Pantone's Color of the Year 2014: Radiant Orchid

The color pendulum swings toward a warm vibrant color choice for the upcoming New Year. Radiant Orchid possesses friendly warm overtones that allow it to “pop” on it's own or to be used as an accent to complement other hues.

Exotic and nuanced, Pantone's newest pick suggests a direction towards creativity and ingenuity. Radiant Orchid's pink undertones contain the visual punch to attract the female demographic, but will it have the same effect to spark interest in the masculine set? The real success of any color trend is its acceptance beyond the world of fashion. Will manufactures embrace the "magical" connotation and offer products in this close cousin to purple?

Keurig, the Burlington, Vt-based coffee-machine maker, has dipped their toe into committing this unique color to its two single-serving models coming out in early February. Seeing a pink coffee machine in an office environment could certainly liven up a dull kitchen area. Outfitting an entire home kitchen with Radient Orchid colored appliances could however be too over-the-top.

For years I had always felt a negative bias toward orchids. Never being one to decline a gardening challenge, I received one from a friend as a gift for my newly installed garden window. Since then I've come to admire their staying power (if cared for properly blooms can last up to 3 months) and ability to enliven any space they occupy. Radiant Orchid could prove to be a cultural game-changer if it can be seen beyond a feminine lens. Maybe the time is right to give this color it's due beyond the ranks of fashionistas and to place it in area(s) of our lives to inspire innovative thinking.

Colors: What They Mean and How To Make Them

It would appear on first glance at this book’s title, that it is a “how-to” text for the hobbyist or textile artist on dye recipes. Some information is given on where pigments are derived from; how to use sources on where to find and create pigments for dying fabric. The real value of the book is not in the recipes but in the cultural history of the pigment sources and the meanings of color, all packaged in a beautifully designed book. Each thought-out chapter highlights a color and is illustrated with photos and fine art reproductions to reinforce the text. Not book for color theorists–but offers a good general survey of color and it's uses throughout the centuries. Written and (visually) presented to hold the reader's attention with interesting facts without overwhelming. Colors: What They Mean and How to Make Them by Anne Varichon

Frappuccinos Minus Bugs

The vegan community can rejoice today. Starbucks will no longer use cochineal ( koch-i-neel ) extract in their Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® and Strawberry Banana Smoothie. Other products such Raspberry Swirl Cake, Birthday Cake Pop, Mini Doughnut with pink icing, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pie will continue to be produced with the ingredient until June of this year. The tip-off that lead to an online post (hosted by the website thisdishisvegetarian.com ) was given last month by a barista working at a midwest Starbucks. A petition was posted on change.org and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) also joined the fray to show their support. All aforementioned parties later applauded the policy change today on their respective blogs. Fleeting as some stories are, time will be the final judge on whether this story has any lasting impression on consumers. Approved by the FDA , cochineal has a long and illustrious history . With a positive nod toward social respons...

Making a Color Exclusive

Logos, slogans, and colors, become synonymous with a product, company, cause or sports team over time. Studies to support consumer driven responses to color are constantly being monitored by the marketplace to maximize data on current and future color trends. Because color can stand independently of words, it is capable of being recognized on its own —devoid of any reinforced logo or text. With this in mind, should an organization strive to protect their color assets through trademark? Not unlike a logo or company slogan, colors can also be protected under the umbrella of trademark. But can these measures extend to the name of a color as well? Syracuse University filed a federal trademark for the exclusive rights to the word “orange”. From the university’s perspective it was a logical move toward protecting their sports team name (which in 2004 had been edited down from “Orangemen” to simply “ Orange ”). Even though the official filing was done in 2006, several colleges have ...

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