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• Preview of Luxe Pack New York 2008
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• Formes de Luxe: Black Box

Pretty in Pink

By Anne Lavaud

A "Métis" (half-blood) color, born of the marriage between red and white, pink has never left us indifferent, with a personality capable of evoking not only odors, but also color and taste: pink rose; naughty rose; marshmallow pink … Its capital of sympathy comes direct from babyhood — especially feminine, in opposition to little boys' blue layette.

Color historians and specialists explain this shift by the human and organic nature of this color which is almost animal since all mammals are born pink. We’ll spare the more faint-hearted an anatomy lesson and dissection course, but you can take our word for it: our organs are pink as is our flesh. From there to lust, there is just a difference (or a gulf) in the idea we have of our bodies! As a sexed and sexual color, it was the emblem of La Pompadour, Elsa Shiaparelli, Brigitte Bardot and Barbie, of all those little girls, and many women, seeking to militate for or express their femininity by displaying, depending on their humor, pastel pink (just a touch naïve) or shocking pink (which was truly shocking).

Is it a color or not?

The diversity of pink is sometimes disconcerting. To say that something is pink is basically to say nothing at all! Pink is all but invisible, so we need to qualify and add to it a clue to help us classify it in the great library of pinks between dusty rose, bright pink, rose tyrien, rosewood, candy pink or salmon pink. To the point where some consider that they’re not even the same color. But what about magenta? Who can say it’s not when it belongs to the club of the three primaries! A debate of the initiated which exceeds the stage of social or savant discussions, for all creators, designers, glass makers, printers and other professionals and color magicians required to express clearly the nuances imagined by their clients. Because the paradox of this pink is that everyone is eager, like Shiaparelli, to associate their name with this color which seeks qualifiers. Fame and long life guaranteed! The color of dreams, according to the collective imagination, pink is also the color of artificial paradises where elephants dance (pink ones, of course); that of the worst nightmares of the Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) when Blake Edwards throws a panther into the mix; and that of novels — Barbara Cartland style.

But, beware, la vie is not rose when the briefs fall! And the discussions are more frequent between packaging providers and marketing departments when a product falls in love with this color, than for any other. But, very trendy for the past few years, without ever fading, in the United States, as in Europe, pink is also very popular in Japan where young women cultivate extensively their little girl side, which is well served by the color of their childhood.

The Codes of Pink

Originally published in Formes de Luxe No. 61, November 2007. Reproduced by kind permission.