Fashion houses claim ownership on colors

Future. Following in the footsteps of Tiffany’s world-famous “Tiffany Blue,” fashion houses, streetwear brands, and sportswear entrants are minting their own colors to create the most elemental form of brand awareness. With marketing becoming more immersive, experiential, and layered, everything from a physical wall to an Insta Story to entire environments in the metaverse could become awash in unique colors to promote a brand.

Color authority
The hottest new trend in fashion is having your own color.

• Valentino branded its own shade of pink called “Valentino Pink PP,” which was everywhere during its Fall 2022 show in Paris.
• Supreme has gone into overdrive, putting its special shade of red all over products, like skateboards and couches.
• Bottega Veneta has “elevated” its longtime shade of green to the trademarked “Bottega Green.”
• Tom Brady’s new clothing line, Brady, developed its own shade of blue prior to launch called… you guessed it… “Brady Blue.”

How does one trademark a color exactly? It has to be done so with the Pantone Color Institute, and the color has to have a “secondary meaning” — that the color is connected to a good or service that customers associate with the brand.

Mood tone
Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, noted that brands are developing their products and color in unison, especially as digital media provides endless opportunities for brands to bombard customers with their signature pop of color  to “build the psychological bridge between hue and brand quicker than they could before.”

Can a simple shade communicate a vibe? Can it let customers know what they’re all about without actually saying anything? That may be a lot to ask of a color, but brands will likely make sure that customers make that connection… whether they realize it or not.