At Artechouse in Miami last night, Pantone revealed its color of the year for 2023: a shade known as Viva Magenta, a hue that is red but not too red, pink but not too pink.
Pantone described Viva Magenta as “a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes optimism and joy. Powerful and empowering, it is an animated red that encourages experimentation and self-expression without restraint; an electrifying, boundaryless shade that is manifestly ‘out there’ and is a stand-out statement.”
The color utilizes what Pantone called a “fist in velvet glove” sensibility, striking a balance between elegance and aggressiveness.
Notably, it is not a light pink that could be associated with an increasingly popular aesthetic now known as “Barbiecore,” whose look has infiltrated clothes designed by Balenciaga and many other fashion houses.
Per Pantone, Viva Magenta allows people to find new means of self-expression, whether in the physical realm or the digital one.
Without naming it specifically, Pantone alluded to Viva Magenta’s role in the metaverse, prophesying the rise of what it called a “Magentaverse.” The hue, which has been given the full name PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta, was designed with the help of AI.
Leatrice Eisenman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a statement, “Rooted in the primordial, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta reconnects us to original matter. Invoking the forces of nature, it galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength.”