A+A Life in Color A/W 2021.2022
Life in Color is dedicated to the idea that color adds emotional resonance to everything we experience. Each season, Life in Color offers eight color narratives, complete with palettes and materials. Every image, fabric, and word is chosen to inspire interiors, objects, men’s or women’s apparel, cosmetics, packaging, electronics or anything else you may produce. This book is meant to be a lens through which you can see your brand, sparking concepts that you can incorporate into your unique creative vision. This season the ranges are inspired by materials themselves — the warmth of woods, the pigments of gems or jet, the faded opulence of upholsteries. Use them as they are presented or take them apart to create palettes and articles that are completely your own for a sustainable and successful season.
KEY THEMES OF THE SEASON
MUTE BUTTON: Washed-out or faded tones that come from vegetal dyes, offering a moment of quiet amid the noise of modern life. These calming colors or desaturated tints can be used in gentle dip-dyes, soft knits, blurred prints, sheer cosmetics or recycling materials for a vintage-style effect.
Key Words: Laundered Techniques, Hand-Tinted Photos, Faded Polaroids, Vintage Wallcoverings, Nostalgic Attitude, Aged Surfaces, Matte Or Powdery Finishes
Key Colors: Softened terracotta pinks, mauve, subdued aqua and faded olive,
BLOND WOOD: There is a renewed interest in natural woods. An updated trend in interiors is the mixing of colors and finishes of wood. Waxed Wood colors work in materials where the shades occur naturally, such as woods, bamboos, corks, and leathers.
Key Words: Smooth Waxed Surfaces, Warm Mix, Sueded Or Brush Finishes, Dense Ribbed Knits, Vegan Leathers Sourced From Pineapple Or Other Plants, Low Key Luxury.
Key Colors: Caramel, toast, and taupe, ocra, rose pink
RED VELVET: This theme is about the darker reds found in berries, wine, garnets and accented with a coppery tone. These reds are used in monochrome or tonal combos, making a statement in a strong yet tasteful way. True purple and lavender are part of the mix, bringing in an opulent regal feel. This range works for lush interiors, apparel for men or women, and statement packaging.
Key Words: Plush Surfaces, Fleece, Silks & Satins, Rich Jacquards, Sensuous Attitude, Winter Berries, All Kinds Of Velvets, Intense Powdered Pigments.
Key colors: Deep reds, purple, lavender, plum blue, copper
MAGIC GLOBE: These are the atmospheric blues and greens, accented with a glowing coral. Surfaces can be hairy and dimensional or smooth and sleek. Super-shiny finishes bring more dimension to this range, bringing an astral luminance to active-wear or polished separates. Iridescent opals and holographic finishes add to the glimmering effect.
Key Words: Fluid Silks, Glazed Tiles, Velvets & Velvet Flocking, Hairy or Feathery Surfaces, Mystical Attitude, Reflecting Effects, Fresh Color Blocking
Key Colors: shades of blue, emerald green, coral orange, aqua green
SUGAR GLAZED: The new Luxury is rustic. These are the whites and palest tints that result from sweet icings, snow dustings, plaster casts, and pearly glass. These colors are used in mid-century Scandinavian interiors with curvilinear, molded shapes. The aesthetic is both rough and refined, ancient and modern.
Key Words: Tactile Appeal, Smooth Leathers, Typography, Rustic Meets Refined, Pearlescent Or Powdery Coatings, Scandinavian Aesthetic, Biomorphic
Key Colors: ceramic white, soft lilac, pale yellow, neutral beige.
LEATHER WORK: This theme is inspired by the colors of vintage leather jackets found in thrift shops and yard sales. Autumnal shades work for 70s-inspired interiors and apparel. A rich hippie look that can be created with real skins as well as with new plant-derived leathers, like those made from pineapple leaves.
Key Words: Vintage Leathers & 70S Influence, Autumnal Blanket Plaids, Patchwork Techniques, Brushed Mohairs, Crochet & Macramé, Retro Technology, Artisanal Lux
Key Colors: Wine Red, Rusty Brown, Pumpkin orange and Bottle Green, olive as a key accent
ANTIQUAIRE: Taking a step even further back in time. This is antique rather than retro, with looks inspired by periods like the Renaissance, Baroque, Victorian and early Chinoiserie. The effect is opulent yet time-worn, with loose threads, faded with distress marks keeping things from getting too precious. Interiors get wallcoverings depicting ancient landscapes, a key print motif for apparel as well. Color shades come from old master paintings or museum-quality tapestries. A new casual attitude makes even the most collectible piece appropriate for every day.
Key Words Historic Rather Than Vintage, Opulent Attitude, Renaissance Beauty, Repaired, Restored, Re-Invented, Passion For Collecting, Elegant Decay
Key Colors: Mauve and purple, antique green, gold-brown, Bordeaux
BLACK RAVEN: This theme explores the season’s blacks and inky darks or “faux blacks”. These colors can go edgy or romantic. Tonal embellishments like embroidery or paillettes keep it opulent, while sleek satins and shiny latex suggest a fetishistic note. Lingerie is meant to be seen, and beauty is inspired by silent film stars or film noir sirens. As with apparel, packaging goes sleek or ornate, from matte black appliances to elaborate scrollwork for scented candles.
Key Words: Shades Of Black & Faux Black, Shiny Fabrics, Black On Black Embellishments, Soft Goth or Steampunk Aesthetic, Dark Beauty, Mysterious and Hypnotic
Key Colors: Deep purple, dusty grey, fake black, Georgian bay blue.
