2015 Pantone "Color of the Year"

I can't say I love the 2015 Pantone "Color of the Year"

but I had to ask myself just how they decide on the color. 

I went to Wikipedia for the answer.

Annually Pantone declares a particular color "Color of the Year". Twice a year the company hosts, in a European capital, a secret meeting of representatives from various nations' color standards groups. After two days of presentations and debate, they choose a color for the following year; for example, the color for summer 2013 was chosen in London in the spring of 2012.^[15] The color purportedly connects with the zeitgeist; for example the press release declaring Honeysuckle the color of 2011 said "In times of stress, we need something to lift our spirits. Honeysuckle is a captivating, stimulating color that gets the adrenaline going – perfect to ward off the blues."^[16] The results of the meeting are published in Pantone View ($750), which fashion designers, florists, and many other consumer-oriented companies purchase to help guide their designs and planning for future products.^[15]

2000
Cerulean
Pantone 15-4020

2001
Fuchsia Rose
Pantone 17-2031

2002
True Red
Pantone 19-1664

2003
Aqua Sky
Pantone 14-4811

2004
Tigerlily
Pantone 17-1456

2005
Blue Turquoise
Pantone 15-5217

2006
Sand Dollar
Pantone 13-1106

2007
Chili Pepper
Pantone 19-1557

2008
Blue Iris
Pantone 18-3943

2009
Mimosa
Pantone 14-0848

2010
Turquoise
Pantone 15-5519

2011
Honeysuckle
Pantone 18-2120

2012
Tangerine Tango
Pantone 17-1463^[17]

2013
Emerald
Pantone 17-5641

2014
Radiant Orchid
Pantone 18-3224^[18]

2015
Marsala
Pantone 18-1438^[19]

In 2012, the color of the year, Tangerine Tango, was used to create a makeup line, in partnership with Sephora.^[20] The product line, named Sephora + Pantone Universe collection, features Tangerine Tango–embellished false lashes; nail lacquers, cream, glitters, and high-pigment lip glosses.^[21]

The person behind Pantone's Color of the Year, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute Leatrice Eiseman, explains how 2014's Color of the year, Radiant Orchid, was chosen for a two-part interview held by custom printing company Signazon:

I look for ascending color trends, colors that are being used in broader ways and broader context than before… In this case, Radiant Orchid descends from the purple family, which is kind of a magical color that denotes creativity and innovation. Purple is just that kind of a complex, interesting, attracting kind of color… [The] back-story to purple is that it inspires confidence in your creativity, and we're living in a world where that kind of creative innovation is greatly admired. In the world of color, purple is an attention-getter, and it has a meaning. It speaks to people, and we felt that it was time for the purple family to be celebrated. That's why we chose the particular shade called Radiant Orchid.

— Leatrice Eiseman^[22]