Pantone Playful Electric Pastels

Photo by Fran Hogan on Unsplash

Electric Pastels

Jane Boddy | Pantone Color Institute | Creative Contributor, Europe

In the past few years, we have seen the classically soft pastels evolve from being pretty and soft to have more vibrance, more saturation and packing an extra punch. I call these electric pastels because they fizz with a fresh energy.

THIS COLOUR GROUP IS ONE OF THE MOST DEFINING COLOUR GROUPS OF OUR TIME, HAVING FOLLOWED A JOURNEY THAT STARTED 5 YEARS AGO IN 2016, when millennial pink became one of the biggest topics within the design industries, challenging the way pink had been stereotyped as feminine. Pantone Color Institute was aligned at this time with this message, releasing 2 colours of the year, PANTONE 13-1520 Rose Quartz & PANTONE 15-3919 Serenity.

FASHION, HOME + INTERIORS

14-6340

Spring Bouquet

14-0443

Kiwi Colada

14-4514

Atomizer

14-4515

Blue Elixir

15-1435

Desert Flower

15-1243

Papaya

15-2213

Bonbon

16-3720

Sand Verbena

Photos by Jane Boddy

JUMPING FORWARD TO 2021 THESE PLAYFUL PASTELS SIGNIFY A DESIRE FOR JOYFULNESS. Colours such as PANTONE 15-1243 Papaya (PANTONE 1565 C), PANTONE 14-0443 Kiwi Colada (PANTONE 388 C) and PANTONE 15-1435 Desert Flower (PANTONE 177 C) have a gentle brightness that cannot help but bring a smile to your face, eliciting feelings of positivity and changing our experiences. The feel-good factor of these colours is currently one of the biggest talking points in the world of design.

It's important to look at the level of detail in these tones; they have a dynamic and fresh vibrance, fizzing with an undeniable energy which is almost palpable. They are bright but also soft. It's this softness which makes them easier to work with and, also what makes them forward thinking and modern.

They appear youthful but appeal to all age groups and can be applied to luxury goods to give them an instant cool factor, whilst simultaneously giving tech and cosmetic packaging an energising refresh.

GRAPHICS

2412 C

388 C

332 C

636 C

177 C

1565 C

236 C

2086 C

Photos by Joshua Coleman on Unsplash

THE OTHER KEY FACTOR TO CONSIDER IS THAT THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT HINT OF NOSTALGIA ABOUT THESE COLOURS, THEY REMIND US OF THE PAST. Colours such as PANTONE 15-2213 Bonbon (PANTONE 236 C) and PANTONE 14-4514 Atomizer (PANTONE 636 C) could almost have come from imagery depicting Miami beach life in the 1980s or leisure looks of the 90s. This feeling of nostalgia also adds to the conversation, bringing a much-needed level of comfort.

As we look to more of an analogue past as a point of reference the vibrancy of these colours also suggests our fascination with the current digital revolution. In VR Gaming electric pastels appear plucked from the screen, they are now the modern choice for digital colour providing digital escapism, rather than the extreme bright levels that have historically been used in this field.

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor