Pantone Color of the Year 2023: Viva Magenta

Color swatch, Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta

Color has the power to influence us and to make a statement about the world. And that is exactly what the Pantone Color of the Year, Viva Magenta, does. “Powerful and empowering, Viva Magenta is an animated red that encourages experimentation and self-expression without restraint,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president Pantone Color Institute when she introduced the hue and the “Magentaverse” at a live-streamed presentation during Art Basel in Miami.

The Institute selects a color of the year based on what is going on in the world at large — the economy, politics, art, technology, film, entertainment and other cultural touchstones play into the choice. The Pantone Color Institute global team members weigh in on the decision and the color is selected and named to reflect the trends that people around the world are experiencing collectively, no matter who you are or where you live.

Nature Versus Digital

As technology looms larger in our lives we look to draw inspiration from nature. Pressman says this color does both, straddling the virtual and natural worlds.  Viva Magenta gets inspiration from the cochineal beetle, which produces carmine dye, one of the most precious, strongest and most vibrantly colored natural dyes. According to the Institute Viva Magenta, “vibrates with vim and vigor.” The Institute notes that the Color of the Year 2023 merges the richness, warmth, and strength of natural matters with the rich, open horizons of the digital world. The result is a shade of red that expands our horizons of authenticity.

“This year’s Color of The Year is powerful and empowering,” explained Leatrice Eiseman, executive director, Pantone Color Institute, in a press statement, reinforcing the colors experimental and expressive nature. “It is a new animated red that revels in pure joy…an electrifying, and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a color that is audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all.”

Viva Magenta and Tourmaline

Lucky for all of us, Mother Nature has gifted jewelry enthusiasts with rubellite tourmaline, a colored gemstone that evokes Viva Magenta. It’s rich pinkish red tones capture the essence of the 2023 Color of the Year. It’s a color that works well for accessories, adding a pop of brightness to any outfit. Think about pairing your tourmalines with subtle grays, or light blues for a more understated look, or if you’re feeling bolder wear it with all pink for a stand-out statement.

If you’re daring enough to wear Viva Magenta clothing and you want to pair it with another gemstone try yellow sapphire if you’re feeling cheeky. If you’re in a quieter mood, try wearing moon stone or champagne diamonds, with this vibrant shade.

In a Q&A interview for the Pantone Color Institute website, Pressman notes that the color is meant to move us in a positive direction. “Viva Magenta offers us the assurance and motivation we need to weather long-term disruptive events. Three years deep into a pandemic, facing a war, an unstable economy, social unrest, supply chain breakdowns, and mounting climate change, we need to heal. And still, we need to find the motivation to continue. Viva Magenta cloaks us in both power and grace, and sends us out into the world with the verve we’ve yearned for,” she says.

Color is an important part of communication and Viva Magenta sends a message of hope during turbulent times. “Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative,” concludes Eiseman.

Featured Image (Top of page):  Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta

Authored by Amber Michelle