Green is a symbol of life, renewal and healing. It encapsulates the beauty of nature and the coming of spring. Pantone, the authoritative institute of color, introduced Greenery as 2017’s color of the year. The color of a blooming bud inspired this mixture of light blue and bright yellow, and Pantone believes the color represents new beginnings.

The Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, Leatrice Eiseman, made a statement explaining Pantone’s decision for the color of the year.

“Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the reassurance we yearn for amid a tumultuous social and political environment,” Eiseman said. “Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate and revitalize, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.”

Eiseman’s statement is extremely accurate. With countless social turbulences occurring  around the world, everyone is desperate for hope and assurance. Greenery is the perfect color to calm and heal the world. Adding the color to your wardrobe will brighten up your look. There are countless ways to incorporate Greenery into your closet, and the runway should be your first source of inspiration.

Alessandro Michele decorated Gucci’s runway venue for the Spring 2017 Menswear show with shades of green. It was also the dominant color of the whole collection — giving menswear, womenswear and unisex garments some vibrancy and excitement. Paired with colors such as rose pink, cadmium yellow and serenity blue, Greenery gave Gucci’s designs a youthful tone.

During the recent New York Fashion Week for Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear, brands like J. Crew and Cynthia Rowley utilized variants of green to liven up their winter wear. In J. Crew’s collection, this creamy green shade popped out with a yellow velvet kimono jacket. In one look, a green floral shirt was styled with a leopard-print fur coat. Shades similar to Greenery also appeared in a camouflaged jacket matched with a black ballerina skirt. The vibrant colors complimented the more olive-hued camo print which dominated the collection, demonstrating how Greenery can be paired with numerous styles.

Green-toned accessories and makeup could also add energy to any look. In Miu Miu’s Spring 2017 Ready-to-Wear collection, Miuccia Prada incorporated green head accessories and shoes in her collection. In the Max Mara Spring 2017 collection, this bright green shade was used as eyeshadow. Along with the sporty garments, rainforest green brought passion and freshness to the collection.

Students can experiment with Greenery as well as other shades of green in their daily looks. An army green bomber, an emerald-colored choker, a pair of moss-colored tights or a neon green phone case are elements that add a touch of the revitalization that Greenery represents.

Pantone chose Greenery as the color of the year to represent the institution’s high expectations for 2017. With the color Greenery, everyone is given a fresh start.

Email Cissy Yun at [email protected].