Even the name of Pantone’s 2023 Color of the Year is full of life. Calling it “powerful and empowering,” Pantone describes Viva Magenta (PANTONE 18-1750) as “a new animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint, an electrifying, and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement.” It’s for rebellious spirits and lovers of life, a bold and exuberant shade of red rooted in nature.
Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, says, “In this age of technology, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known.”
Pantone considered a heightened appreciation and awareness of nature seen in countless lifestyle trends during this year’s Color of the Year selection process. They looked at the way people are incorporating more living things into their homes, embracing plants and flowers, living walls, and restorative outdoor spaces. Following the pandemic, there’s also newfound enjoyment in outdoor recreation, sports, and travel. We’re taking special care to protect our bodies by seeking natural, trusted, life-giving ingredients. With its organic origins coming from the carmine dye produced by the cochineal beetle, the red tone of Viva Magenta connects us to the earth’s primordial essence, invoking the forces of nature, to galvanize our spirit and build our inner strength.
This shade of red is considered a hybrid color that balances both warm and cool tones. It fuses together the richness, warmth, and strength of natural matters and our enchantment with the wide-open horizons of technology and the digital world, encouraging brave new expression. It is dynamic and forward-looking, inclusive and audacious, transformative but not aggressive, embodying both a feeling of fun and fierce grace.
Because Viva Magenta packs a lot of drama in a small dose, it’s a wonderful color to use for bright accents in a neutral room. Florals, light fixtures, pillows and throws, or bold strokes on a canvas can add these bright pops of color. For the more daring, a velvet settee or floor length drapery will breathe life into your space with its vibrant energy. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination—be brave!