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Blue Turquoise Leads the Wave of Color for Spring 2005 at New York Fashion Week

Blue Turquoise topped the list of colors at New York Fashion Week's Spring 2005 collections, according to Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries.

Simultaneously evoking the Mediterranean Sea and the American Southwest, soft Blue Turquoise was spotted as a checked coat at Marc Jacobs, a ruffled gown at Michael Kors, a sporty tank dress at Narciso Rodriguez, cowgirl jackets at Anna Sui, and a satin gown printed with swimmers at Carolina Herrera.

Begonia Pink appeared as a languidly alluring gown at Ralph Lauren, lingerie layers of lace and chiffon at Betsey Johnson, and an elaborately gathered taffeta skirt at Oscar de la Renta, while red-orange Flame burned up a charmeuse halter dress at Zac Posen, layered dresses at Calvin Klein, and a wrap jumpsuit at Behnaz Sarafpour.

Sunny Aurora shone on an apron dress at Marc Jacobs, a deep-V top at Zac Posen, a ballerina dress at Heatherette, and ruffled pants and breezy peasant shirts at Esteban Cortazar. Cool Delft was a favorite at Oscar de la Renta, appearing as a lacy sweater, double-breasted jacket and dress, and in prints. Imitation of Christ used Delft for track pants, while Proenza Schouler chose it for a corset.

A trench at Behnaz Sarafpour and a belted jacket at Calvin Klein appeared in soft Coral Reef. Meanwhile, a leafy block-print dress at Diane von Furstenberg and suede short-shorts at Esteban Cortazar were spotted in Vibrant Green. Sweet Lavender appeared as artful swirls of chiffon at Carlos Miele and Vera Wang, and as skirt with a ruffled, pin-tucked hem at Perry Ellis. Vera Wang used Slate Gray for an embellished shift and a chiffon dress with tiers of ruffles. Kelp was a favorite for trousers at Proenza Schouler and Anna Sui.

"Color for Spring '05 is wildly divergent, The mix is dramatic -- like throwing confetti and seeing where it lands," observed Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. "You could make combinations of any of these colors -- the rulebook has been thrown out the window. Meanwhile, Pink, still fresh and relevant, has been adopted as New York's new signature color."

"We saw a return to bright, saturated color in Spring 2004. The trend is continuing for Spring '05, but in a more toned-down, sophisticated way," commented Lisa Herbert, Pantone's executive vice president of fashion and home. "Color allows the consumer to express her individuality in a way that monochromatic dressing does not. Also, colorful clothes lift one's mood, which is particularly important in these uncertain times."

Each season, Pantone surveys designers showing at New York Fashion Week and collects feedback on prominent collection colors, color inspiration, color philosophy, and each designer's signature shades. This information is used to create the PANTONE Fashion Color Report. The report is available online at www.pantone.com/spring2005.

The most directional women's ready-to-wear colors for Spring 2005 (along with printing values) are:

PANTONE 12-0642 Aurora                  C=0  M=3  Y=70 K=0
PANTONE 15-2215 Begonia Pink            C=0  M=35 Y=0  K=0
PANTONE 15-5217 Blue Turquoise          C=55 M=0  Y=25 K=0
PANTONE 15-1331 Coral Reef              C=0  M=30 Y=40 K=0
PANTONE 19-4039 Delft                   C=90 M=70 Y=20 K=0
PANTONE 17-1462 Flame                   C=0  M=80 Y=80 K=0
PANTONE 17-1022 Kelp                    C=35 M=30 Y=60 K=10
PANTONE 16-5804 Slate Gray              C=0  M=0  Y=10 K=40
PANTONE 16-3931 Sweet Lavender          C=35 M=25 Y=0  K=3
PANTONE 16-6339 Vibrant Green           C=60 M=0  Y=80 K=0

About Pantone, Inc.

Pantone, Inc., developer of the globally accepted PANTONE Color Systems, is the leading source of traditional and electronic products for the selection and accurate communication of color. With over 40 years of experience, Pantone is recognized as the worldwide market leader in color communication and color technology for the graphic design, printing, publishing, textile and plastics industries. More information is available at www.pantone.com.

PANTONE® and other Pantone, Inc. trademarks are the property of Pantone, Inc. © Pantone, Inc., 2004.