When choosing a colour of the year for 2022, the Pantone Color Institute did something it has never done before - it created an entirely brand new colour rather than selecting from their already vast array of hues.
“We just needed to open our minds to a new vision, so I think part of that was realizing [that] maybe we have to transform our process as well,” Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, said to AD.
The colour, called Very Peri, is a vibrant shade of periwinkle blue with undertones of energizing red and violet.
Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, refers to it as “the happiest and the warmest of all the blue hues,” citing its “sprightly, joyous, dynamic presence.”
It is inspired by the current way in which humanity moves seamlessly between physical and digital realms.
In the same way, Very Peri is versatile and can serve a transitional purpose across a range of textures and surfaces.
Eiseman notes, it is a great colour to use in transitional spaces such as an entry hall, or as a starter for those who want to add some colour into their home but are a little hesitant.
In this untypical zeitgeist we are living through, Very Peri “embodies a courageous presence and encourages personal inventiveness and creativity," says Eiseman. "And if there was ever a time historically where we need that - it is now.”
