I had the pleasure of sitting in on a presentation given by the Color Marketing Group on the forecast of on-trend colors for 2016. The glimpse into the process for determining those colors was quite fascinating. The CMG is made up of leading professionals across multi-disciplined fields including fashion, interior design, and manufacturing. To forecast color, the globe is divided into four zones and teams from each zone meet and share notes and stories relevant to the colors they are seeing in their countries. Forecasting two years into the future, the observations from each zone are compiled to create one color palette for the entire world for the year. Companies can use this information as insight to plan future merchandise launches because “Color sells but the right color sells better”.

In general, the colors of the world are always the same. Blue, green, and red will be on the list for eternity. But exactly what shade of blue? And what other shades will you combine that blue with to create a mood? This is where it gets interesting. Color inspiration always originates in nature, but the popular hues can be swayed by current events and cultural history.

Here are the predictions for 2016:

Asia/Pacific

This palette has a deep cultural red mixed with more subdued pastel shades. With the recent tsunami in Japan and plane crash in Malaysia, the prevalent colors are meant to calm, relax, comfort and heal.

Europe

The European palette is brighter and more incongruent. It can be viewed as a reflection of current affairs with factions of the European Union at odds and some sectors threatening to break away from the mother country as in Ireland and Spain. The deep red here is emblematic of national pride as well as the struggle for political autonomy.

Latin America

Colors below the equator are driven by the natural exotic flora, the spicy cuisine and the indigenous ceremonial heritage. Hues are rich and vibrant including chili pepper red, majestic purple and warm Caribbean blues and greens.

North America

Here at home, deep reds and blues are patriotic. Darker greens and browns keep us grounded and speak to trends for local, sustainable and organic goods. Copper metallic and the natural texture of cerused or bleached woods continue to be a part of this palette.

It will be interesting to see how this forecast plays out through 2016. Notice the fashions on the runway, the products on the shelves and the artwork your customers are collecting to see how colors are shifting in the market. Looking ahead to 2017, the potential opening of Cuba to the world is predicted to be another huge influence on our collective tastes. Dust off your poodle skirts letter sweaters — the 1950s are coming back!

Join us in Vegas in 2016 to see how Bella takes all this color and trend information to heart with lots of new product. It’s sure to be colorful event! For now, you can use this information to plan your wardrobe!