Viva Magenta vs. Apricot Crush: What Color Will Reign Supreme in 2023?
Pantone named Viva Magenta as the 2023 color of the year. This shade is incredibly vibrant, more red than Valentino’s already iconic Pink PP Collection, but not any less bright. Pantone says that it is “brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.”
Courtesy of InStyle
Pantone has a long history of choosing iconic colors to be color of the year, like cerulean in the year 2000. The company has their finger on the pulse of color trends, and Magenta is certainly going to continue to make a splash in 2023, as it did in 2022. However, my question is: is it too late for magenta? It seems as though this color, while not finished by any means, is already on the decline in its popularity.
Courtesy of Fashion Magazine
WGSN, the global authority on trend forecasting, and Coloro, which is a part of WGSN focused on color, listed Apricot Crush as their color of the year- for 2024. They call Apricot Crush a “restorative, fresh, and energetic,” and is meant to encourage hopefulness and positivity in a period of unique challenges. This color is forecasted as featuring heavily in the 2023/2024 autumn and winter seasons, which means that its impact will be seen far before 2024 hits.
Courtesy of Fashionista
Orange as a color in general is steadily gaining momentum and popularity. It is bright and fun, versatile, and gender inclusive. It is already being seen in various shades for the winter of 2022/23, and tangerine is proving to be a popular color for this coming spring. It is full of life, and accomplishes something remarkably similar to what magenta was; I mean, the descriptions “brave and fearless” and “fresh and energetic” are not at all far from one another, especially when both Viva Magenta and Apricot Crush are meant to promote a sense of optimism during a challenging time.
Courtesy of Design Intervention
Sure, there is room for both bold, bright red magenta and soft, happy apricot orange in fashion and home decor in the coming year. When it comes to choosing the defining color of the year, however, we must be a little bit more scrutinizing. I, personally, would say that orange shades will make a bigger splash in the coming year, and I have no problem with Apricot Crush being the mascot for the orange wave.
One thing that these colors can agree on is that they desperately want to imbue consumers who are unsure of the future with optimism and happiness. So whether it is Viva Magenta or Apricot Crush that reigns supreme this year, one this is for certain; 2023 will be a year of bold colors.