The Pantone Institute note emphasizes that Viva Magenta is "an unconventional shade for unconventional times": bold but not aggressive, dynamic and exuberant, perfect for the post-pandemic. An a-gender and inclusive shade for all*, it encourages experimentation and - they say - will be the key color of the metaverse. There is no shortage of chromatic references to the early 2000s, in which magenta predominated as a key color in popular culture, on websites and in music.
Already glimpsed on the SS23 runways, Viva Magenta takes center stage in couture looks such as maxi-dresses by Margiela or Rick Owens, but it also makes its mark in striking accessories and footwear: the bizarre balloon-effect shoes by Loewe, the crescent-shaped bag by Alaïa, the soaring feathered sandals by Rick Owens.
The shade of carmine red, balanced between the warm and cool color spectrum, is one of the necessary hues for color printing along with cyan, yellow and black. Invented in 1859 by François-Emmanuel Verguin by oxidizing crude aniline with stannic chloride, magenta was inspired by cochineal, from which one of the oldest and most widely used natural dyes is still made.
