A Tone for Tough Times

Designer palettes for fall seem to acknowledge the major issue of the day — the recession.

"The most popular colors for fall really represent a thoughtful palette. That's a direct outcome of what's happening in the world around us," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, which surveyed designers showing at New York Fashion Week to determine the most directional colors. She said the selection of somber, neutral colors still has rays of light that will keep things interesting.

"Designers are aiming to comfort people — but at the same time, they have to still grab consumers' attention," she said.

Some, such as Kimora Lee Simmons for Baby Phat, worked in patriotic colors. "In times like these, consumers have a tendency to return to patriotic colors," Eiseman said. "There's a lot of that happening."

SOURCE: PANTONE FASHION COLOR REPORT, FALL 2009; PANTONE Colors displayed here may not match PANTONE®-identified solid color standards. Consult current PANTONE FASHION + HOME Color System® publications for accurate color. PANTONE® and other Pantone Inc. trademarks are the property of Pantone Inc. © Pantone Inc., 2009

1 IRON:PANTONE 18-1306

Percentage of designers who used this color: 16.5

2 Purple Heart: PANTONE 18-3520

Percentage of designers who used this color: 15.6

3 MAJOLICA BLUE: PANTONE 19-4125

Percentage of designers who used this color: 12.8

Iron is the new black.

Eiseman of Pantone said this shade of gray has a brown cast, "which makes it a warmer, stronger gray. And it's not as foreboding as black."

Its practicality and dependability make this shade a staple for most apparel items in one's wardrobe, she said.

Consumers can combine it with more dramatic colors in the palette, such as number-two-ranked Purple Heart, Honey Yellow (#5) or Rapture Rose (#6).

"By using this color, designers are acknowledging the practical, but mixing it with other colors in the palette will offer some uniqueness," Eiseman said.

Designers who incorporated this color into their fall collections include Carmen Marc Valvo, Reem Acra and Charlotte Ronson.

Elie Tahari and Shaun Kearney for Cynthia Steffe weaved this deep version of purple into their collections.

"Purple is the most creative and complex color," Eiseman said. "It has been so strong the last two seasons, and because people have been holding onto what they have, they're more comfortable with purple now."

This particular shade, she noted, is a fresh version, "but it's still comforting to people."

Mixing the color with other palette favorites, such as eighth-ranked Warm Olive or Nomad, ranked ninth, "is a way to take a basic color and give it a more creative punch."

Eiseman added that many designers may be seizing the opportunity to incorporate the color into their accessories pieces, such as jewelry and scarves.

Lela Rose, Brian Reyes and Maria Pinto – whose inspiration for fall was "a sense of smoky calmness" – played with this variation on blue.

"The blues, along with the grays, are considered the most dependable, steadfast constant in people's wardrobes," Eiseman said. She added, "It's not dull, because it has some interesting undercurrents and more complexity. It could be described as a deep teal blue."

Playing colors such as Honey Yellow and Warm Olive against Majolica Blue "make this color the kind of thing that all kinds of different consumers can reach for in their wardrobes."

4 american beauty: PANTONE 19-1759

Percentage of designers who used this color: 11.9

5 Honey Yellow: Pantone 16-1143

Percentage of designers who used this color: 10.1

6 Rapture Rose: PANTONE 17-1929

Percentage of designers who used this color: 9.2

"Here's the feeling of patriotism at its finest in this palette," Eiseman said. "This is a true red, meaning that it has some cool undertones and some warmth. It's a beautifully balanced color, so it's easy for anyone to use."

Designers Yigal Azrouël and Alice Temperley for Temperley London worked this shade of red into their collections.

Eiseman said American Beauty is an ideal color for retailers because it has broad appeal and it looks good on so many people. She also admitted that her first thought when she saw the color was to wonder how Michelle Obama and her daughters, Sasha and Malia, would wear it. "I would think that designers are really going to try hard to interject this color into her wardrobe," she said.

"Honey Yellow is this fall's example of how important yellow has become to people," Eiseman said. Because of the deeper tone, "It's more subdued, which makes it the perfect color for autumn."

Christian Cota, who described his inspiration for the season as "imagining taking a trip to the center of the earth and back, exposing layers of minerals and jagged edges of rocks," played with Honey Yellow, as did James Coviello.

Said Eiseman: "Combining Burnt Sienna (#7) with this color is a classic, but one that's more unique would be mixing it together with Rapture Rose."

A bright spot in the palette, Rapture Rose is a surprise for the season.

"This color isn't typical at all, but I think that designers are turning to it for a need to see a feminine and playful, but still very warm, color," Eiseman said. She added that Rapture Rose could combine easily with most other colors in the top 10, especially Iron, Burnt Sienna and Warm Olive.

"Another idea would be to mix it with American Beauty – reds and pinks together are unexpected, a real attention-getter."

Tadashi Shoji said of Rapture Rose, one of the most important colors of his collection: "The color's freshness and vividness offer a bright future and clarity in an economic climate that desperately needs a stimulus plan."

7 Burnt Sienna: Pantone 17-1544

Percentage of designers who used this color: 8.2

8 Warm Olive: Pantone 15-0646

Percentage of designers who used this color: 7.3

9 Nomad: Pantone 16-1212

Percentage of designers who used this color: 5.6

Christian Siriano incorporated Burnt Sienna into his fall palette, saying his inspiration was Egypt: "Through the richness of the sand and through the stone of the architecture – each color is warm, bold and has the feeling of luxury."

Alvin Valley and Rebecca Taylor worked with the color for fall, too.

Burnt Sienna is fall's answer to orange, but Eiseman pointed out its red and brown undertones, which makes it a much more versatile orange than others. "It's very dependable, it speaks of autumn and it's a classic with a color like number-one-ranked Iron," she said. And mixing it together with colors such as Honey Yellow or Warm Olive would add more dimension to any item.

"You could also take this and give it a twist with a color like Purple Heart."

"People can recognize the complexity going on with Warm Olive," Eiseman said.

This variation of green is a spin on the typical greens one thinks of, she noted. "It's not your usual citrus spring green. Because it has a lot of yellow, it's more exotic than a spring color." She said the green family returned to the spotlight in the Nineties and has steadily climbed. "It's been really strong lately, because working with greens is not a trend – this idea of 'green' – everyone gets it. Designers are concerned about being eco-conscious."

Along with designers such as Pamella Scott for Ella Moss and Adam Lippes, Thuy Diep also worked with this color, noting that her inspiration was "a sense of renewal and optimism."

David Rodriguez and Catherine Malandrino added Nomad to their palettes for fall, as did Tracy Reese. Reese also noted that her most important color was a range of different beiges, "which serve as a foundation for pairing with rich and saturated brights."

Eiseman said, "Both Nomad and Crème Brûlée [#10] are an acknowledgment of the fact that we need to have good, practical colors anchor the other colors. They can provide the background for a brighter color."

And brighter colors, such as Rapture Rose and American Beauty, would complement this shade perfectly, she pointed out. "We'll see this color quite a bit in outerwear, but if a woman buys a coat in Nomad, she can complement it with a sweater in Rapture Rose underneath."

10 Creme Brulee: PANTONE 13-1006

Percentage of designers who used this color: 2.8

"This is a great neutral color that goes with everything else ‹ put it next to any of the colors in the top 10, and it works with anything," Eiseman said.

She noted that Crème Brûlée is really a warmer, softer variation of the color white for the season. "Something we're seeing on the red carpet is a return to lighter gowns – off-white, white – I think it's an ongoing influence," she said.

Nanette Lepore, Wichy Hassan for Miss Sixty and Kimora Lee Simmons for Baby Phat all worked with Crème Brûlée for fall.

for more check the Pantone Color Report

via WWD by Cecily Hall