Love Potions, Witches, Fantasy & Warlocks Inspire the Fall 2012 Pantone Fashion Color Palette

Perhaps it's the Harry Potter/Twilight effect or the fact that it's finally here: 2012! The year marking the end of the Mayan calendar is thought to herald something cataclysmic, possibly the end of us, or, more positively, a spiritual transformation. "Fall 2012 is about “LOVE MAGIC”," says Pamella Protzel Scott of the label Ella Moss. "Witches and warlocks, misty landscapes, love potions and dreamy skies set the mood for colors this season." At Nanette Lepore, inspiration was similarly to be found in the occult: the color story of "Francesco Clemente. The Tarots" at the Uffizi.

Whether you think the end is nigh or it's just the end of an era (albeit one that's lasted 5,125 years), there's magic in the air which inspired many designers to ditch stressful reality in favor of illusion & enchantment as is evident in the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2012.

In particular, the yellow-green Bright Chartreuse brings to mind transition - from the heat of summer to the cooling days of fall when the sunlight changes to a soft and muted Honey Gold, glinting off the rich foliage in shades of Ultramarine Green & rich, robust French Roast against an Olympian Blue sky. Ethereal Rhapsody, a greyed-down purple (a most magic-centric hue) encourages serenity & reflection, as do Titanium (cool gray) and Rose Smoke, a veiled shade of rose. Fortunately, vibrant Pink Flambé introduces playfulness and a touch of mischief, especially when paired with Tangerine Tango, the viviacious Color of the Year - a combination that was one of Yves Saint Laurent's favorites.

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

from left: Nanette Lepore, Carmen Marc Valvo, Ella Moss, Charlotte Ronson

from left: Lela Rose, Herve Leger, Hyden Yoo, Rebecca Minkoff

from left: BCBG, Peter Som, James Coviello

from left: Tracy Reese, Bill Blass, Betsey Johnson

"I have a picture on my mood board of a room with Mint Green walls, Antique Gold accents and a very cool Bright Orange velvet chair," says Tracy Reese, who also found herself inspired for fall by a photo of Helena Rubinstein’s bedroom. "The walls are Bright Orange, the bedcover is Purple-ish Blue and the headboard is Gothic Black — love it!" For the Bill Blass collection, Jeffrey Monteiro looked to the work of Mark Rothko and Anette H. Flensburg (left), artists whose use of color is the source of their work. Although Lela Rose found herself inspired by bridges, it was the "sulfurous patina" that the metals they're made from achieve over time that inspired her for the season.

Katharine Hepburn met up with Audrey Hepburn at Peter Som, expressed in " classic, rich fall colors that have a masculine edge done in a head-to-toe look of one singular color" whereas James Coviello went more quirky and 60s, "think Olive refrigerator and Pink walls."

- Lesley Scott

(Anette H. Flensburg image - source)

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