THE EVOLUTION OF MILLENNIAL PINK
Before you roll your eyes, hear us out. Millennial pink isn’t necessarily new. It’s always been around. Just ask Luis Barragán. However, we can’t refuse to acknowledge its sudden rise to popularity in the last few years. Let’s take a look at the facts.
Cuadra San Cristobal, Mexico City, Mexico
Maybe its slow rise began in 2005 when Paul Smith opened in LA and gave us the perfect photo opportunity with a bright pink wall. Then in 2007, Acne rebranded their shopping bags that perfect pale peachy pink shade. Then Mansur Gavriel decides to brand themselves with another soft shade of peachy pink and even releases several bags in that shade. Next came Glossier in 2014 with their Balm Dot Calm and easily identifiable pink pouches.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just brands who were using pink. Wes Anderson introduced the magical world of the Grand Budapest Hotel with its pink exteriors and Mendls pastry boxes. The Gallery at Sketch in London was updated by David Shirgley and India Mahdavi with all pink walls and pink velvet furniture. In September 2016 Pietro Nolita opened up with it’s all pink facade and Love Me wallpapered bathrooms designed by Curtis Kulig. During Milan Design Week 2017, Marc Ange’s Le Refuge became the most Instagrammed piece at the show.
Thanks to the Color Marketing Group and Pantone, we begin to see an industry nod to pink with the shade consistently being picked as an emerging color and color of the year between 2014 and 2017. Thanks to social media and the age we live in, we see a trend in #palepink on Tumblr and the @plantsonpink Instagram page grows its following exponentially. Articles begin to pop up addressing ‘millennial pink’ and it’s impact on the design world. With Greenery being picked as color of the year of 2017, many reach the conclusion that since pink and green work so well together, this color will ease the transition out of pink.
Speaking as a woman who has loved pink since she was born - in all it’s shades and forms - I couldn’t be more excited about this trend. However, at the same time I would rather not call it a trend since I never want it to stop. If I could live my life through rose-tinted shades, I would. With our recent release of three shades of pink this Spring - Summer, we have a shade for every mood from lightest to darkest (Fran Drescher pink anyone?). Whatever happens with the pink trend, I am happy I was part of this moment in its history and will forever ask, “Does it come in pink?”.
For an edgy and playful twist to the Millennial Pink Trend try - Schiaparelli, Camellia & Coquillage
For a classic and neutral take on the Millennial Pink Trend try - Cirque, Cliquot & Macaroon
