NEW YORK—Move over Ultra Violet, Pantone has announced its new selection for Color of the Year 2019. For 20 years the Pantone Color Institute has been unveiling its Color of the Year and has chosen a vibrant, energizing hue with Living Coral (Pantone 16-1546). This shade, chosen to represent 2019, is an “animating and life-affirming shade of orange with a golden undertone.”

According to Pantone, Living Coral is meant to exude warmth and provide comfort and resilience in today’s constantly shifting environment. The influence that Pantone has on color is already clear as most of us saw an explosion of Living Coral on our social media feeds once the 2019 choice was announced.

Each year Pantone approaches the Color of the Year selection process with thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. Pantone’s color experts at the Pantone Color Institute search for new color influences in areas including the entertainment industry, art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles and socio-economic conditions.

Living Coral has already permeated spheres such as social media, fashion and accessories, beauty, product design, interior décor, packing design and even our own optical industry.

“Color enhances and influences the way we experience life,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. “As a shade that affirms life through a dual role of energizing and nourishing, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral reinforces how colors can embody our collective experience and reflect what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time.”

The fact that this shade appears in our natural surrounding as well as the digital world allows it to represent the juxtaposition that exists in modern life. In eyewear, this tone can provide a sense of experimentation and be used as a tool of exploration and expression for one’s personal style. For those looking to cautiously approach this bold hue, Living Coral works well as an accent shade as it provides a vibrant contrast across the color spectrum.

“Color is an equalizing lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanizing and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial Pantone Living Coral hit a responsive chord.”

Just as we’ve embraced past colors of the year like Ultra Violet, Greenery, Serenity and Rose Quartz, there are no signs of slowing down for Living Coral. Let’s take some inspiration from this new selection and bring a sense of playful experimentation into whatever we find ourselves doing in 2019.