| Color Trends for 2002 | |
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If you've ever been curious about who actually decides that "brown is the new black" or that yellow is the new neutral, you'll want to know about the CMG.
The Color Marketing Group (CMG) meets twice a year to review and forecast colors for consumer products. Founded in 1962 and based in Alexandria, Virginia, USA, the CMG is an international, not-for-profit Association of 1,700 Color Designers -- professionals who enhance the function, salability and/or quality of a product through their knowledge and appropriate application of color.
CMG's 2002 Consumer Colors Current PaletteÆ includes both new and established colors that will be found in consumer products during 2002.
CMG members forecast Color Directions one to three years in advance for all industries, manufactured products and services. These Consumer/Residential and Contract/Commercial products include: Exterior Home, Durable Interior, Transportation, Communications/Graphics, Fashion, Action/Recreation, Home Fashion, Home Office, and environments for Office, Health Care, Retail, and Hospitality/Entertainment.
For 2002 the Color Marketing Group predicts that colors will be blended and mixed more than in recent years.
ìThe trend is away from any one pure color standing alone,î said Color Marketing Group President, Jay de Sibour, CMG, a marketing consultant in Kenvil, New Jersey, USA. ìColors are becoming more complex and sophisticated and are incorporating a variety of special effects including pearlescence and metallics along with the dimension of transparency and translucency.î
ìOne of the most difficult parts of our color workshops is always limiting the number of colors in the Palette,î said Consumer Colors Current Committee Co-Chairman Ricki Gardner, CMG, Artistree/ Michaels, Coppell, Texas, USA. ì The need for more colors was a consensus across all industries. A few of our colors are moving very quickly ñ some within a year ñ from our 'Directions' or forecast Palette onto the 'Colors Current' or established Palette.î
CMG says many of the colors in 2002 will go redder, the exception being in the blue family. Blue is trending towards green, and with a strong movement to bring the blues and greens closer together (i. e., greener blues and bluer greens). Many blues and greens are chameleon colors that fit into either family and can be used in combination with each other or with yellows and browns.
Red is moving bluer with reds trending towards red/pink and red/orange combinations. Purples and browns are still the biggest story with ìbi-polarî purples moving both bluer and redder.
Neutrals require special effects; they are still very strong in all industries, but seem to be fading. Metal or metal-looking finishes are prevalent, inspired by the earth's minerals or metals, while Neutrals are moving into color families.
Yellows are used most often as an accent or background color; generally soft in value. Browns are drinkable (e. g. coffee), and copper is a big story morphing brown into orange giving way to a brown/orange/yellow evolution. Oranges are becoming more sophisticated, a little more red and tropical, mostly on accents but coming on strong.
Grey has no cast ñ it's a perfect neutral ñ and silver is only a treatment.
See more 2002 Color Details on Page 2
2002 Color List
~ Glenna J. Morton
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Color Marketing Group