magic: Pantone Color Report Fall 2012

MEN'S HUES—TASTEFUL AND CONFIDENT BEAUTY AND COLOR TREND PREDICTIONS

By Erinn Morgan

The key shades highlighted by the Pantone Color Report for fall 2012 are inspired by everything magic, ranging from fantasy and illusion to potions and witches.

Fashion designers focus on a palette of hues for the fall 2012 season that transports consumers to enchanted places that are free from the stresses of everyday life. Fashion's mysterious places are packed with potions and magic and inspired by fantasy and illusion.

This charmed space brews up a blend of Bohemian, ladylike, and dressed-up silhouettes along with a mystical collection of colors.

“By playing to consumers' practical side with versatile neutrals, and boosting their confidence with bold, spirited hues, this skillfully balanced palette has something for everyone,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

FALL 2012′S TOP HUES

COLOR: Pink Flambé
Details: One of the more vibrant hues in the season's mysterious lineup, Pink Flambé is a delicious shade with a bit of heat.
Complementary Colors: Some designers channel retro inspirations by pairing this color with Tangerine Tango. Others tame the spice of Pink Flambé with cooling blue-green Ultramarine Green.
Designer Inspiration: Fashion designers Rachel Roy and Peter Som embrace Pink Flambé for the Fall 2012 season, splashing the feminine, saturated hue on dresses and suits. They also balance some of the season's darker color tones, such as Titanium and French Roast, with the bold beauty of Pink Flambé.

COLOR: Honey Gold
Details: This mellow, burnished yellow reminds one of the soft-muted rays of autumn's sunlight.
Complementary Colors: This hue pairs nicely with the sensible and strong Olympian Blue for a classic yet modern look.
Designer Inspiration: Designer Carmen Marc Valvo looks to the smokey timelessness of Lauren Bacall in her film noir days for inspiration. He uses Honey Gold, which is akin to classic camel, as a prominent shade to combine with soft winter pastels. NAHM's Nary Manivong and Alexandria Hilfiger were inspired to use Honey Gold and a range of light colors by the state of the economy. “Women need fantasy, escape, happiness, and color to lift their spirits,” they say.

Fashions feature the season's hottest hues. Designers shown on this page: 1. Tracy Reese in French Roast and Tangerine Tango. 2. Bill Blass in Tangerine Tango

COLOR: Tangerine Tango
Details: Vivacious and enticing, this citrus hue brings an exciting element to the season's magical collection of colors.
Complementary Colors: This shade mixes nicely with Pink Flambé to call up a retro feeling. It also works perfectly as an accent to the season's darker shades, such as French Roast and Titanium.
Designer Inspiration: Tangerine Tango is her signature color for the season and designer Tracy Reese is using an ample supply of it to pair with Honey Gold and Titanium plus Rhapsody for a more baroque look. At Bill Blass, designer Jeffrey Monteiro is employing Tangerine Tango as a key color for the fall 2012 offering; it works perfectly with the textures and fabrics of the collection.

COLOR: Ultramarine Green
Details: Pure magic—Ultramarine Green is a deep, cooling blue-green.
Complementary Colors: It pairs perfectly with warmer tones that pop such as Tangerine Tango and Pink Flambé.
Designer Inspiration: Designer Ella Moss found her inspiration for the season in witches and warlocks, misty landscapes, dreamy skies, and love potions. Ultramarine Green is a spot-on fit for this direction. “Its rich intensity and boldness in color are a perfect complement to a more casual or a more dressed-up wardrobe,” she says.

Designers shown on this page: 3. Charlotte Ronson; 4. Peter Som; 5. BCBG by Max and Lubov Azria; 6. Nanette Lepore. Men's look above right: Tommy Hilfiger

Men's fashion colors for Fall 2012 also follow the magical direction of the season, yet they are definitely more grounded. The more masculine palette includes popping hues such as Tangerine Tango, Bright Chartreuse, and Ultramarine Green.

It also brings in an additional range of colors, including Rhubarb, an intensely deep, pungent purple-brown, and Sea Fog, a gray with a muted purple cast. In addition, the unique Whitecap Gray is a classic off-white that churns just like an overturning wave under a winter sky.

Smart color combinations deliver an overall feeling of confidence and masculinity. Key pairings include Tangerine Tango with cooling Honey Gold, sophisticated Whitecap Gray and Sea Fog with Titanium, and bold and fun Ultramarine Green with Bright Chartreuse and Olympian Blue.

COLOR: Bright Chartreuse
Details: A green of a different nature, Bright Chartreuse is a yellow-green that helps fashion make the transitions from summer to fall. It creates a bridge to the cooling days of fall while brightening up the complete fall palette.
Complementary Colors: Reminiscent of spring's bright green leaves, this hue is a perfect accent to every color in the fall 2012 color collection.
Designer Inspiration: Fashion designer and color guru Nanette Lepore was inspired to use a preponderance of Bright Chartreuse in her collection by the Francesco Clemente exhibit “The Tarots” at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

COLOR: Olympian Blue
Details: A sensible and strong hue that serves as a balancing act for the unusual and mystical tones of the season.
Complementary Colors: This patriotic shade melds nicely with soft and warm Honey Gold, as well as many of the other more eye-popping colors of the season's palette.
Designer Inspiration: Designer James Coviello, who was inspired this season by the quirky color combinations of early 1960s interior decorations, covered Olympian Blue in Pink Flambé and black polka dots for a sophisticated yet playful effect.

COLOR: Titanium
Details: A strong staple color for the fall 2012 season, Titanium is the quintessential cool gray.
Complementary Colors: The coolness of Titanium works well with the season's bright pops, such as Pink Flambé and Tangerine Tango, and the lovely light pink tone of Rose Smoke.
Designer Inspiration: The young designer Charlotte Ronson takes direction this season from the free-spirited bohemian lifestyle and the tribal nomads of the world. Her must-have item of the season is a ‘70s-inspired slip dress in a print that pairs Titanium with Ultramarine Green.

COLOR: Rhapsody
Details: This muted, quiet, ethereal hue is a grayed-down purple that encourages comfort and serenity.
Complementary Colors: Blends nicely with Titanium and Ultramarine Green for a purely mystical look.
Designer Inspiration: Fashion veteran Nicole Miller found her fall 2012 inspiration from the mystical and funky music of the ‘70s. Titanium is her signature neutral color and she is pairing it abundantly with greens throughout her collection.

COLOR: French Roast
Details: Just like a good cuppa, this solid hue is rich and robust. It is tasty, sophisticated, and a great alternative to the basic black that has always been standard fare in the fall.
Complementary Colors: This staple hue works seamlessly with all the other top tones of the Fall 2012 season.
Designer Inspiration: Inspired by unusual interior fabrics and colors, Tracy Reese found French Roast to be the perfect platform for her fall 2012 collection, which highlights bright colors such as Tangerine Tango and Ultramarine Green.

COLOR: Rose Smoke
Details: Light and lovely, this hue is a veiled rose tone.
Complementary Colors: The simple beauty of rose smoke is a perfect complement to Rhapsody and Titanium.
Designer Inspiration: Los Angeles' pop culture and art, plus its geographical surroundings, were the inspiration for the fall 2012 collection of BCBG by Max and Lubov Azria. Warm desert hues such as Rose Smoke show up on dresses and suits this fall as a contrast to darker hues, creating interest and providing balance. FB

Designers shown on this page use color to express mystical and magical looks: 7. James Coviello; 8. Nicole Miller; 9. NAHM by Nary Manivong and Alexandria Hilfiger; 10. Ella Moss by Pamella Protzel Scott

Pantone checked in with key fashion retail executives across the country to get their predictions on key beauty and color trends for the fall 2012 season.

Nicole Fischelis, GVP/fashion director, Macy's
“Deeply saturated blue/green shades of teal will give a special intensity to the fall 2012 palette. From a variety of silhouettes, new fabrications and combinations of conversational prints, fusion is the key this fall. In addition, shimmer and shine add a new level of sophistication to the season. Makeup takes center stage with jewel eye shadow tones of purple and deep greens, long lashes, ruby lips, and shimmer nails.”

Colleen Sherin, senior fashion director, Saks Fifth Avenue
“In terms of a beauty trend and color palette for Fall 2012, I believe we will see a return to a more classic and polished look, with a deep red lip, possibly complemented by a smokey eye. Hair may be swept back into an undone ponytail or chignon. This was prevalent in several of the early fall collections and also appeared on many a stunning starlet during the awards season. This is a striking look when worn with some of the darker green, petrol, and berry tones of the season.”

Heidi Ware, senior fashion editor, eBay
“For beauty trends, I predict long disheveled braids and long hair that is tousled with uneven layers. For colors, I'm going to predict race car reds, indigos, and neutrals such as clay and dove gray. And for discovering even more standout colors to add to your wardrobe this year, I'm loving the Image Swatch feature on eBay Fashion's iPhone app—you just snap a photo of whatever is inspiring you at the moment and the tool searches eBay for similar colors and patterns. It's an awesome way to find new styles out of your comfort zone that you normally wouldn't shop for.”