Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year is… Classic Blue

Pantone has officially announced PANTONE® 19-4052 Classic Blue as the Color of the Year for 2020.

A worthy successor to 2019’s Living Coral and 2018’s Ultra Violet, Classic Blue is calm, confident, and, well, classic color “suggestive of the sky at dusk.” Explaining the reasoning behind the pick in a press release, Pantone revealed the color’s timelessness, elegance and simplicity were the main determining factors. And I mean, they are not wrong. From denim to tailored suit, the Classic Bue Hue has long been a staple in across fashion and beauty. We’ve seen our faves — from Rihanna to Halima Aden and Hailey Bieber — rocking the color and, further proving its pertinence, it was all over the SS20 runways as well — from Dries Van Noten to Ferragamo.

According to Pantone, Classic Blue symbolizes “protection, stability, peace, and confidence” and “encourages deep thinking, open mindfulness, and communication.” And, because ringing in a new decade calls for a celebration, Pantone is also introducing a new multisensory experience for the Color of the Year 2020 unveiling. Alongside the color of the year, the brand has also announced the taste, texture, scent and sound of the Color of the Year — thanks to partnerships with brands like Firmenich, AudioUX, LANDR, and The Inside.

“As we all head into a new era, we wanted to challenge ourselves to find inspiration from new sources that not only evolve our Color of the Year platform, but also help our global audiences achieve richer and more rewarding color experiences,” Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a press release. “This desire, combined with the emotional properties of PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue, motivated us to expand beyond the visual, to bring the 2020 Pantone Color of the Year to life through a multi-sensory experience.”

The multisensory experience includes a “comforting and familiar” sound, a “soft, velvety” texture, a “gentle and elegant” taste, as well as an airy scent infused with “blue water and sea salt.” With this new approach, Pantone hopes to urge people to “think about color differently.” Intriguing.

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Photo Credit:  Alim Yakubov / Shutterstock.com