Pantone, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today released the PANTONE® Fashion Color Report Spring 2009. The report features the top 10 colors for women’s fashion for spring ’09, along with designer sketches, quotes and headshots. The availability of the PANTONE Fashion Color Report coincides with the beginning of New York Fashion Week and is available free-of-charge from the Pantone Web site at www.pantone.com/spring2009.

According to the report, blue and purple lead the top 10 hues for spring ’09. The palette also includes pops of vibrant color representing the optimism of the season, combined with sophisticated neutrals to ground the palette and provide stability in an unpredictable economic climate. A spectrum of greens rounds out the report, evoking a sense of freshness and new beginnings.

“New York’s fashion designers encourage hopeful attitudes with lively colors, while sophisticated, grounded hues address the need for stability in times of economic uncertainty,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

The top 10 spring '09 colors for women are:

 

PANTONE 18-4043 Palace Blue

 

PANTONE 14-1307 Rose Dust

PANTONE 15-3817 Lavender

PANTONE 16-5804 Slate Gray

PANTONE 14-0754 Super Lemon

PANTONE 16-6339 Vibrant Green

PANTONE 15-1626 Salmon Rose

PANTONE 16-0435 Dark Citron

PANTONE 18-2328 Fuchsia Red

PANTONE 14-5714 Lucite Green

Fall ’08 saw blue and purple rise to the forefront of fashion. As is often true, colors evolve from season to season, and spring ’09 is no exception. Palace Blue, a favorite among designers this season, takes a steadfast, classic, spring navy-like tone and makes it sparkle. Paired with just about any color in the report, it offers many intriguing spring combinations. Taking purple in a lighter direction, Lavender presents a softer, more summery hue, extending the mystical aspects of purple available last fall.

As yellow continues to make its mark on the world of fashion, tangy Super Lemon brings a fun, optimistic outlook to the palette. Its luminosity is determined to evoke a smile and attract the roving consumer’s eyes. Taking a cue from its lemony neighbor, friendly and approachable Salmon Rose also conveys an optimistic outlook. The subtlest of oranges, Salmon Rose is flattering to most complexions and is beautiful with a summer glow. Think sensual and seductive Fuchsia Red for clothing, as well as lipstick and nail polish selections, this spring. With its blue undertones, this cool red is a real show-stopper, adding a sense of elegance to the palette.

Stabilizing neutrals provide practicality in a changing economic landscape. Not your average beige, Rose Dust breaks away from the typical neutrals associated with spring by adding dimension with subtle rose undertones. And with its bluish-green undertones, cool Slate Gray is a nuanced neutral that can be paired with any of the other nine colors in the report.

Three greens, each with their own distinct personality, round out the color palette for spring ‘09, perpetuating the idea of freshness and renewal. Vibrant Green, the quintessential spring hue, brings a true verdancy to the palette in a time of revitalization. Dark Citron, a citrus-inspired green, is calmer and more serious than most, offering an element of sophistication to the mix. Reflective Lucite Green, a clean, clear subtle hue, adds a slight shimmer.

The colors featured in the PANTONE Fashion Color Report are culled from the PANTONE FASHION + HOME Color System, the most widely used and recognized color standard in the world. Each season, Pantone surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week to collect feedback on prominent collection colors, color inspiration and color philosophy. This information is used to create the PANTONE Fashion Color Report and serves as a reference tool throughout the year for fashion enthusiasts, reporters and retailers.

About Pantone

Pantone, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, has been the world’s color authority for 45 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone now offers designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com.

About X-Rite

X-Rite, Incorporated, is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes color industry leader Pantone, develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite’s expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com.

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PANTONE® and other Pantone, Inc. trademarks are the property of Pantone, Inc. © Pantone, Inc., 2008. All rights reserved.
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