The spring 2012 color trend is influenced by “renewed energy, optimism and the promise of a brighter day”.
The colors for this season reflect a variety of moods with a mixture of sunny brights, light-hearted pastels, and gentle neutrals.
Here are the ten Pantone colors for Spring 2012:
Spring 2012 Color Palette
Top row, left to right:
- Cabaret (an intense rose)
- Driftwood (a weathered blend of gray and beige)
- Bellflower (an ornamental purple)
- Cockatoo (a light hearted blue-green)
- Tangerine Tango (a juicy orange).
Bottom row, left to right:
- Margarita (a tangy yellow-green)
- Sweet Lilac (a gentle pink-lilac)
- Solar Power (a bold cheery yellow)
- Starfish (a warm-weather neutral)
- Sodalite Blue (a seaside classic blue).
I especially like the less intense colors in this palette.
My favorites are Margarita, Driftwood, Starfish, Cockatoo, Sweet Lilac, and Bellflower.
We don’t know yet what the 2012 Color of the Year will be, but I’ll let you know as soon as I find out.
My guess is that it will be a blue or green, since the 2011 color was Honeysuckle pink – I think Pantone tends to alternate cool and warm colors for the Color of the Year.
On this Spring 2012 color trend palette (shown above), which colors are your favorites? Your least favorites?
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My favorites are driftwood, cockatoo, margarita, sweet lilac and starfish. I just bought some rhodonite on a whim at the last bead show I went to, looks like that was a good choice!
Oh god, I hate working with yellows & oranges!! At least there are plenty of blues and greens. Love the bellflower and sweet lilac though. Actually, while i’m writing this, I’d be grateful if some of you could isit my website and give me some feedback. I had a friend do it for me as i’m not into that sort of thing and i don’t think it quite “works” but i’m not sure what i can change – HELP!!!
I totally didn’t like cabaret, but I loved the cockatoo, tangerine, margarita, and sodalite blue.
I kinda dig the starfish paired with the cockatoo. But how would one use them together in a piece of jewelry? I must contemplate this. *strokes invisible beard*
I realise this is not answering the question, but I want to ask one of my own. Living in the southern hemisphere means our seasons are opposite those in the northern hemisphere. Can anyone tell me if we down under just have to lag behind in the colour trends or if Pantone publishes early enough for us to get a jump on the rest of the world? Our spring is almost over so it’s too late to consider these colours now, unless they flow into summer as well.
Melody, that’s an interesting question! It’s amazing how often the southern hemisphere’s seasons are ignored by the fashion industry.
I’ve heard a few different schools of thought on using seasonal color trends in the southern hemisphere:
1) If you sell your jewelry online, you’re potentially serving a global market – so seasonal color may be less relevant.
2) In the southern hemisphere, the Pantone seasonal colors can be bumped into the future – so the Pantone Fall 2011 colors become the southern hemisphere’s Fall 2012 colors.
As far as whether you can use the seasonal colors earlier instead of later:
Pantone released their 2011 Fall Fashion Color Report in February 2011; their Spring 2012 Fashion Color Report was released in September 2011.
I’m not sure that timing is early enough for you to be one season ahead with your jewelry lines – although I agree that would be ideal if you could!
Here’s another thought:
In stores here in the U.S., I usually see the Pantone seasonal colors represented in the newest clothing lines. (Right now in November 2011, I see a lot of the Pantone Fall 2011 colors in the clothing stores.)
What Pantone colors do you see in Australian clothing shops right now? Are they they more like the Pantone Spring 2011 colors, or the Pantone Fall 2011 colors – or the Spring 2012 colors shown above?
That might be the best way to decide which season / year’s palette to use as a color guide, since you’re creating jewelry to be worn with what your customers are currently wearing.
I’d love to hear further insights on the southern hemisphere seasonal color issue!
Wow, thanks Rena for taking so much time to answer my question – I really appreciate it! I’ll check out the links you mention and pay more attention to the fashion stores.
You’re right about Pantone not publishing in time for us to be ahead, since September is our first spring month, but as you say, having a website opens the market up to the rest of the world, so there is that potential opportunity.
Are there any other Aussies/NZers/African nations/South Americans who can tell us what they do?
Haven’t met a color I didn’t like! However, some are harder to work with than others.I try to purchase beads in each of the coming season’s trend colors before starting to design. I do quite a bit of custom work and like to have a supply of the beads and colors on hand. This coming season’s personal favorites? Cabaret, Bellflower, Cockatoo, and for a neutral, Driftwood or Starfish. The ideas are starting to flow so I must run to begin sketching! Have fun with this new season!
I love cabaret and sodalite! Orange/yellows are my least favorite. Great post – thanks for sharing.
This is my first newsletter, and I feel like I hit the jackpot. I always wondered how the designers knew the next seasons colors ahead of time. I feel blessed!!
My favorites: tangerine tango-margarita ( like the drink too)-starfish and sodalite.
I am excited to have a starting pallete for spring. Thanks can not wait to read more!
thank you
Brainstorming on color combos. Was thinking cockatoo as aquamarine, and starfish as whiskey quartz. I think they’d be stunning together. So inspired! Thank you!
I love the colors. I’m completely all about color, all shades and tones. I look at color as the energy of life – after all, what would it be like living in a world of black and white or all neutrals?!!
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