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Singing the Blues... and Reds
A Closer Look at the Hot New Colour Trends for 2005 |
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Written by Carol Neshevich
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A Closer Look at the Hot New Colour Trends for 2005
 There are several new and exciting colour directions predicted to be hot in 2005, but the extension of the blue family seems to be the big news this year. According to a couple of Canadian members of the U.S.-based Colour Marketing Group (CMG), the look of ‘water and sky’ will be inspiring fashions, interior and commercial designs, and of course, floral designers, in the upcoming year.
“In 2005, blue is taking a whole new direction,” says Paul Haft, a Toronto-based brand stylist and member of the CMG. He says it’s going from a deeper ‘black sapphire’ colour, which has more of a jewel tone, to a lighter tone the CMG calls ‘Miami Ice’ – the pastels of the Miami look with a grey tone added. “It’s the continuation of the interest in nature,” he says. Lighter metallic blues will also be popular, giving the effect of light casting on water.
“The teal/aqua family is really big on the (fashion) runways right now,” says Marilyn Brooks, Toronto-based fashion and design expert, who is also a CMG member. Brooks has recently returned from Paris, and said aqua-coloured fashions were everywhere. In fact, an entire Time magazine article was recently dedicated to the popularity of the colour aqua on fashion runways. Brooks says floral designs always follow fashion trends, so the teal/aqua trend is likely to be a hit with the floral industry soon, too.
Brooks says the aqua that’s going to be hot is a ‘toned up’ aqua – it looks like ‘aqua with a splash of water,’ she says. “The look of water is becoming so important in colour trends.” She names a few variations on this aqua, including a teal colour called ‘fresh,’ which is like a very watery teal (she compares this to watercolour paints). With all these aquas and blues in the air, ‘the Iris, with its yellow centre, is going to be pretty darn important’ for floral design, she says.
But we aren’t just singing the blues in 2005 – the pink and red family, which was the big story for 2004, will continue to expand this year too.
In terms of the pinks, Haft believes we’ll be seeing a lot more non-traditional colour combinations with pink in 2005. “We’ll see combinations like pink with chocolate brown or silver,” says Haft. “It’s a masculine/feminine combination of colour palates.”
In general, Haft believes we’re going to see an explosion of this (pink and red) colour family, ranging from light pinks to traditional reds to red/browns. There’s a definite, continuing interest in this colour family. On the more metallic side, there will be a popular copper colour; on the natural side, there’s a reddish/brown neutral that the CMG calls ‘clay pot’; and for a lively touch, there’s a red/orange called ‘virtual tango.’ “Pinks and magentas will continue to be very popular as well,” says Haft.
Brooks agrees that the reds will stay high on the radar screen for 2005. She names several other major tones, including a beautiful pink with a lot of depth and warmth, called ‘hottie,’ and a ‘sweet red,’ which is red combined with fuchsia. And the ‘true red,’ is still around, she says, especially in home décor.
The brash golds are out, and steel and coppery tones are taking over. This is a trend with huge potential for the dried flower market.
Brooks also cites trend-watching company Peclers Paris when she talks about colour trends. Peclers talks about colour trends that aren’t about specific colours, but more about the look and feel of the colour. For instance, she says shine is everywhere. This shiny trend could manifest itself in silvery pinks or shiny coppers. The brash golds are out, says Brooks, but steel and coppery tones are clearly taking over. In terms of the floral industry, Brooks envisions this trend toward subdued shine as a potentially very hot trend in the dried flower market. Drieds can be sprayed with these shiny tones to give a very beautiful effect, she says. “With these types of colours, dried flowers can really set the tone for some different combinations.”
Also popular, according to Peclers, will be the clear Lucite look. This won’t have an impact on the actual flowers of course, says Brooks, but it could really influence trends in vases. Clear glass or plastic vases with “a sculptural, architectural look” will likely be popular. And to bring in the ‘nature’ theme, which will remain popular in 2005, floral designers may choose to include lots of coloured stones in the bottom of clear vases.
But getting back to colour – blues and reds may be the big story, but other colours will definitely be popping up in 2005. In terms of the yellows, says Brooks, there will be two hot tones: ‘yolk,’ which looks like the inside of an egg and can apply to flowers like marigolds and sunflowers; and ‘smiley,’ which is like the colour of yellow mimosa.
The green family will also stay popular, but both Brooks and Haft say there will be a bit of a departure from the lime greens that have been popular in the past year. There will be more yellow in the greens this year, says Haft, noting that a yellow-toned olive colour will be big. And Brooks says overall, greens will get a little darker – lime will still be around, but that lime colour is deepening.
In general, says Brooks, colours are not ‘shouting’ as much. They’re still happy, but a little more subdued. Why? Brooks says lifestyle is a major factor: “I think we all want to have a little more calmness in our lives.”
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