December 2022 Color Alert®
HUGGING 1515-R, 219,185,181, #dbb9b5
What the world needs now, is hugs, sweet hugs.
Aside from the shameless rewriting of an iconic lyric, Hugging does seem to be just what the world needs. Instead of the calendar year ending with a big splashy bang of a color, let’s see it out with a dusted, misty pink. Inspired by the touch of warm wool and soft evening light, Hugging offers a color connection to an embrace.
Originating at Color Marketing Group Asia Pacific meetings, Hugging is a pure red, but with very low value and chroma creating this subtle hue. Discussions for 2022 colors, occurring in 2020, were awash with ideas of where the world would stand in the coming years. It proves to still be a world in transition and discomfort of the unknown remains strong. A spot on prediction, Hugging offers a whispered color in a moment of connection, contemplation, happiness, and hope.
Not just for the Asia Pacific market, Hugging will become a worldwide color. Its applications are especially strong for fashion and accessories and architectural interiors and exteriors, both commercial and residential.
As a color that suggests nature, the soft, minimal red of Hugging will transform interior spaces with its unexpected hue. It coordinates beautifully with brown woods and all types of metals, and complements soft white, earthy greens and clear-sky blue. Whether in paint, textiles, or small appliances, touches of Hugging can create soft places upon which the eye can land. It is also a hue to evolve the beloved grey aesthetics of the past few years as it may transform a living or working space into a safe, warm harbor. Hugging is a step away from life’s hustle and bustle to create a safe, private space.
Much in the way it can evolve interior spaces, Hugging can also soften tailored cuts and dramatic colors in fashion. This very useable color has emerged as an alternative to strong bright colors to mix with black and grey, and is a modern counterpart to cocoa and beige. It creates an elevated subtlety against the heaviness of strong chroma or dark values, whether for workwear or party clothes. Accessories will play an important role in introducing this hue with subtle touches, and as Athleisure design continues to morph with more traditional attire, colors like Hugging will create a “hue bridge” that connects a calming yoga moment with the work-a-day world. It can help end each busy day with namaste.
Though the final color may appear a bit stronger in some products, the roots of the soft hue remain nature and connection. After years of anxiety and concern, doubt and grief, it is time to get Hugging.
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November 2022 CONTRIBUTORS: Alicia Keshishian, Paula Leonard, Mark Woodman, Samantha MacLean, Judith van Vliet, Sekisui KYDEX®, and Koroseal.
