Pantone's LFW colour trends play with powerful contrasts

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 21, 2022

The Pantone Color Institute has released its seasonal trend colours for London Fashion Week, offering an AW22 “imaginative and intriguing mix of timeless tones and artful brights [that] embrace our contrasting desire for serenity and stability with energy and excitement”.

It features what the firm’s team sees as the top 10 “standout colours” for the season, as well as current takes on five core classics “we can expect to see as fashion designers introduce new spring/summer collections”.

Highlighting “the chaotic to the calm”, it said AW22 “merges our nature-centric respect for the environment and craving for serenity and wellbeing with light infused pastels and energising brights whose message of joy and optimism, celebrates the now”.

This means a palette “rife with conventional contradictions”.

Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, said that “we see two emerging paths that while completely diverse, are inevitably inter-connected. We see bold and brash colours that lend themselves to exaggerated statements reflecting our desire to embrace life with full vigour, coalescing with an array of neutral and natural tones that embody a sense of calm and containment and satisfy our need for harmony and tranquility.”

The standout colours palette includes: Pantone 18-1555 Molten Lava, a fiery red and intensely bright tone; 16-1460 Dragon Fire, a tone that “blazes with energy and excitement”; 19-3526 Meadow Violet that “enchants and intrigues”; 18-6026 Abundant Green, a verdant green emblematic of flourishing foliage; 14-0952 Spicy Mustard, tagged by the firm as “strikingly exotic”; 17-4032 Lichen Blue, a nature-inspired colour that “evokes serenity”; 13-2005 Strawberry Cream, a light-infused sweet pink; 14-4618 Waterspout, a cool and refreshing colour; 19-1419 Chicory Coffee, a roasted earthy brown; and 17-0529 Cardamom seed, a citrusy herbal pod green.

Meanwhile the core classics include Pantone 12-1403 Tapioca, meant to “warm and comfort”; 15-1040 Iced Coffee, an “enticing” creamy brown; 16-1347 Peach Caramel, a warm sweet peach; 19-4021 Blueberry, a deep and dark indigo blue; and 18-4006 Quiet Shade that’s an “unobtrusive and sturdy grey tone”.