Pantone Colour of the Year: Into the blue

Pantone recently announced its ‘Color of the Year’ – Classic Blue. Here, Vaishali Shah, creative director of leading wedding and events stationer Ananya Cards discusses the significance of the choice and how to incorporate it into your wedding colours

Pantone Color of the Year is an annual event, chosen by the leading US colour specialist after trend forecasting research. The colour picked is influential – it has a tendency to crop up in everything from fashion and interior design to the ‘wallpaper’ of advertising and visual messaging that surrounds us. In 2019 the hue was a bold coral and in 2018 intense lilac, so 2020 is a distinct change of mood. So what does Classic Blue (officially known as 19-4052) signify? According to Pantone, this is a colour of calm.

Vaishali Shah, the creative director of leading wedding and events stationer Ananya Cards agrees. “In the increasingly chaotic and turbulent world we find ourselves living in, with dire warnings of irreparable damage to our environment, Pantone has chosen Classic Blue as a sort of antidote – a colour that represents stability, restfulness and dependability.”

Vaishali adds: “At Ananya we know that Classic Blue has long been associated with the corporate world, considered to reflect reliability, responsibility and longevity. In wedding stationery, the enduring nature of marriage can be beautifully captured by the timeless elegance and simplicity offered by this blue”.

If the restrained tones of Classic Blue don’t work alone for you, Vaishali suggests you consider this reliable hue as a backdrop to other shades. “It’s equally appealing for a traditional wedding or as a foundation on which other hues and tones can be layered to suit a couple’s taste and personality. Classic Blue becomes sophistication exemplified with metallic touches of gold, silver or copper – or the epitome of soft and demure with watercolours and monochrome tones. At Ananya, we also love seeing Classic Blue with bright and blush pinks as well as orange.”

As a colour to mark not only a new year, but a new decade, signs are that Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year will live up to its classic credentials, says Vaishali. “Whatever colour combinations you choose, whatever background colour you start with, Classic Blue will not let you down – it is dependable and adaptable with an enduring appeal. It’s a great choice!”

Ananya Cards offers a huge range of bespoke and collection stationery. To find out more about its work, and design inspiration, visit ananyacards.com