Early this morning, Pantone named Peach Fuzz (PANTONE 13-1023) the 2024 Pantone Color of the Year, saying the shade "captures our desire to nuture ourselves and others. Peach Fuzz is a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of tenderness and communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration."

Each year, the selection of the Color of the Year offers inspiration and guidance to a host of creative types, from interior decorators to graphic designers, marketers, fashion directors, makeup artists and hair stylists. As the leading color matching system, Pantone is an expert in how color affects not only design but also consumerism. But, I don't think it's a stretch to say the Institute holds out hope that the color will also impart a specific mood around the world.

Reagrding Peach Fuzz, Pantone Executive Director Leatrice Eisenman says, "In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless." 

It's easy to see why this gentle color is soothing to the spirit, and I already can imagine how this shade will rise to popularity in the cosmetics industry, as an accent in haircolor and even in fashion. 

The Color of the Year also has been a guiding force for our SALON TODAY 200 issue since 2015, when Pantone named Marsala it's favored hue. We've adopted the color in the band around the cover image and as one of the design themes throughout the issue, and we even started using it to guide our hand when planning the ST200 award celebrations. Last year, we challenged the award recipients to embrace Pantone's 2023 honored shade Viva Magenta, and scores of owners and stylists donned cocktail attire in bright pink tones.

It will be interesting to see how the world embraces Peach Fuzz. At the moment, for our editors and designers, I envision a bit of a design struggle. To start, the shade combined with the black attire most beauty professionals wear in the images they submit for cover consideration could decidedly take on a Halloween spirit. And, I can't quite imagine donning the shade myself for fear of being washed out, but I will look to how I can accessorize with it. 

But I think we all will still root for Peach Fuzz, or what our team has nicknamed Peachful, to inspire that warm hug of collective peace that our world so needs as we head into 2024.