AMERICANWAY

BRIEF: Q&A COLOR GUIDE: COURTESY PANTONE W E ALL KNOW people who are chro- mophobic, if you will — their pa- ralysis over picking colors sends them scurrying back to the safety of beige every time. Color expert Leatrice Eiseman is here to help. As the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, Eiseman provides a rainbow connection, pairing clients with the perfect color to distinguish their brand or themselves from the pack. Her work highlights the intrinsic interplay be- tween psychology and color — and how different hues can shade our mood. Each year, during the first week of December, Eiseman and the Pantone team take center stage to announce Pantone's Color of the Year, the hue that's due to hit it big in the coming year. Last year's winner, radiant orchid, followed such gems as emerald and tangerine tango. "It excites people's imaginations," says Eiseman, who is also the director of the Eiseman Center for Color Infor- mation and Train ing and the author of nine books on color. "It gets them to be a little more thoughtful about the colors they choose, and perhaps a little braver." AMERICAN WAY: How do you select the Pantone Color of the Year? LEATRICE EISEMAN: Cerulean was the launch color in 2000, the Color of the Millennium. Since then, for Color of the Year, we've chosen colors that spoke to the zeitgeist; what was going on at that particular time that encouraged the usage of that color. Some people might get the impres- sion that it's a fluffy subject. That we throw a dart at a bunch of color chips on the wall and [which- ever color it lands on] wins. We really do a lot of homework. Of course, you have to look at fash- ion. Big events, such as the World Cup, play into it. We look at artists: who's having traveling shows, which means their work will have a more universal impact. The world of entertainment is huge, because it influences millions of people. We look at socio- economic factors. Is it a time when people will be entertaining, or when the economy is down? AW : H ow d o e s t h e economy affect color choice? LE: When the reces- sion hit in 2008, a lot of people thought twice about their choices. They were holding on to things for a longer period of time. It doesn't mean that you stop using color. But perhaps on big-ticket items you go with a neutral color, something practical, because it has to last. AW : Is there a particular source you've found to be spot- on for color trends? LE : Animated films are really the most amazing source for color di- rection. The animators and graphic designers are constantly working on the development of color. The tech- nology is allowing them to create these gorgeous colors on the screen. For example, in Frozen, the sisters wore radiant orchid capes. You see that use of bright, bold colors. So there are cues like that. AW: How do you name a color? LE: We try to make a color name a little provoca- tive and evocative. You want people to be able to attach a thought or feeling to the color. There's a romance that is involved as well. Take radiant orchid, for example. It tells you this is not a quiet, shy color. Orchid has an exotic flavor attached to it as well. It tweaks your interest. AW: How can we use color to our advantage? LE: If you give a child a box of crayons, they im- mediately reach for their favorite color and start scribbling with great abandon. Then other critical influences enter your life and tell you what to do and what to like. You need to go back to that voice in your head. If you respond to a color viscer- ally, there's a reason why. So, for instance, if you spend a lot of time in an office, bring in some of that color to your space. Bring in flowers, hang a poster, throw a pillow on your chair. Have some- thing that your eye can light on that will evoke that pleasant feeling. The Rainbow Connection When it comes to colors, LEATRICE EISEMAN makes the rules. "It gets them to be a little more thought- ful about the colors they choose, and perhaps a little BRAVER." To learn more about the Pantone Color Institute, visit www.pantone.com TRUE COLORS: Eiseman (left) holds Pantone on Fashion: A Century of Color in Design; the Fashion Home + Interiors Color Guide (above) 3 8 N OV E M B E R 2 01 4 A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY

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