The 2012 Color of the Year

Hey Mr. Prop Maker...have you heard that Boyz-n-Berry is the 2012 color of the year? I was actually expecting Emerald Green or Sapphire Blue since these colors have hit the fashion runways hard recently. Princess Kate loves wearing these jewel tones, too! (Yes, I do keep up with what the other princesses are wearing!) So... what is your favorite Boyz-n-Berry colored product for kids? - Sherri

Hey Sherri, it's great that Boyz-n-berry is moving in on pink's territory.  I personally like the fact that it is sophisticated and would partner with oranges, reds and browns, making it a strong unisex or even masculine coordinate. I asked some of my creative friends and kid industry smarties to give us their thoughts on this "flavor" of the year.


Television host, designer and author, Mark Montano wasn't shocked at all to see the aubergine relative gain prominence.  "My theory is that Barbie likes this color, then every girl in the world will respond to it, too.  Barbie knows her pinks and purples, trust me on this," Mark elaborates.  His recent release of "The Big Ass Book of Crafts 2" hasn't slowed him down, he's busy designing something special in honor of Barbie, that has him "up to his neck in purples and pinks."  With his repertoire of hundreds of crafting projects, to guess what he is creating would almost be futile.  You never know, he may reveal the project on his Facebook page at anytime.

Deanna Campbell, the owner and nostalgic style diva from MyRetroBaby.com has her opinions tuned into the color being used in more contemporary ways.  "Boyz-n-Berry has a striking urban and modern feel.  There is a bit of mystery with this color and quiet sophistication," Deanna says.  With her experience as a  retailer specialized in catering to mod-moms it wouldn't be a surprise that she loves the color's ability to mingle with orange, it is so very retro chic.  She adds, "Deep shades of purple are emerging as a solid color choice when it comes to nursery design and baby accessories.  This color looks spectacular when paired with warm neutrals and rich oranges."

With her designs sought after and sold by amazing companies like Robert Kaufman Fabrics, K & Company and C.R. Gibson, the talented Terri Conrad must have her pulse on color trends or a fantastic crystal ball.  Her trusted sources are reliably on the mark, when she reveals that the boysenberry blend of purple can be seen in her recent dinnerware designs from Merritt USA and her Botanique collection designs for Creative Co-op.  She professes her fondness "I love the color.  It's been a prominent player in my palette, it's sophisticated with a touch of playfulness."

Saplings in Caldwell, New Jersey

I admire and am always amazed by the terrific merchandising in Cindy Blanco's store called Saplings, in Caldwell, New Jersey.  She has a terrific eye.   Her ability to sell a vast array of products by communicating visually, through wonderful lifestyle vignettes, helps her customers stay on top of the latest styles.  They often inspire her customers to hire Cindy to decorate their homes.  Cindy always has areas in the shop specifically merchandised for kids and teens.  Her choice of color combinations are always a reflection of what's trending for boys and girls.  "If a boy wanted a purple room and didn't want his friends to make fun of him, boyz-n-berry would be the choice.  With a burst of red or even orange, it would feel hip and so comfortable to work with," she adds.

Frisco, Texas is the home of Dimples and Dandelions, one of the top shopping destinations for mommies with style.  Wendy Stroud and her husband, Michael, owner of the D&D storefront and popular DimplesAndDandelions.com started their journey in the juvenile business back in 2005.  Wendy, a mother of three and discerning buyer, is always on the look out for new trends, she finds the purple palette to be a refreshing alternative to her favorite pink palette.   She's a self professed girly-girl.  She finds that "the color Boyz-n-berry is a really cool color because you can do so many different looks with it, for example, you can go edgy, glamourous or regal and sophisticated.  It can be a total glam color in a tween room with a black chandelier, zebra print, crystal knobs and maybe, just maybe a bit of teal for some extra pop!"  

Wendy was so excited to play with this eggplant palette, she sent over a few inspirational pictures to share.

My daughter would claim that Justin Bieber is the king of pop-purple, I'm going to go out on a limb and say she's probably right.  He seems to be the "fear no color" ambassador, with his not-so-typical male hue picks.  Maybe some of his influence in fashion has spread, so teens and tweens can feel less bound by color stereotypes and are more willing to experiment with color.  I too, can imagine a boys room featuring this color and am inspired to suggest it to some clients.  Likewise, it will be a refreshing alternative to the pink values often requested by my young female clients.  Boyz-n-berry- it's name might be more telling than we think.

Enjoy!

Aaron- I'm not at all surprised that these fabulous trend-setters are already using this mysterious yet versatile hue! The consensus seems to be that we'll see this color paired with a warm neutral...dare I say the reign of the cool gray neutral might be nearing its end? 

http://www.myretrobaby.com/