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How Celebs Are Wearing Pantone’s Top Colors for Fall ’16

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Photo: Robino Salvatore/GC Images.
Update: When it comes to predicting which colors we’ll be wearing next season, Pantone practically has psychic powers. Its picks for fall '16 proved no exception: We’ve been spotting the top 10 autumnal hues on everyone from Gigi Hadid to Olivia Palermo — and it's not even that cold out yet. Click ahead to see which trendsetters are making a colorful statement this season, and get a refresher on the most popular shades right now.
This story was originally published on February 11, 2016.
There may be a lot of change-ups on this season's New York Fashion Week calendar, but we can always reliably crib some new trends that will be everywhere six months later (if not sooner). And thanks to the color-predicting wizards at Pantone, we also have some foresight into the hues we'll be wearing constantly in the near future.
The Pantone Color Institute's biannual fashion report, released each season on the first day of NYFW, highlights the shades that are bound to dominate the collections. Fall 2016's top 10 are heavy on the blues as well as reddish-brown shades. Also, there are six colors that are brand-new to the Pantone universe. You definitely won't have to overhaul your closet: Spring '16's dominant color story (softer hues intended to bring calm in an increasingly busy landscape) and Pantone's Colors of the Year are still relevant for fall '16.
“If you look at this season’s entire palette, the idea of comforting blues coming to the top of the list again shows that people are still searching for that reassurance,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a press release.
These uplifting blues (a deep one called Riverside, as well as the lighter, aptly titled Airy Blue) appear alongside dependable, but unexpected, neutrals, like Sharkskin gray and Spicy Mustard yellow; all of those shades pop against the rest of the top 10, like warmer Aurora Red and pinkish-purply Bodacious. The report's big themes, according to Eiseman, are stability and confidence, as seen in reliable colors in bold shades.
The similarities between the spring and fall reports don't end there. There are a lot of nature references, like in seasons past; this time around, the earthy vibes come courtesy of vibrant earth tones like Dusty Cedar and Lush Meadow. Pantone notes that designers are once again drawing from fine art for inspiration — specifically seen in the contrast between the fluidity of abstract patterns and the clean decisiveness of graphic lines. And like spring '16's selection of shades, the palette featured in this season's report is gender-neutral.
The Pantone Color Institute surveyed 21 designers about their color choices for fall '16. Ahead, preview these designers' sketches, which incorporate the season's top shades (or similar hues), before the looks hit the catwalk. Plus: Find out which shades they never thought would end up in their designs.
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