desire to be sober or intoxicated, quiet or loud – or both at the same time.

“We find this idea of absence and presence, obscuring and revealing, very relevant not only when it comes to color, but also in the way we live our everyday lives,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president, Pantone Color Institute.

"On one hand, there is this wish to return to the simple, honest and unassuming, and on the flip side, a continuing presence of maximalist and a deep desire to stand out and be seen."

PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner contains eight trend palettes as well as key seasonal color direction.

• Black—newly appreciated as a prestige color, black is the pulsating force behind the forecast and the perfect canvas on which other colors are revealed.
• White—appearing in cool and warm guises, white is important because of its properties as opposed to its actual color.
• Grays—essential to the palette, grays stretch across a variety of hues, warm and natural, muted and hard.
• Green—this season, greens take two directions: the first is a more yellowish and olive-oil-led direction while the second is cooler, sometimes glassy, but also more mineral, cool and Nordic.
• Yellow—reminding us of light and radiance, yellows are important this season because of their warming presence and their effects on surface and texture.
• Orange—now suffused with spicy hues, shades in the orange family display influences of caramel, cinnamon and saffron.
• Purple—penetrating all levels of design, purples, in a variety of berry colors are now a lifestyle as opposed to a fashion shade and is critical to this season’s palette.
• Blue—becoming more sophisticated, blues move away from the more classic indigo shades to those that are infused with gray or green.
• Brown—from nutmeg and tan to the red infused winey red browns, the browns continue to be very important across all materials and surfaces.
• Red—a safe option for those looking to add bright color, red is a well-received and well-understood pop color that is being combined in new ways.
• Pastels—pastel shades leap from nuanced neutrals to stronger and more assertive color.
• Metallics—metallics remain important; however this season they are as pragmatic as they are decorative, combining with light or texture to enhance, bring movement and textural dimension.

Published bi-annually, 18 to 24 months in advance of the season, the PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner is based on the PANTONE FASHION, HOME + Interiors Color System, the most widely used and recognized color standards system for fashion, textile, home and interior design. The book is produced by a team of leading visionaries from all over the world with expertise in different disciplines, providing comprehensive color-direction across multiple design areas.

Within each of the season’s directional color palettes, a general introduction outlines the colors included and the philosophy behind them. In addition, a specific breakdown of each palette highlights harmonies, suggested color combinations and suitable patterns, fabrics and products according to end use. For added convenience and usability, at the end of each palette section, there is a printed version of each PANTONE Fashion, Home + Interiors color featured in perforated swatch form and 1" x 4" detachable cotton strips. The PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner Autumn/Winter 2016/17 also comes with a DVD containing static images of photos used to illustrate the seasonal themes, a movie version that has music to set the unique mood of each individual palette, a printed color card where the forecasted colors are arranged by color family as well as by trend palette and a poster-sized overview of the season.

For more information please view the PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner Autumn/Winter 2016/2017 Reveal Brochure

Pricing and Availability

The PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner Autumn/Winter 2016/17 is available immediately for $750 from Pantone at www.pantone.com or from PANTONE distributors nationwide. Visit www.pantone.com or call (888) PANTONE for a list of distributors. PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner is published bi-annually by Metropolitan Publishing BV.

About Pantone and the Pantone Color Institute

Pantone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, is the global color authority and provider of professional color standards for the design industries. Pantone products have encouraged colorful exploration and expressions of creativity from inspiration to implementation for more than 50 years. Through the Pantone Color Institute, Pantone continues to chart future color direction and study how color influences human thought processes, emotions and physical reactions. Pantone furthers its commitment to providing professionals with a greater understanding of color and to help them utilize color more effectively. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone also offers designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com. For the latest news, trends, information and conversations, connect with Pantone on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and the Pantone Blog.

About X-Rite

X-Rite, Incorporated, is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes color industry leader Pantone, develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite’s expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com.