Does It Belong in Your Closet?

Deliciously Decadent

As complex as the wine it is named for, Marsala’s substantial yet stylish tone was a hit on the Spring 2015 fashion runways. Heralding the hue were designers such as Herve Leger and Max Azria who were enamored of its diversity and widespread appeal.

“Nurturing and fulfilling…Marsala is a subtly seductive shade, one that draws us in to its intoxicating warmth,” says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, one of the world’s leading color consulting firms.

Pantone’s yearly picks can herald the marked presence of a color in fashion, beauty, housewares, residential and industrial design, and consumer packaging. (The 2014 color of the year from forecasters and industry consultants was Radiant Orchid, a deep tropical purple. For more information on last year’s favorite, see my January 2013 blog.)

The Chameleon Color

Marsala is grounding and organic, with its red-brown roots that emanate a natural earthiness. At the same time, it elicits an elegance and luxury with its deep, rich red tones.

The 2014 color favorite is “hardy, robust, satisfying, fulfilling,” says Eiseman. “At the same time there’s a certain glamour that’s attached to this color.”

The impactful, full-bodied qualities of Marsala make an elegant color statement when used on its own. This highly varietal shade also creates a compelling and dramatic accent when paired with neutral hues, including warm taupes and grays. And because of its burnished undertones, sultry Marsala is also highly compatible with ambers, umbers, golden yellows, turquoises, teal greens and vibrant blues.

“One of the color’s strengths,” says Eiseman, “is the ease in combining it with gray, black, beige and other neutrals. It’s a color that you can mix with what you already own.”

Wake Up with Makeup in Marsala

Marsala is also an appealing and sophisticated shade that flatters many skin tones. It pairs beautifully with monochromatic mixes of peachy pinks, and its subtle, sultry hue is a great go-to color for blush, lips–even eye shadows, as it illuminates a range of smoky-neutral color combinations.

Whether worn as a pop of color with clothing or in subtler makeup shades, marvelous Marsala is the toast of the fashion world in 2015.

So let’s raise our glasses to the New Year’s new color–and to the New Year! May it be the best ever.