91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn

Pantone's 'Orchid' Is A Purple Hue That Doesn't Seem The Same

Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio

'Radiant Orchid' is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2014.

An "enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones" known as Radiant Orchid is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2014, unseating the more verdantly inclined Emerald that dominated the previous 12 months.

Pantone Color Institute, which describes itself as a global authority on color, describes its latest pick as "a captivating, magical, enigmatic purple" whose "rosy undertones radiate on the skin, producing a healthy glow when worn by both men and women."

For interiors, Radiant Orchid, Pantone says, is "as adaptable as it is beautiful" and "complements olive and deeper hunter greens, and offers a gorgeous combination when paired with turquoise, teal and even light yellows."

Sounds like it might go well with its predecessor, which was "a lively, radiant, lush green" that is "most often associated with precious gemstones."

All Things Considered's Melissa Block talked to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, about the color, and what it takes to find the color of the year. You can hear the audio by clicking play above.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
More Stories
  1. Bearing witness, celebrating strength: How poetry has changed lives for NPR's audience
  2. Katie Ledecky tells NPR about her plans for the Paris Olympics — and L.A. in 2028
  3. Hope Hicks, former Trump confident, testifies against him in New York criminal trial
  4. Siblings can share the darndest quirks — like picking up coins & keys with their toes
  5. How do you help patients who show up in the ER 100 times a year?