For nearly 20 years, even before they started the very popular Color of the Year, Pantone has released fashion color palettes for spring and fall during Fashion Week. This season is no different. But how were trendy colors disseminated before that?

Color forecasting has been with us for a long time. In the 1800s, Paris was the boss of European fashion, determining what was à la mode. Fashion houses in Paris produced color cards which ensured both textile mills (and later on, ready-to-wear retailers) in Europe had dye lots that matched the most popular shades; where Paris went, the US followed.

Today fashion and trends are so fast we can end up with 52 seasons a year. Instead of trying to tease out these micro trends, Pantone focusses on the big picture, the overarching color pairings we’ll see repeated over the next few months. From Ceylon Yellow to Ultra Violet, these colors will come up again and again, from clothing and housewares to PS4 controllers, sometimes paired with several neutrals we’ve not highlighted.

Read more in our blog or check out the images below.