Will fashion get swept away with “Niagara” next spring? In a webinar “Getting Color Right for Spring ’17,” Pantone named the shade of denim blue the top color for the season.
Pantone said the hazy ozone shade of blue resembles washed denim and exudes “ease and relaxation.” The color has been seen in Spring ’17 runway shows by DKNY, Gucci and Adam Selman.
Pantone Global Director of Marketing for Fashion, Home and Interiors Mitchell Cole said yarn dyeing is denim brands’ best shot at creating the color.
During the webinar, Cole said the best way to communicate these specific colors to suppliers is by keeping the language simple and making adjustments by saying a shade is “too light” or “too dark.”
Cole also emphasized the importance of having a standardized environment when looking at the shade of a material. Factors like lighting and humidity can greatly affect the way a color looks at the factory and then how it might look in a retail space. Cole recommended the designer and supplier use the same kind of lighting. For Pantone’s purposes, he said the company keeps a humidity of 65 percent for looking at fabric swatches.
Cole’s foolproof way for matching the Niagara color: “I’ve seen this denim color in the market, so I would suggest you buy a garment and have it analyzed in a lab or at your supplier.”
