The emerald city

The emerald city

By Nicola St John

Each year, the global colour corporation Pantone polls designers and brands to help elect a “colour of the year”.

It signifies what hue will be prominent, from fashion, industrial design, cars and interiors.

The company has named emerald green, specifically shade 17-5641 as the prestigious colour for 2013. So expect a green invasion.

The new shade takes the crown from the spirited reddish orange hue, which held the honor for 2012.

From the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz, Elizabeth Taylor’s sparkling gems and the royal jewels, the luscious shade of green has had quite a history.

Emerald seemed to have its glory in the 1980s. Its pinnacle surely in Princess Diana’s emerald and diamond choker with matching taffeta dress moment.

At least the Irish will be pleased. Emerald seems a very happy-go-lucky colour, with variations mint and teal tipped to make a splash in the fashion world. So forget about the green coloured beer on St Pat’s day and start thinking about adding an emerald hue to the wardrobe for 2013.

It’s the colour of nature, health and tranquility, yet green is all fun and games until we remember its association with poison and envy – think Poison Ivy and the Grinch.

So let’s hope the fashion pack can use this vivid shade of green to make us all look royally polished, rather than green with jealousy this season.

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