As South Africans, we know that there is nothing quite like rooibos. Both its colour or its use as a medicinal tea, rooibos is synonymous with our region – and it seems the rich, earth-red hue of the leaves are inspiring the global fashion and design industry. At New York Fashion Week earlier in September, ‘Rooibos Tea Pantone® 18-1355’ was announced as one of ten top colours for the trends forecasted ahead – beating out some other 2390 colours. This announcement was part of the ‘Fashion Colour Trend Report’, the colour palette bible released by Pantone four times a year in Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer for both London and New York fashion weeks.
Pantone is a globally recognized authority on colour, renowned for its standardised colour matching system. The Pantone Matching System (PMS) assigns unique codes to thousands of colours, facilitating consistent and precise colour communication across various industries. Pantone’s influence extends to interior design, branding, and product development, making it an indispensable brand for maintaining colour consistency and creativity in a wide range of applications.
Rooibos Tea Pantone® 18-1355 courtesy of Pantone® Colour Institute
On the colour itself, colour specialist and executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute, Leatrice Eiseman said that “The Rooibos Tea Pantone® 18-1355 is full-bodied, red imbued with rich, woody notes. The toned-down shade has the same effect as the shade of a dress that had been stowed away in a cedar chest for a while. Fashion brands like Gucci, Zegna, Josie Natori, Bally, Emilio Pucci and Markarian’s Alexandra O’Neill are among the early adopters of the colour.”
Colour is exceptionally important to the human experience. Strategic use of colour can enhance mental and emotional states, contributing to overall psychological well-being and as Leatrice Eiseman explained, “just as people sometimes use food to revitalise themselves, the spring colour palette can be equally refreshing. The health benefits of herbal tisanes, for example, extend beyond personal wellness. They are restorative in every sense. They are refreshing to taste, but also refreshing to look at.”
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