The Pantone Color of the Year 2023 is Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta. The company describes Viva Magenta as a “nuanced crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool.” The “hybrid color” is “assertive but not aggressive,” a carmine red that does not dominate but instead takes a “fist in a velvet glove” approach.
“As virtual worlds become a more prominent part of our daily lives, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement. “Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known. Rooted in the primordial, [the color] reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, it galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.”
“The last few years were transformative in many ways in terms of people’s sense of self, and the way well-being, priorities and identity are being thought about,” said Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute. “As a result, space has been created where we are free to explore and be accepted for exactly who we feel we are, whether it be in a cybernetic universe, a conventional space, or a magical blend of both. We are creating a dynamic world that encourages experimentation, one that leverages the virtual within the physical realm and emboldens our strength and spirit to explore groundbreaking possibilities.
“To embody the spirit of Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta, we embarked on a new approach of collective creative collaboration,” Pressman continued. “Leveraging the power of technology and Pantone’s expertise in color to curate a new interpretation of the Pantone Color of the Year, we created the Magentaverse, an unexpected and exciting color universe we look forward to sharing with the world to experience as well.”
Magenta Partners
Pantone partnered with several brands—including Artechouse, Motorola, Hydrow and Spoonflower—which have incorporated the color in new ways. Notably for hospitality designers, surface pattern design firm Spoonflower launched one-of-a-kind designs by six Spoonflower independent artists featuring a custom color palette. The partnership also includes a quarterly series of four Spoonflower design challenges.
For hotel wellness spaces, fitness equipment company Hydrow has launched five new colorways for its Wave Rower line, including a special-edition version in the Viva Magenta.
