It appears our warm-hued friend orange will color our world next year beyond the season of candy corn, cornucopias, and clementines.
The color czars at Pantone last week named Tangerine Tango (or red-orange in the Crayola box) as the 2012 Color of the Year.
Tangerine Tango is a specific mix of crimson with a dash of yellow. Commonly found in sunsets and Hermès prints, it will likely spice up our wardrobes, automobiles, and home decor in coming months.
"Tangerine Tango takes on the spirit of red with the warmth and cheerfulness of yellow," explained Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the New Jersey-based Pantone Color Institute.
"It's vivacious. It's magnetic. It has that spurt of energy that we need in an era that is filled with malaise and concern. It gives us something to smile about."
Eiseman pointed to the ready-to-wear spring 2012 collections of Valentino, Elie Tahari, Nanette Lepore, Chloe, and Derek Lam as proof that the punchy shade is on the horizon in both men and women's wear.
She also noted a Jonathan Adler couch and a digital camera from Sony. And in March, Sephora will launch a color-of-the-year beauty collection featuring eye shadows, lipsticks, lip glosses, and nail polishes in the burning shade.
Orange lipstick is already selling well locally. "My number-one-selling lipstick is Micro Melon," said Ursula Augustine, owner of Rittenhouse Square makeup studio Ursula's About Phace. "It's an orangey, tangerine lipstick that looks good on everybody."
Not long ago, Eiseman said, orange was considered, loud. Tacky, even.
"It used to be considered a fast-food color," she said. "But now it's bold and rich."
These days we see orange and think Prius, ING Direct, Firefox, even Center City Sips. Could Tangerine Tango be the new color of money?
Orange will be popular this year because our interest in fashion, culture, and lifestyle is based on global trends, Eiseman said. As fashion designers find their inspiration from Africa and India, bold colors, especially those in the red family, become more important. It can even be considered a calming color, she said. After all, Buddhists wear orange robes.
Fashion is following the citrusy suit.
"I just sold out of a reddish-orange long-sleeved soft sweatshirt-like top by Vince," said Pam Katz, owner of Main Line boutique First Impressions. "We are having a red fall and we are going to have an orange spring."
