color | orchid | pantone color of the year

2014

radiant orchid 

photo credits wall street journal and chicago tribune

color authority pantone, has named radiant orchid the color of the year for 2014.  pantone, a division of x-rite, provides professional color standards for the design industries.

leatrice eiseman, executive director of the pantone color institute® associates orchid, which has purple, fushcia, and pink undertones, with creativity and originality.

wendy donahue, a chicago tribune newspaper columnist, describes the pantone color of the year as 'one part cultural indicator and one part marketing forecast.'  

so from a marketing perspective, the color orchid could appeal to fashion conscious, tech savvy, 20-30 year old consumers because they value creativity and originality.

would you describe 'it' colors, such as orchid, or other fashion trends, such as 'it' handbags or 'it' shoes, as individualist?  or, as conformist?

 manolo blahnik | bb suede pointed toe flat | orchid purple
photo credit neiman marcus

people seem to either really like or really dislike purple.  so, orchid could be considered an individualistic color. 

if you are an interior designer, orchid could seem too reminiscent of 1980's mauve and teal color schemes to become 'the new new thing'.
 
'the kids are rocking an '80s-comeback thing, but mauve is like the one thing I will never, ever embrace.'
 -jonathan adler, potter, designer, and author

if you really like purple, would you use orchid as an accent color in a neutral interior design scheme?

living room | greenwich CT | interior design by suzanne kastler

photo credit simon upton

or, as the primary color?

bedroom | 2007 kip's bay decorator showhouse | new york NY | interior design by drake design associates

photo credit nick johnson