Pantone Colour of the Year 2023: Viva Magenta, The Rebellious Red

Last week, global colour authority Pantone announced an exuberant red shade called Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta as its Colour of the Year for 2023.

Described generously by the company as brave, fearless, animated, electrifying, audacious and witty, Viva Magenta is a statement colour with a big personality that aims to encourage experimentation and unrestrained self-expression. 

Pantone 18-1750, Viva Magenta

Viva magenta balances warm and cool tones. And like its 2022 predecessor, Very Peri, it is a hybrid colour that navigates the physical and digital worlds with ease. Yet it has its root in natural dye.

“As virtual worlds become a more prominent part of our daily lives, we look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute.

“Pantone 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known,” she added. 

“The last few years were transformative in many ways in terms of people’s sense of self, and the way wellbeing, priorities and identity are being thought about,” said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute.

“As a result, space has been created where we are free to explore and be accepted for exactly who we feel we are, whether it be in a cybernetic universe, a conventional space, or a magical blend of both.”

Viva Magenta is indeed bold and “out there”, but it is also surprisingly versatile, as demonstrated by the four custom colour palette that Pantone curated with Viva Magenta at its centre. 

Read Also: Pantone Colour of the Year 2022 - Very Peri Blue

Pantone Viva Magenta: Matching Colour Palettes

Equilibrium balances warm and cool shades that shows how easily Viva Magenta can fit in both ends of the spectrum.

Those who prefer to keep the material palette in the same family colour can opt for the Family Ties.

Fan of pastel colours? Viva Magenta adds a delicious pop to the palette, as demonstrated by the Ignite palette below.

Those who love deep, elegant jewel tones would also find freshness with the addition of Viva Magenta in the line up, as seen in the Resonance palette. 

Pantone Colour of the Year 2023: AI Visual Generator

Pantone celebrates the announcement of the Colour of the Year 2023 by collaborating with long-time partner creative agency Huge for a design experiment that explores the tensions between human creativity and new technology.

This includes creating the visual manifestation of Viva Magenta with Midjourney, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) visual generative tool that has recently exploded into global consciousness.  

Pantone Colour 2023: Magentaverse, an Art Basel Exhibition

Building on the experiment, Pantone and Huge collaborated with experiential creative studio Artechouse – also a recent frequent collaborator of Pantone – to create a first ever exhibition that is open to the public at Art Basel event in Miami Beach. 

Magentaverse Exhibition at Art Basel, Miami Beach

Called Magentaverse, the exhibition features rooms with textures and interactive installations that immerse visitors into an array of visual, auditory, and tactile experiences of the colour Viva Magenta.

Colour Explorations by NASA, Motorola, Lenovo etc.

The exhibition also features colour explorations in design, space, and technology inspired by NASA and other Pantone partners, including Motorola, Lenovo, Hydrow, Spoonflower, and many more. 

6 Independent artists' custom designs with Viva Magenta

Surface pattern specialist Spoonflower created designs by six independent artists featuring the aforementioned custom colour palettes centred on Viva Magenta. These vibrant designs, featured as Spoonflower prints, adorn the walls at Magentaverse.

Read Also: Pantone Colour of the Year 2021 - Ultimate Gray and Illuminating Yellow

Designer home gym brand, Hydrow's Wave Rower in Viva Magenta

Fitness brand Hydrow’s Wave Rover rowing machine in Viva Magenta rides on homeowners’ recent appetite for designer gym equipment that adds to the design value of their interior. 

Read More: Pantone Colour Institute's Leatrice Eiseman on Colours for a Digitised World

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion in Viva Magenta

Another Pantone multi-year collaborator is Motorola, who announced a special Viva Magenta edition of its Motorola Edge 30 Fusion. 

Engine Gin created a Viva Magenta cocktail

The collaboration also extends to F&B sector, with gin brand partner Engine creating a Viva Magenta cocktail called Fearless Club, which comprises its gin, raspberry syrup, lime juice, egg white and sage as garnish.