Very Peri Is Pantone's "Inquisitive and Intriguing" 2022 Colour of the Year

The newly created colour combines "a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet red undertone".
Sarah Ward
December 16, 2021

We're living in unprecedented times and, thanks to Pantone's colour experts, we now have the hue to match. Every year, the Pantone Colour Institute selects a shade that it thinks will both set the trend for and sum up the 12 months ahead — and for 2022, it's even created a new colour to take the honours for the first time ever.

2022's Colour of the Year: Very Peri, aka Pantone 17-3938, a brand-new shade that's been described as "a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a vivifying violet red undertone". Pantone is never short on words for its picks of the year, and has also dubbed this purplish blue as "inquisitive and intriguing" and "displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit".

Very Peri is meant to represent transformation, too, as well as the fusion of the physical world and the digital space — all concepts very relevant to forging onwards during the pandemic. Pantone Colour Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman also called it "a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression."

 

Explaining the decision to come up with a new colour, rather than hone in on an existing one, Pantone Colour Institute Vice President Laurie Pressman said that "the Pantone Colour of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that colour can hope to answer."

She continued: "creating a new colour for the first time in the history of our Pantone Colour of the Year educational colour program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. As society continues to recognise colour as a critical form of communication, and a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect, the complexity of this new red violet infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lay before us."

Expect to see all things Very Peri popping up around the place when the new year hits, with Pantone suggesting how they can be used in fashion and accessories, home decor, design and beauty, too.

The new shade takes over from 2021's two colours of the year, Ultimate Gray (Pantone 17-5104) and the vibrant yellow Illuminating (13-0647). The year before, Pantone went with Classic Blue, while 2019's colour was Living Coral, 2018's was Ultra Violet and 2017's was Greenery.

To find out more about Very Peri — and to check out all the previous Colours of the Year — head to the Pantone website.

Published on December 16, 2021 by Sarah Ward
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