Global colour authority Pantone has announced its 2016 Color of the Year – for the first time, a pairing of two colours: Serenity and Rose Quartz – adding that consumers’ need for “connection and wellness” helped influence the choice of colours.

The company said the two colours are “a harmonious pairing of inviting shades that embody a mindset of tranquility and inner peace.”

“As consumers seek mindfulness and wellbeing as an antidote to the stress of modern day lives, welcoming colours that psychologically fulfil the yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent,” said the company.

Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, explained: “Joined together, Serenity and Rose Quartz demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.”

To arrive at the yearly selection, Pantone’s colour experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new colour influences, including the entertainment industry and films in production, travelling art collections and new artists, fashion, all areas of design, popular travel destinations, as well as new lifestyles, playstyles and socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from new technologies, materials, textures and effects that impact colour, relevant social media platforms and even up-coming sporting events that capture worldwide attention.

Pantone’s Color of the Year influences product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, beauty, home furnishings and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.

In beauty, the colour pairing offers a variety of lip, cheek and eye palette options, as well as hues for nail colour. For interiors, the company said the pairing of Serenity and Rose Quartz “brings a feeling of calm and relaxation...Like a sunset, Rose Quartz encourages reflection on one’s surroundings, while Serenity, a transcendent blue, provides a naturally connected sense of space.”