Pink Editorials by Allyse

RISE OF PINK PINK EDITORIALS

By: Alex Frank I don’t believe in favorite colors— why should one have to choose?—but I do believe in pink. Pink is sunsets, pink is roses, pink is bubbly summer wine, pink is a lake in Senegal turned that hue by some magical algae and so unusually beautiful it almost seems like a hoax. But besides just looking great, pink matters more than ever right now. I was recently reminded of its significance by rapper Tyler, the Creator. As The New Yorker reported from his fashion show in LA last weekend, Tyler’s lifelong love of the color made him feel different, particularly growing up as an “inner-city black kid,” as he put it. “I wasn’t into sports,” he said. “I liked pink and shit.” He then told a story from his youth—one that, I imagine, will resonate with many fashion conscious men as it did with me— about being made fun of for wearing pink because, as the bully told him, pink is “not what real men wear.”

Which got me thinking: Why should anyone feel that they don’t have equal access to the full color spectrum? Turns out, the idea of “girly” pink is a relatively recent phenomenon. “Think Pink,” an exhibit that was on view at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2014, explored the hue’s history and made clear that until the middle of the 20th century, pink was gender neutral. Things changed after World War II; with men back in the workplace and women at home, a certain domestic ideal was fueled by pretty pink marketing— everything from dollhouses to washing machines was packaged in the soft, sweet shade. More than half a century later and we’re still living in a world with pink-clad Disney princesses, where certain colors are seen in masculine and feminine terms.more often than not. The hue is enjoying a reach and staying power

unusual for your average run-of-themill color trend. It has stained every product imaginable, been embraced by all genders (an apt illustration of fashion’s ever-increasing gender-neutrality movement) and does not seem to be going anywhere fast. This color has been on trend forecasters’ minds for years, and they say we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg. For most of us, rose quartz first caught our eye in November 2015 when Pantone, fashion’s chief color measurement system, announced rose quartz and serenity (a chalky sky-blue) as the colors of 2016. The dual announcement was an innovative move for Pantone, which typically only names one shade as its color of the year. “We really see the linkage of these two shades together as wellness,” Laurie Pressman, VP of Pantone Color Institute, explains, citing the increased anxieties of our post-modern age.

“I do believe in pink. Pink is sunsets, pink is roses, pink is bubbly summer wine, pink is a lake in Senegal turned that hue by some magical algae and so unusually beautiful it almost seems like a hoax.”

RISE of

PINK By: Alex Frank

I don’t believe in favorite colors—why should one have to choose?—but I do believe in pink. Pink is sunsets, pink is roses, pink is bubbly summer wine, pink is a lake in Senegal turned that hue by some magical algae and so unusually beautiful it almost seems like a hoax. But besides just looking great, pink matters more than ever right now. I was recently reminded of its significance by rapper Tyler, the Creator. As The New Yorker reported from his fashion show in LA last weekend, Tyler’s lifelong love of the color made him feel different, particularly growing up as an “inner-city black kid,” as he put it. “I wasn’t into sports,” he said. “I liked pink and shit.” He then told a story from his youth—one that, I imagine, will resonate with many fashion conscious men as it did with me—about being made fun of for wearing pink because, as the bully told him, pink is “not what real men wear.” Which got me thinking: Why should anyone feel that they don’t have equal access to the full color spectrum? Turns out, the idea of “girly” pink is a relatively recent phenomenon. “Think Pink,” an exhibit that was on view at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2014, explored the hue’s history and made clear that until the middle of the 20th century, pink was gender neutral. Things changed after World War II; with men back in the workplace and women at home, a certain domestic ideal was fueled by pretty pink marketing—everything from dollhouses to washing machines was packaged in the soft, sweet shade. More than half a century later and we’re still living in a world with pink-clad Disney princesses, where certain colors are seen in masculine and feminine terms.more often than not. The hue is enjoying a reach and staying power unusual for your average run-of-the-mill color trend. It has stained every product imaginable, been embraced by all genders (an apt illustration of fashion’s ever-increasing gender-neutrality movement) and does not seem to be going anywhere fast. This color has been on trend forecasters’ minds for years, and they say we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg. For most of us, rose quartz first caught our eye in November 2015 when Pantone, fashion’s chief color measurement system, announced rose quartz and serenity (a chalky sky-blue) as the colors of 2016. Pantone does hold a lot of power over the cultural relevancy of a color. The dual announcement was an innovative move for Pantone, which typically only names one shade as its color of the year. “We really see the linkage of these two shades together as wellness,” Laurie Pressman, VP of Pantone Color Institute, explains, citing the increased anxieties of our post-modern age. Each year, Pressman

and her colleagues look to architecture, interiors, animation, photos, etc., to determine which color best represents the current zeitgeist. “Serenity is about the sky and dependability,” says Pressman. “Rose Quartz is about the rosy glow that comes along with good health. They’re also connected to this gender blurring we’ve been seeing over the last five years. Pink is no longer just for girls.” Companies choosing to use this color in their branding is helping to change the public’s perception of pink, which was widely associated with the femme experience — and this makes perfect sense, since they were the ones to create the perception in the first place. As the Fashion Insitute of Technology, fashion historian Valerie Steele explains, “The idea that pink is for girls really only solidified as recently as the 1940s in the United States. Some people would say, well, maybe pink is for boys because it’s a more determined color and closer to being red.” According to Steele, blue was historically viewed as a feminine color because of Virgin Mary frequently being depicted as wearing the color. But, as with most things, media and commercialism changed the public’s view on the matter. “I think two paintings that came into America in the early 20th century, ‘Pinkie’ by Lawrence and ‘The Blue Boy’ by Gainsborough contributed to reinforcing this idea that you could sell pink to both genders. Rose quartz was steadily brewing in popularity with boys and girls long before Pantone’s November announcement; it was already the color of iPhones and Acne Studios’s shopping bags. But the fashion world’s obsession with the soft-as-a-whisper shade appears to have skyrocketed after the announcement. One day, the life cycle of rose quartz may be lectured to some fashion intern in a similar way, a historical representation of our angsty, gender-neutral zeitgeist. But don’t worry—your rose quartz top (or product branding) is not going to become fashion roadkill anytime soon. It’s already forecasted that rose quartz will keep its seat at the cool kids’ table for the next two years at the very minimum. The color is part of a developing juggernaut of a trend Mark Woodman calls “quietude.” What’s quietude? Just imagine the luxe sleepwear of a Disney princess and you’re in the ballpark. Silk, airy trousers that could double as pajamas, pastels and sheer fabrics are all part of the emerging trend. “Lightness, sheerness, layering of these soft grays and off-whites — it’s a reaction to the endless stress, screaming politicians, and technology,” says Woodman. “The spring collections are really very pale. I see a pink even softer and quieter than rose quartz coming up as soon as 2017 hits.”

RISE OF

PINK By: Alex Frank

I “I do believe in pink. Pink is sunsets, pink is roses, pink is bubbly summer wine, pink is a lake in Senegal turned that hue by some magical algae and so unusually beautiful it almost seems like a hoax.”

don’t really believe in the idea of favorite colors: why should you have to choose? but I do believe in pink. Pink is sunsets, pink is roses, pink is bubbly summer wine, pink is a lake in Senegal turned that hue by some magical algae and so unusually beautiful it almost seems like a hoax. But besides just looking great, pink matters more than ever right now. I was recently reminded of its significance by rapper Tyler, the Creator. As The New Yorker reported from his fashion show in Los Angeles last weekend, Tyler’s lifelong love of the color pink made him feel different, particularly growing up in the city as

an “inner-city black kid,” as he put it. “I wasn’t into sports,” he said. “I liked pink and shit.” He then recounted a story from his youth—one that, I imagine, will resonate with many fashion-conscious men as it did with me— about being made fun of for wearing pink because, as the bully told him, pink is “not what men wear.” Which got me to start thinking: How the hell did pink become so gendered anyway? Why should anyone—male or female—feel that they don’t have equal access to every color in the spectrum? Turns out, the idea of pink as a girls color is a recent phenomenon. “Think Pink,” an exhibit

that was on view at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston in 2014, explored the hue’s history and made clear that until the middle of the 20th century, pink was fairly gender neutral. Things began changing after World War II; with men back in the workplace and women at home, a certain domestic ideal was fueled by pretty in pink marketing—everything from dollhouses to washing machines was packaged in the soft, sweet shade. More than half a century later and we’re still living in a world with pink-clad Disney princesses, where certain colors are seen in masculine and feminine terms more often than not.